Elvis is back in the building

If Elvis were alive today, would he be flattered or touched by the energy that goes into celebrating his life and music?

Donny Edwards, who has more than a passing resemblance to the King, certainly seems to think so.

In fact, the Las Vegas based artist has developed a special affinity to Elvis learning his songs, copying his stage mannerisms and chatting up the legendary singer’s old cronies for unique insights.

But it’s his uncanny resemblance that makes people stop in their tracks. And no, it doesn’t have anything to do with cosmetic surgery.

“My uncle did some research into our family and he found two relatives on my father’s side that were related to Elvis. I’m probably a seventh or eighth cousin,” said Edwards.

For the past 14 years, the tribute artist has worked at developing a musical snapshot of Elvis, and on Tuesday, May 17 he arrives at the Arden Theatre supported by The Cadillac Kings for a night of rock and roll oldies.

Edwards never started out as a performer. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, his father moved the family to Jones Creek, Lake Jackson near Galveston, Texas right on the Gulf of Mexico.

“It was very industrial with companies like Amaco and Dow. Sixty to 70 per cent of the United States’ chemical plants are there. Our nights were not blue or purple. With all the chemicals in the air, they were usually orange,” says Edwards.

Using a knack for working in computers, he opted to attend the University of Houston’s Brazos Port Community College in 2002. He was building his resume when a small, nearby country theatre sponsored an Elvis competition.

At the encouragement of friends, he entered and sang Hound Dog and I Want You, I Need You, I Love You.

“I got such a reaction,” Edwards notes and it spurred him to enter a mega contest in Milwaukee.

“I took third against guys who did it as professionals.”

The contest took place in January 2003. A few weeks later an agent phoned him and asked if he would be interested in pursuing a career as a tribute artist.

“Before I knew it, I was on a tour doing shows from March to May.”

Edwards used personal stories to hone his act. One of his uncles met Elvis in Rome and often told stories of how down-to-earth the singer was.

“He was the biggest star in the world, but to meet him you wouldn’t know it. As big as he got, and as famous as he got, he never got cocky or overstepped his bounds. He genuinely cared about people.”

After the tour Edwards hunkered down in Vegas and for more than a decade, he has enjoyed a noteworthy career reliving high points of Elvis’ career.

But Edwards knew he had rekindled The King when Mark James, a songwriter who wrote Elvis’ mega hit Suspicious Minds, relayed a confidence.

James told him, “I’ve been meaning to tell you, I close my eyes when I listen to you sing. Every time you open your mouth, you sound like Elvis. You sound like his record.’ Now that’s quite a compliment from a guy who used to work with Elvis.”

Edwards closes saying, “I really can’t name anyone else that has had such an impact on music and culture, can you?”