Aaron Smith has been breaking in his blue suede shoes since he was seven years old. While most kids that age were just waiting for recess, Aaron was donning a powder blue jumpsuit and taking the stage at Charlie’s Drive-In. The catalyst? A viewing of That’s the Way It Is . One look at the King in his prime and Aaron was hooked, heart and soul. Fast forward to four years ago: Aaron was discovered in Wisconsin by Johnny Z, the man who would become his manager and mentor. Togeth

Me: I have to ask the question I’m sure you’re sick of getting…is Dwight Icenhower a stage name or your real name? Dwight: It’s my real name. But it’s pronounced Ice-en-hower. I’ll admit, I was nervous to talk to Dwight. I’d mentally filed him under the "never gonna happen" category. The man is a global legend, constantly touring, and I figured there was no way he’d have time for my little blog. But I had heard repeatedly that Dwight is one of the nicest guys in the business,

Me: So how long have you been doing this now? Luke: Two and a half, three years, something like that. Me: And you’re how old? Luke: 20. Me: -puts my head in my hands- Oh my God. Luke: But like, I feel a lot older in my head. Me: Call me in ten years, then you can say that. I’m going to have to take a break from talking to young tribute artists, because I’ve never felt older than I do now. This year I’ll be 30, going on 85. Talking to these guys makes me feel like the huma

“Just a minute, I’m taking my sideburns off!” It’s not a sentence I ever expected to hear, but then again, Don Rose isn’t your average conversationalist. While most of us rarely give a second thought to facial hair, Don is a scholar of "sideburn lore." Don: The sideburns in the 50’s are short, then if you’re doing the movies, the sideburns are a little longer. Then if you’re doing ‘68, that’s the first time you really had the chop sideburns. Now in the 70s, you’ve got two d

“What have you done?" That’s what Austin Pugh said to his wife Kristen when he arrived at his first competition. It’s one of those moments we’ve all had- that split second of "how did I get here?" when reality finally sets in. You see, Austin had only just started performing as a tribute artist. He and Kristen had heard through the grapevine about the various festivals and contests, but they were still very much in the discovery phase of this world. Austin and his Wife Kriste

Do you have a friend or coworker that you KNOW if you sit by them or talk to them, nothing’s gonna get done? That’s how I was chatting with Taylor Salamon. An hour and a half later, we’d gotten so wildly off-topic chatting about random things that I suddenly remembered I was actually supposed to be asking him Elvis-related questions. Whoops! I did eventually manage to get to the point, and I’m so excited to introduce you to him. As a five-year-old, Taylor preferred playing wi

I’ve sat down with a lot of interesting people lately, but it’s not every day you meet a middle school teacher who doubles as a professional Elvis- and used to be a pro-wrestler (more of a referee, he clarified, but it’s still wild). I recently caught up with Chris to talk about his journey, and let’s just say, the man is a goldmine of great stories and even better analogies. From Comic-Con run-ins with Time Lords to finding faith in gospel music, our conversation was a wild

What happens when you mix a seven-year-old’s obsession with Grease , a fateful trip to Graceland, and a heart big enough to fill a rhinestone jumpsuit? You get Tim Mack. Aside from his questionable love for banana-flavored Laffy Taffy, Tim is one of the most soulful Elvis Tribute Artists I’ve ever had the pleasure of chatting with. From 'spotlights' at Graceland to heart-wrenching moments that absolutely ruined my mascara, interviewing Tim was a rollercoaster. Kids tend to g

Walking into Dorian’s workspace, you’re immediately greeted by a bit of a tonal curveball: two full-sized, gleaming Iron Man suits standing guard like high-tech sentries. It’s the kind of thing that makes you pause, but after five minutes of chatting with him, the super suits start to make sense. Dorian isn’t a billionaire playboy, but he is a professional engineer with the soul of a tailor and the heart of the King. From learning the ropes at a local tailor shop to a life-al

I frequently joke about approaching 30 and being an aging millennial, but apparently, all it takes is a thirty-minute chat with a talented teenager to make me feel like I should be applying for a senior citizen discount. I recently caught up with Maxlee, a nineteen-year-old Elvis Tribute Artist who is currently taking the tribute world by storm. He’s charming, wildly driven, and accomplishing more before breakfast than I do in a typical year- but he also has a way of making m

There aren’t many silver linings to be found when you look back at the global chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Charlie Harper managed to find one hidden under a rhinestone-studded cape. While most of us spent lockdown staring at the walls or attempting sourdough, Charlie was in his living room, trading his quiet introversion for a jumpsuit and a Memphis drawl. What started as a shy hobby to pass the time has since spiraled into a headlining career, proving that sometimes t

Most kids rebel against their parents' hobbies, but Ryan Rose did something much more surprising: he actually chose to follow in his father’s footsteps. Growing up as the son of a professional ETA, you’d think the jumpsuit was forced on him at birth. But after a childhood spent as a 'cute novelty' performer, Ryan actually walked away from the stage to become a legitimate basketball star. It wasn't until the sneakers were hung up for good that he felt the pull of the music aga

They say it takes a village, but for Lain, it really just took one very dedicated grandmother. She was the one who bought the first suits, studied the old recordings with him, and set the bar high with her motto: 'If you’re gonna do something, do it right. Especially if it's Elvis.' Talking to Lain about his journey back to the competition stage, you get the sense that the glitzy jumpsuits and the trophies are great, but the re al prize is the bond they’ve built through the m

If you think you’ve heard every "Elvis" story in the book, you haven’t sat down with Dan Barrella. With two decades in the tribute world, Dan has gone from singing in local bars to owning three dozen jumpsuits and MC-ing major festivals. He’s seen the best, the worst, and the literal "behind-the-scenes" of the industry- and he isn’t afraid to tell the truth about any of it. I spent an hour with him and laughed until I couldn't breathe, covering everything from childhood memor

Ruben Castillo knows how to make an impression-literally. He’s always had a knack for vocal impressions and debuted his Elvis at a talent show. Most people get a round of applause for a middle school talent show; Ruben got a punch in the face from a jealous bully. It was the first sign that he had a talent people couldn't ignore. Today, the "professional partier" and nightclub MC channel that energy into a roster of legends: Elvis, George Michael, Bon Jovi... But behind the g

I used to think young Elvis Tribute Artists were a rare breed- the kind of thing you only see once in a blue moon. But after crossing paths with two incredible performers in the last week, I’ve officially been proven wrong. Young ETAs are having a major moment, and 17-year-old Evan King is leading the charge. I caught up with the Scottish native to talk about his 'old soul' aesthetic, his rapid rise to the championship stages, and what it’s really like to step into the shoes

You’d think a career playing the King of Rock and Roll would start with a flashy jumpsuit, but for Leo Days, it actually started with a bowl of popcorn and a TV with rabbit ears. Whether it was watching Michael Jackson’s moonwalk on Motown 25 or catching Elvis specials with his parents, Leo was hooked on the magic of entertaining from day one. But what’s really cool about Leo is that he didn't just "put on a costume." He devoted himself to a lifelong character study of the K

Today's chat is a special one. We often talk about Elvis’s legacy in the past tense, but for a whole new generation, the "King" is just getting started. I recently sat down (virtually!) with Lewis Goddard, a 17-year-old tribute artist from England who is proof that Elvis’s magic is truly timeless. Lewis isn't just a fan; he's a rising star who recently took home a major title. We talked about everything from splitting trousers on stage to the "illegal" act of being British an

I was thinking about Elvis today, which would’ve been his 91st birthday. Not just the music, but the way he absolutely owned every room that he walked into. He lived a life that was loud, colorful, and unapologetically bold. Even if you aren’t planning on wearing a jumpsuit to your next meeting (hey, Elvis would be all for it) , there’s actually a lot we can learn from the King’s approach to life. To celebrate his big day, I’ve rounded up five life lessons that remind us to b

I sat down with Randy Travis (yes, like the country singer, and yes, he gets that a lot) and his wife Lana. We discussed cosplay, the unpredictability of nursing home performances, and his five most important tips for paying tribute to the King. Me: So there’s not really a non-creepy way to say I was researching you (read: light facebook stalking) before this interview and saw that you’re a cosplayer! So when you cosplay, you’re portraying a fictional character. When you’re