BEYOND THE BARBER CHAIR: An Interview With Derick Culver

I have to tell you, spotting an Elvis Tribute Artist in the wild is a lot like playing a high-stakes game of "Where’s Waldo?" if every single person in the crowd was also wearing a striped shirt and a beanie. I was at the Nashville Elvis Festival specifically looking for my Facebook friend, Derick Culver, and the degree of difficulty was high. There are jumpsuits as far as the eye can see. But as it turns out, Derick is one of those lucky few who looks pretty much the same in and out of his Elvis gear. He actually credits his genetics for that natural Elvis hair—the kind of volume the rest of us spend twenty minutes and half a can of hairspray trying to achieve.

We eventually sat down to chat over Zoom, and I immediately realized that Derick is the kind of person you just want to grab a coffee with. He’s warm, open, and has a great energy. However, technical difficulties made for a rather unfortunate error on my part. We were talking about his family, and he was telling me about his grandparents and how much they meant to him. I was doing the classic "good listener" bit—smiling and nodding along. Then, the meeting glitched. On my end, everything went still, so I just kept that pleasant, supportive smile plastered on my face while I waited for it to buffer. When the connection finally caught up and snapped back into real time, I realized I had been grinning like a maniac through the most tragic part of his story.

Derick: When I was 10, I was in a vehicle with my grandmother. She had a massive heart attack at the wheel and I went through the windshield. She died that night.

I cannot even begin to tell you how mortified I was. There I was, nodding away like he’d just told me he won the lottery, while he was actually sharing a deeply personal childhood trauma. Derick either didn't notice my seemingly sociopathic reaction or he was polite enough not to comment on it. Honestly, I’m leaning toward the latter because he is just that nice of a guy. Despite that tragedy, his grandmother’s influence is all over his career today. She loved to hear him sing, and there was always music playing in her home. Derick has these beautiful memories of listening to records and dancing with his grandparents. They didn’t intentionally sit him down and say, "You will love Elvis Presley," but he just naturally gravitated toward the King. He’s been a fan for as long as he can remember.

It wasn't until his 42nd birthday that things got philosophical. If you know your Elvis history, you know that 42 is the age the King passed away. Reaching that milestone got Derick thinking about the enormous footprint Elvis left behind in such a short time. It served as a wake-up call: life is short, and he didn't want to live with any "what ifs." He decided he’d rather try and fail than spend the rest of his life wishing he’d stepped onto that stage. So, he bought a jumpsuit and started competing. He wasn't a total stranger to the scene; he’d been attending festivals for years as a fan, so he knew the mechanics of the world he was entering. But for Derick, it’s never been about the trophies or the prize money. He’s there for the vibes and the family time.

Derick: Everyone has their own interpretation of Elvis. You could do 50's, '68 comeback special, 70's… it's up to the judges what they're looking for, and it could be different every time. As long as we're doing a good job and understanding that we are not Elvis and we never will be, and trying our best to interpret and relay his music, that's what matters. We just want to make sure we're delivering a good show and the fans are happy. What more can you ask for, really? The energy at festivals is what I go for. My wife grew up near Graceland but wasn't a fan. Since she started going to these festivals with me, it's lit a fire in her. we have three kids and our life is really busy, so it's this one thing we can all do, take a 4 day weekend and go to a festival together.

It’s refreshing to hear that perspective. In a subculture that can sometimes get a little intense, Derick sees the other performers as kindred spirits rather than rivals. He just wants to put on a show that makes the fans happy. He’s also a natural-born listener, which probably comes from his day job as a barber. He’s spent years perfecting the art of the "chair side manner," and he truly enjoys hearing people's stories, whether they’re sitting in his barber chair or meeting him at a festival.

But calling it a "day job" is a bit of a stretch because Derick wears enough hats to stock a department store. He’s been in the entertainment industry since he was 20 years old, which is when he opened his first bar. Originally, he was hiring bands and karaoke hosts, but he quickly realized he was doing all the heavy lifting and missing out on the fun. He decided to jump behind the booth himself, which sparked the birth of Double D's Entertainment, a company he started with his brother, David. He’s been voted the best DJ in his area for about 15 years running, and that business eventually evolved into Steel Magnolia Events. When I say this man is busy, I mean he makes the rest of us look like we’re perpetually napping.

Derick: I run a local bar, I'm there on Tuesday nights for live team trivia. On

Wednesday nights, I do sing-o bingo, where instead of letters, I play 30 second clips of songs and the titles are the spaces.

I’m not going to lie—as soon as he mentioned "Sing-o Bingo," I was ready to pack my bags. I may or may not have been pulling up Google Maps during our call to see exactly how long the drive is to his bar. 

Derick: Thursday night is karaoke night. It's karaoke for everybody, but I get a lot of requests because people want me to sing Elvis. A lot of ETAs do Elvis shows, but I'm just not quite there yet.

Me: I honestly don't see how you would have the time.

Seriously, think about the math here. He’s running a bar, hosting trivia, running bingo nights, DJing events, and he has three kids who are all active in soccer and going to different schools across the county. And he’s still cutting hair at his salon. It’s a lot of balls to keep in the air, but the festivals are his release valve. Even if it’s a huge commitment to take a weekend off, the payoff of being in that environment makes it worth it.

Derick: The more festivals I attend, the more I love it. And I'd like to build a fan base, but I also want to be kind of mysterious, like "who is that guy?"

Me: That was kind of my thought, when I saw you walking around with big sunglasses on indoors. I wasn't 100% sure who you were.

Derick: They're prescription, that's why I wear them indoors. Otherwise I can't see.

Me: I thought you just wanted to look cool, I wasn't gonna judge you.

They say it takes a village, and Derick is the first to admit his village is led by one incredible woman: his mother. Raising him as a single mom while building a career, she eventually became his longtime colleague, sharing the same salon space for twenty-five years. That bond goes far beyond the stylist chair; she’s the bedrock of his world. Whether she’s stepping in to save the day with wedding hair while Derick handles DJ duties, or embracing her role as "Yaya" so the grandkids are cared for during festival season, she is always in his corner. Derick knows that his success isn't just his own—it’s a shared victory. He’s deeply aware that he wouldn’t be where he is today, professionally or personally, without her grit and unwavering support.

Even though Derick started his journey as an ETA a bit later than some of the guys who have been doing it since they were toddlers, he’s got no plans of slowing down. He’s focused on building his name and has his sights set on international stages. He started listing off all the places he wants to visit, and I couldn't help myself. I may be a 29 year old woman, but I can't pass up a good dad joke. 

Derick: There's a big festival in Spain I'd love to go to one day.

Me: So you've…never been to Spain?

Derick and Dan Fontaine

If you didn’t immediately start humming the song, we might not be able to be friends. I had to do it. The opportunity was right there, and I took it.

We ended up talking for over an hour because we’re both talkers by nature, but before we hung up, I asked him for his best piece of advice for anyone else looking to step into the jumpsuit. His answer was grounded and surprisingly deep: in a world where you are dedicated to being a tribute to someone else, don't lose yourself. You have to stay true to the legacy of Elvis, but you have to stay true to who you are as a person, too. Judging by the way he balances his businesses, his family, and his passion for the stage, I’d say Derick Culver is doing exactly that.

It’s easy to look at the scoresheets and see a "late start," but that would be a massive mistake. Derick isn't just playing catch-up; he’s bringing twenty years of stage presence, business savvy, and a genuine love for the crowd that you just can’t teach. He has this raw potential that’s starting to catch fire, and honestly, the "mystery guy" in the prescription shades is moving fast. So, keep your eyes peeled. Whether he’s behind the barber chair, the DJ booth, or center stage in a jumpsuit, Derick Culver is proof that it’s never too late to shake things up—and he’s only just getting started.