BUTT PADS AND BUSINESS: An Interview With Dan Barrella

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 memories to the wild reality of being a professional King.

Every Elvis fan has that moment- the one that introduced them to the king of rock and roll. Dan’s moment was when he saw the “Aloha” special. 

Dan: I was a little kid and “Aloha” was on tv. I was sitting on the couch with my mom, I was about 8 years old. My devout Irish Catholic mother was watching, and I heard her say in a low voice “God, he’s so sexy.” I was like “what?!” And she said “watch this man.” And then I was just hooked.

Dan got his start in the entertainment business singing in various cover bands in bars, but a friend suggested he try singing in restaurants. A woman in the restaurant asked him to do an Elvis song, and told him all about the world of tribute artists.

Dan: I got a cheesy costume and a wig and went to a festival thinking I’m all that. Then you get there and realize “wow, there’s a lot of really talented guys here.”

After that, Dan jumped in with both feet. He says he went through a phase where he had the hair and the sideburns, and at one point he had THREE DOZEN jumpsuits. It led to him MC-ing at a lot of the festivals and finding work as a DJ. 

Dan: Elvis gets you in the tribute industry door, then you realize you can do other things. I never in a million years thought I’d be doing this. I was just an Elvis fan and figured I’d have some fun. It’s been an interesting ride, that’s for sure. 

Dan never did it just for the contests, though he has won in the past. He didn’t mince words when he talked about losing. 

Dan: Contests aren’t for everyone. You have to learn to be thick-skinned, you’re being judged. One judge might score you a nine out of ten, the other might score you at a five. You can’t let it get to you. If you lose, throw your five minute pity party in your room, not in front of everyone. It’s not going to get you anywhere and it’s not going to look good. You have to learn to take it in stride. And you’ve gotta check your ego. You’re not Elvis, you’re never gonna be Elvis; you’re a performer on stage. There’s room for everyone, so just do it the right way. What matters is that the fans enjoyed it. Then you did your job. 

Of course, I had to ask the question that has now become permanent in my interviews: Do you have any wild nursing home stories?

And Dan didn’t disappoint. 

Dan: One time I was working the dementia floor and this lady came up to me and asked if I remembered her. I asked her where from and she replied “1969, the International Hotel.” So I just said “oh yes honey, I sure do!” I’ve had my fair share of propositions, wanting me to come back to their rooms. Getting propositioned by a 90-year-old is just…it’s funny. You have to take it all in stride, you know?

Me: Any other wild fan stories to tell?

Dan: I’ve had some scary ones. Years ago, I had these twin sisters message me on Facebook, and they gave me the name of a hotel and asked if I knew where it was. I said “yeah, it’s like two miles away from my house, why?” And they said “Because we’re here! Wanna come see us?” And they lived like seven states away. I was really freaked out by that. I get messages from people asking for articles of clothing, and you also get some really interesting pictures sent to you…But I’ve never understood why they put me on a pedestal. I’m just Dan, singing Elvis songs. One time I had an old lady grab me. She said “I made out with Elvis in 1973, now I’m going to make out with you!” She goes to kiss me, I’m dodging her, the false teeth are going crazy…but you have to learn to think on your feet and be respectful. 

Me: I think it’s okay to be a little disrespectful if someone is trying to stick their tongue in your mouth. 

Dan said he always tells the young tribute artists that one day, they’ll be performing in nursing homes for him. But he loves seeing new tribute artists keeping Elvis’ memory alive, and feels like we’re in good hands with this next generation. Dan is a fountain of knowledge about being a tribute artist, so much so that he’s published a list of tips that one of the contests actually asked if they could share with their contestants. One of the things that Dan emphasized is that it’s not enough to look and sound like Elvis; you have to entertain like him too. You’ve got to have that stage presence and the ability to interact with the fans. 

Dan: You have to have fun with it. I think Elvis had the most fun when he was on stage. He had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand. I like to make people laugh, and I think Elvis was all about the jokes too. When it comes down to it, Elvis was just a guy on the stage. He talked to the audience, and he was a simple country boy at heart. He had a gift and he put it out there. 

Dan doesn’t just perform as Elvis- he also does Frank Sinatra!

Dan also talked about the more difficult aspects of being a professional tribute artist. A lot of people make the jump to start doing it full time, and it’s a huge risk. Dan’s advice for those turning it into a career? Always have a backup plan. 

Dan: This business can be feast or famine. You can be crazy busy one year and make $100,000, and the next year, make half of that. You have to remember that there’s always another guy coming up that’s going to be just as good as you, maybe even better. And MEDICAL BENEFITS. You need medical benefits. I tell them that every gig they do, take $50 and open an investment account. Trust me, when I’m dead and buried, you’re going to go “remember that guy Dan? He told me to invest and now I have money!”  I don’t want to see people make the same mistakes I did. You need to stay humble and put in the work. It’s a fun business, but have a backup plan and stay humble. Just because you won a contest one year doesn’t mean you’ll win it the next. No one owes you anything. At the end of the day, it’s a business. You have to keep that in mind. 

Fair warning, the next part of this interview had me laughing so hard that I was crying. I ruined my makeup and couldn’t breathe. Reader discretion is advised. 

I asked Dan about his worst performance, and I was not prepared. 

Dan: Listen. Elvis was built great. We have a lot of things going on underneath our jumpsuits: girdles, man-spanx, butt pads…I had some butt pads on and, as I was leaving my hotel room, I saw something on the floor. I didn’t realize what it was and just kicked it out of the way. So now I’m on stage and the judge is looking at me funny. They said “what’s wrong with his rear end?” My butt pad had fallen out, went down my pant leg, and that’s what I kicked away. I did a whole show missing a butt pad.

Me: -wheezing- So you really HALF-ASSED IT!

Dan: I couldn’t understand why my belt kept falling down on one side. They never let me live that one down. 

I had to try and collect myself before we could continue. I probably laughed for five minutes straight. Unfortunately, I was pretty much a goner after that and the giggles kept persisting. 

Dan: Any ETA (Elvis tribute artist) over 40 has rear end issues. We can’t all be great! Some people have the greatest ass in the world on stage, and I wish I had that! Some people have an ass like Jennifer Lopez on stage, then you see them at the after party and wonder what happened. OK, we’re getting in a weird place right now, talking about butts. But there’s a lot going on under the jumpsuits. Girdles, some guys use Saran Wrap, duct tape, inserts in the shoes, chest implant things, fake teeth, even facial prosthetics. We’re in a vanity-based business, so if you’re getting paid to look like Elvis, you’re gonna do what you have to do. 

I finally collected myself enough to ask him what he thought kept the spirit of Elvis alive. 

Dan: I wish I knew. Because there have been some great entertainers, but NONE like him. How many Michael Jackson festivals do you see? How many Beatles festivals? I guess it’s because he was the first. He was larger than life and he was just so cool. And I think the Elvis movie did a lot to help with that too. 

Being a tribute artist isn’t just jumpsuits and sideburns. Unfortunately, there’s a darker side to performing as The King, and it actually comes from the fans. Dan talked about a friend of his that works in Broadway productions and won the Ultimate Elvis championship one year. He actually received hate mail when he won, because people didn’t like that he was a Broadway actor and that he was pretty far removed from Elvis when he was offstage. He was attacked so viciously that he actually said he wished he’d won second place instead. Now he’s a beloved tribute artist, but it certainly didn’t start that way. 

There are some fans that are way too hardcore. They tear you to pieces if you don’t fit the idea and expectations they have, and it’s horrible. Even some of the most successful tribute artists today receive scathing messages and comments. It seems that a lot of people have forgotten the lesson most of us learned at a young age: if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. Personally, I could watch someone put on the worst performance of their life and I’m not going to go up to them and tell them they sucked. We’re our own worst critics; If they fumbled a song or forgot some lyrics, believe me, they know. And it’s incredibly important to support your fellow tribute artists. You’re all in it for the same reason: you’re an Elvis fan. And the most important part for Dan? Having fun.

Dan: I don’t have an ego. I’ve never needed my name at the top of the poster or on the marquee. Just get me in there and let me have some fun. That’s all I need. And that’s so important, you need to remember that it’s supposed to be fun. 

It’s easy to get lost in the legend of Elvis, but talking to Dan reminds you that the best tributes come from a place of genuine humility. Whether he’s dodging flying false teeth in a nursing home or mentoring the next generation of performers, Dan’s approach remains the same: check your ego at the curtain and make sure the audience leaves happy. As our conversation wrapped up, it was clear that while the jumpsuits might be heavy and the business can be "feast or famine," the joy Dan gets from the stage is as real as it gets. After all, if you aren't having fun, you aren't doing it the Elvis way.

DAN BARRELLA’S TOP TIPS FOR NEW CONTESTANTS:

1) Study Elvis Only ! Not Moe, Larry, or Curly ( those were the three stooges by the way )

2) Be humble and willing to accept criticism. It may be constructive or damaging. Either way simply learn to distinguish it and deal with it and use it to your advantage. ( Because you will see plenty of it ) remember, you ain’t the only Elvis tribute artist on the planet.

3) Don’t rant... go off by yourself, throw a five minute pity party, and then move on. Contests will not always go the way you expect them to. That’s OK! What’s done is done. Don’t ever let me catch you crying in the dressing room! It’s the nature of the beast. If you can’t wait to get home and complain about it on Facebook, don’t be upset when they don’t invite you back the next year. You reap what you sow on social media.

4) Be accessible. Festivals and contest keep going because of the fans who spend their money to attend them. Some people save up all year to go to maybe just one festival to see you and all the others to perform. Take pictures, sign autographs, hang out for a little while at least at the after parties; you’re the reason the fans are there. They want to mingle, make them feel special because you are to them. Long story short, don’t be a douche!!!!!

5) Be brutally honest with yourself, do what you are good at not necessarily what you want to do, if you don’t move well but sing well and vice versa, then you should know what you should be doing. ( trust me on this one )

6) Have Fun!!!!!

7) Remember you’re not Elvis, you never will be Elvis, you’re performing a tribute to the man.

Be the best Elvis you can be on stage!! Always be respectful!!!

Don’t go to Walmart with your puffy shirt on! If you're from Detroit, don’t walk around speaking with a southern drawl!!

8 Represent it well. Keep your suits clean, there is no reason why your jumpsuit should smell like my hockey equipment bag that hasn’t been opened up since 2004.

9) Always be nice to and tip whoever is running the after party. ( OK disregard that one just seeing if anyone still actually reading this )

10) Be supportive of the other artists!!!!! A little help and a little kindness toward someone goes a long way. Some seasoned veterans seem to have forgotten this one!

11) Be nice to the judges. They are people too. Judging ain’t easy!!!! Plus you’re never going to score any points by being mean to them 😉😉.

12) Respect The Band behind you and the person introducing you.

After fronting several cover bands, Dan began performing as a Tribute Artist 20 years ago. Originally as an Elvis Presley Tribute Artist, then branching out with tributes to Elwood Blues as part of a Blues Brothers act, and more recently Frank Sinatra. He also works as a DJ and Emcee