FROM LOCKDOWN TO THE LIMELIGHT: An Interview With Charlie Harper

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 the world has to stand perfectly still for a new star to finally find his stage. Before the world shut down, Charlie’s inner Elvis was a well-kept secret.

Charlie: I’ve always been an Elvis fan. When I was little, I had a jumpsuit and mini leathers and all that. I always wanted to do it, but I was a bit too shy. But then, we went into lockdown and there was really nothing to do. I kind of gave it a go, put a couple videos on Facebook, and it just blew up from there.

It’s funny to think that five years before this interview, I was probably watching those very videos. We were both members of the Facebook group “Quarantine Karaoke,” a digital life raft for people stuck at home. Charlie was also a regular in the “Elvis United” group, using the livestream format to dip a toe into the world of tribute artists.

By the time he finally made it to his first Elvis festival, the digital world had already paved the way; he wasn’t a stranger, he was a peer. Though he was incredibly nervous for his first in-person show, that year of "Elvis-ing" from his living room had prepared him. Armed with borrowed speakers and a jumpsuit, Charlie took the stage. Clearly, he hasn't looked back since. His website now boasts a glowing quote from Priscilla Presley herself, and this year, he’s headlining in America and hitting the competition circuit.

When most people think of Elvis, they think of the "King"- the larger-than-life persona, the iconic pompadour, and the rhinestones. Charlie, however, is more interested in the man beneath the cape.

Charlie: I think people forget that Elvis was still human. He had his problems; he was happy at times and sad at times. He still showered and went to bed the same way we do- just in a much more expensive shower. If you watch the bootleg footage, you’ll see little things like his hands shaking with nerves, or his voice cracking and him laughing about it. I like the things that show you who he really was. When people only think of the stereotypical Elvis, I feel like it devalues him. That’s not who he was.

Since Charlie is a Brit, I had to ask about the most elusive part of the tribute: the Memphis drawl. After a lifetime of studying the King, Charlie can flip the switch- but it isn't a party trick. When I put him on the spot and asked for the accent mid-chat, it resulted in a (hilarious) moment of mild panic. It turns out, he has to be in the "Elvis headspace."

Until the moment he walks onstage, Charlie is just Charlie. Then, the jumpsuit goes on, the mic hits his hand, and -BAM- the character takes over.

While Charlie keeps his hair and sideburns stage-ready, you’ll usually find him in gym clothes rather than sequins. That doesn't stop the public from stating the

obvious, though.

Me: Do you have people come up to you and say, “You look like Elvis!”?

Charlie: Every day of my life. Sometimes I say, ‘I’ve never heard that!’ or “Who? I’ll have to look him up.”

Charlie isn't looking for the spotlight in his personal life. He’s an introvert who happens to have a very extroverted job. This grounded perspective became very clear when I asked about one of the weirder traditions in the Elvis world: the sweaty scarves.

Me: I will never understand the sweaty scarves. I don’t get the appeal- what do people even do with them?

Charlie: Well, some people put them in a bag and put them in the freezer because it holds the smell. I’d get it if I was actually Elvis, but I’m just Charlie.

I stared at him in genuine horror. I had never considered the "freezer" variable. If you’re an ETA who has handed out a scarf, there’s a definite chance your sweat is currently on ice somewhere. Charlie just laughed it off.

Charlie: I don’t get it personally, but if it makes them happy, I’ve done my job.

I’d argue that having your DNA stored in someone’s freezer like a specimen from Jurassic Park is well above the job description, but Charlie is remarkably unbothered. He’s the kind of guy who blocks a foot-fetishist relentlessly messaging him for pictures of his feet on social media and moves on without a second thought. "Relaxed" is the only word for him.

Despite his easygoing nature, Charlie admits the competition circuit can be a grind. In the UK, the culture is surprisingly clinical.

Charlie: I put my headphones in, do my makeup, and start my warm-ups. Everyone is at their own table and no one really speaks. But in the U.S., everyone’s chatting and drinking Coca-Cola. In the UK, you just drink water. It’s much more of a team vibe over there, and I often feel like the only one taking it to that extreme. But then again, in the States, you could do a festival every weekend. Here, my next contest might be seven weeks away.

When he isn’t in "prep-mode," Charlie trades the 1950s records for podcasts. He admits he’s not a fan of modern music, joking that he’s an "old man" who wants to be in bed by 11:00 PM.

Charlie is 23. I’ll be 30 this year, and I’ve realized that if I keep talking to young tribute artists, I’m going to go gray before the week is out.

To wrap things up, I asked Charlie what advice he’d give to those just starting out. His answer was simple: study the source, not the imitators. If you only watch other tribute artists, you’re just doing a "tribute of a tribute," and the soul of the performance gets lost.

But more importantly, he emphasizes keeping your ego in check.

Charlie: In the real world, no one cares that I’m about to headline in America. It doesn’t matter. You might take five years to win a title; I might take fifteen. That doesn’t make you a better person. Your likability isn’t going to change whether you walk away with a trophy or not. If people like you, it’s because of who you are as a person. I walk in there as the exact same person I was when I started.

It’s a perspective that’s hard to find in an industry built on glitz and imitation. Charlie Harper might spend his weekends stepping into the shoes of a legend, but he’s perfectly happy just being Charlie. Ultimately, Charlie Harper is a reminder that the best tributes aren't just about the perfect vibrato or the sharpest sideburns- they’re about the heart. He may only be 23, but he possesses the perspective of an "old soul" who has already won the biggest competition of all: staying true to himself. In an industry often crowded with massive egos, Charlie’s commitment to the man beneath the pompadour is exactly what sets him apart. He found his silver lining in a dark time, and as it turns out, that lining isn't made of sequins- it’s made of the quiet, humble guy beneath the jumpsuit. The pandemic gave Charlie Harper a stage, but his humility is what’s going to keep him on it.