HEART, SOUL, AND SELF: An Interview With Charlie Hurst

It's always a fun experience talking to people on the other side of the world. Charlie Hurst took the time to chat with me all the way from Manchester, England. We were having a bit of a heat wave over here at the time, and I expressed my total dislike of southern summers. Charlie will actually be experiencing those southern summers himself very soon, as he'll be visiting Memphis in August. He's also planning a visit to Florida, which I joked was basically "Australia light" with all the snakes, wild critters, and alligators. Then Charlie said something that definitely got my attention.

Charlie: They actually have a theme park dedicated to them there, I've been! I rode an alligator. It's terrifying.

Me: I'm gonna need some clarification.

Charlie: Little kids kind of straddle it and sit on it properly. Since I'm a 5'9 man, I just had to kneel. I remember one time when we went to Florida, my mum had this massive lizard in her room for about two days before it disappeared.

All of this just reinforces my opinion that Florida is the Australia of the United States, and I absolutely do not want to go there! Our conversation soon turned to something much deeper. I asked Charlie how he first got into Elvis, and it's actually quite a traumatic tale. He assured me that he was completely okay with me sharing it, and it is truly my honor to share this incredible story of resilience and healing through the love of the King.

Charlie: It was 2023, and it starts with an assault. It was about five minutes from where I live, there's this alleyway that you can use as a shortcut. This guy came up to me and beat me up a bit, took my phone, and ran off. I couldn't leave the house for weeks after that, because I was terrified. And my nana Julie, bless her, came around and saw that I was in a state. She was trying to find ways to distract me and she saw that the Elvis movie with Autstin Butler was on TV. She asked if I wanted to come watch it with her, and about three hours later, I was obsessed. I was trying to find a recording of Aloha from Hawaii on Youtube, and I thought I'd found it, but it was actually a tribute recreation of it. It was Michael Cullipher and Cote Deonath, and these guys are dressed like Elvis and they're really good! I thought it was a little niche thing, but it's not. So I tried to see if there were any tributes in Manchester, and there was. It was the world tour with Ben Thompson, Dean Z, and Shawn Klush. I saw it and was just obsessed, and I thought "I could do that!" 

Ben Thompson, Dean Z, AND Shawn Klush?!? You would've had to pick me up off the floor after a lineup like that!

Charlie went through something terrible and deeply traumatic, but he told me that, in a way, he's actually glad it happened. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become an Elvis fan and met so many amazing people in this line of work. He absolutely loves being an Elvis Tribute Artist (ETA), even if some people in his life don't quite get the draw or understand why he puts on the jumpsuit.

Charlie: I think that a lot of people who are negative towards ETAs don't understand that we're not trying to BE Elvis; we know that we're not. But the reason I do it is because I want to make people happy, and that's all I've ever cared about. Elvis is a very big passion of mine, so by doing this it makes me happy, and other people happy, and most importantly helps people who never got to see him live experience that little bit of magic. And sure, you can go home and watch the '68 comeback special on tv, but it's missing that magic of a live show and connection.

Charlie mentioned that getting into the tribute artist world was a bit difficult at first, especially starting out over in England. It's much more of a niche scene over there, and the big festivals are located far away from where he lives. Well, Charlie said it was far—it's over an HOUR AWAY! I laughed and told him I routinely drive an hour and a half just to go to a bookstore I like. Granted, Charlie could drive for about four hours and end up across the border in Wales. If I drive for four hours in my neck of the woods, I could easily still be in Kentucky! But I digress!

Charlie started making social media accounts and asking if anyone had advice for getting started, as well as posting little updates about growing out his sideburns and dyeing his hair. Because this ETA community has so many wonderful folks, he got a message out of nowhere from a fellow ETA and Beyond the Jumpsuit favorite—Lewis Goddard! He and Charlie are great friends now, and Charlie remains so grateful for the welcoming, helping hand Lewis extended when he was just starting out.

When I interview tribute artists, I always encourage them to speak freely and be completely authentic with me. I am always sure to double-check and ask if they are comfortable with me sharing some of the more sensitive subjects we touch on. When I sit down to interview someone, I treat them as a true friend, and I take that trust very seriously. I also make sure that every ETA reads and approves their piece before anything gets posted publicly. I'd also like to take a moment to state that I will not tolerate any hatefulness or bigotry of any sort on my platform. I wanted to make that explicitly clear because Charlie and I discussed another hot-button topic that is rarely talked about openly in this community.

Charlie has faced backlash in the past for being bisexual. It's not something he keeps quiet about, but it's also not necessarily something he shouts from the rooftops.

Charlie: At the end of the day, I don't think it should matter. I'm not Elvis. Do I look like Elvis to you? Well, please say yes, because that's kind of my job, but I mean I'm NOT Elvis. I'm Charlie.

Elvis treated EVERYONE with respect, and that's something that I think we should all model ourselves after. I wanted to make sure Charlie was completely okay with me sharing this part of his life because it's such an important topic. Charlie isn't alone, and he never wants anyone else out there to feel like they are alone or unaccepted. He wants everyone to feel comfortable, valued, and safe around him—and tell me that isn't the definition of a true Elvis attitude?

Honestly, Charlie is just a remarkably grounded guy. He told me about his very first competition, King of the Castle in Blackpool, and humbly admitted that he did terribly. But instead of wallowing in disappointment or swearing off competitions altogether, he treated it as a crucial learning experience. He said you can always find room to improve, and that contest taught him that he needed to work on training his voice even more. He praised the competition organizers and his fellow competitors, sharing that everyone was supportive, friendly, and warm, which really showed him how awesome this community can be. He maintains a very realistic, grounded view of his future goals.

Charlie: My dream is to perform with a band. If I win titles, cool, but at the end of the day, are we not just trying to perform and make people happy?

From taking a terrifying experience and transforming that pain into a passion, Charlie exemplifies the spirit of generosity, openness, and respect that Elvis Presley stood for. His dedication to spreading joy and lifting up everyone around him is what this community is all about. It’s an absolute privilege to share his story, and I know this is just the beginning of a fantastic journey for him.