SWAYZE HAIR AND ELTON FLAIR: An Interview With Dwight Icenhower
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, and I can now officially confirm that rumor.
Even knowing his reputation, I was intimidated. He’s a five-time World Champion with over 75 first-place titles. He took the Ultimate crown in 2016, and I was trying very hard to keep my fan-girling in check. I’m not sure how successful I was, but Dwight was so down-to-earth that he made it easy.
Dwight, like myself, was raised on the King’s music. He’s been a die-hard Elvis fan his entire life. Even at five years old, he knew that Elvis was the coolest thing on the planet. Music always held a special place in his heart, but Dwight didn’t grow up dreaming of a singing career- he actually wanted to be a band teacher. We have Dwight’s high school band teacher to thank for giving him a push in the Elvis direction.
Dwight: I was always involved in band: jazz band, pep band, marching band…when marching band season ended, it was kind of a let down. We didn’t have anything to do! My band director wanted to do a variety show, like a musical talent show. Everybody knew I was a big Elvis fan, and he suggested I do some Elvis songs. I came up with an outfit and did a little schtick, but I was so nervous. I had no idea what I was doing! I did “Hound Dog,” “All Shook Up,” and “American Trilogy.” It was a packed gymnasium, probably 800 or 900 people there, and it went great. After the show, our varsity football coach came out and said he was getting married in a few weeks. His soon to be mother-in-law was a huge Elvis fan, and could he hire me to sing at the reception? That was the first paid gig I had and it snowballed from there. Suddenly I was doing fairs and festivals and performing at every Moose lodge. I had to make a decision. If I was going to try to do this as a career, it had to be now. I couldn’t take off four years and go to school. I’m glad I made the decision I did.
That snowball turned into an avalanche and Dwight’s career took off, and now next year will mark 30 years in the business. The man is a fountain of information for aspiring tribute artists and shared some of his best pieces of advice with me. While the jumpsuits are a big part of nailing the Elvis look, it’s not the only factor. Let’s be honest, none of us are blessed with Elvis’ cheekbones. We can use makeup to sculpt our faces and Dwight learned his best tricks from a very unlikely source.
Dwight: “Ru Paul’s Drag Race.” The things these guys do with makeup is insane. I learned so much by watching them. There’s an expression they use a lot that I found helpful, and that’s “paint for the back of the room.” You have to paint your face so that even the people in the back row can see it. Of course, it’s a bit scary looking when you do a meet and greet after the show, so I usually take a minute to blend everything so it doesn’t look crazy.
Me: Wow, I bet a lot of people haven’t considered that, but it’s an excellent source of information. I bet there’s a lot you can learn about performing from watching them too.
Dwight: I haven’t mastered the “death drop” yet, but I’m trying.
While Dwight credits “Drag Race” with his makeup skills, he credits the contest circuit for helping him get his tribute act off the ground.
Dwight: The contests are the things that helped me out the most. It’s not about winning, I did contests for four years before I ever even placed fourth. But you go to these events and hundreds of people are exposed to you. You get to sing with a band. You may not win that time, but then maybe 20 or 30 people will come up to you at the next one and say “we saw you at this one! We follow you now.” So showing up at contests, even if you don’t win, but coming back anyway is the best advice I can give young tribute artists and people just starting out. The experience alone of being on a big stage and performing in front of people makes you a better performer. It did for me. Obviously Elvis is what it should all come back to, but you learn things being around other performers as well. Even if you don’t win, you’re gaining so much by being there.
He also got his feet wet performing in nursing homes and local parades, and had great stories to share from both.
Dwight: I was doing a Christmas parade in my hometown, so I was singing “Blue Christmas” with my band. I was handing out scarves from the float, but I kept announcing “please do not approach the float! I will throw the scarves.” All of a sudden there’s this lady, she grabbed both ends of the scarf around my neck. She’s moving with the float and not letting go. I’m singing, the scarf is pulling my neck back, and then BOOM! We ran over this lady, broke her ankle.
Me: OH MY GOD!
Dwight: We rolled right over her ankle. She still comes to my shows though. And she got the scarf, she was happy.
On the lighter side of things, Dwight recalled a touching moment at a senior center that stuck with him.
Dwight: This woman was visiting her husband with dementia, and she came up and asked me to sing a specific song. She said he wouldn’t remember it, but it was their song and she’d like to dance with him. So I did the song and she started sobbing. When the song was over, she came over to me and said that, while I was singing, her husband recognized her. “That’s our song!” For that split second, he remembered her, he remembered their song. That’s one of the coolest things that’s ever happened. Music can get through to people.
Someday when I’m in a nursing home, somebody play “Get Low” by Lil Jon and see what happens.
Anyway, Dwight’s star continued to rise, and suddenly he had five world titles and more first place trophies than he knew what to do with. So what do you do when you’ve essentially done it all? You branch out.
A lot of tribute artists are purists: if Elvis didn’t sing it or wear it, it’s not happening. And there’s nothing wrong with that! There’s room for everyone in the industry. But Dwight wanted to do something different, so he created a very special show. It’s so unique and absolutely blows my mind, and no one has ever done anything like it: the Elvis ‘88 comeback special. In a world where Elvis lived past ‘77, what if he made a comeback in the 80’s? Let’s be honest, Elvis would have LOVED the 80’s: the wild colors and patterns, the fashion, all of it. So Dwight got to thinking about how Elvis would fit into the era of hair bands and spandex. One of the most important aspects of the entire project was the look. Dwight worked with one of my previous interviewees, Dorian Alberti, to create the perfect 80’s Elvis.
Dwight: I got with Dorian and we started bouncing some ideas around, and we came up with the Cosmic Cobra. It looks like a jumpsuit from afar, but it’s actually a short jacket and pants. In my world, Elvis would’ve gotten out of the jumpsuits because he always changed with the times. That suit is a star in its own right. It took us maybe ten minutes of shooting ideas back and forth, then Dorian drew up this beautiful sketch.
(Shoutout to Dorian for sending me these photos!)
Guys, this suit is COOL. It’s jet black with gold accents and it’s reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” jacket. The jacket features a gold sort of cobra hood, hence the name, with black diamonds and gold fringe. Mirrored shapes and bejeweled lightning bolts catch the stage lights. The belt, though it is gold and blingy, isn’t gigantic like some of the classic Elvis belts. Slim fitting black pants with gold diamond accents down the legs complete the look along with gold boots. I think it’s EXACTLY the kind of thing Elvis would’ve worn in the 80s. As for the hair, the classic pompadour remains but the sideburns are long gone. The back is a bit longer, but definitely not a Joe Dirt mullet. Dwight and his wife looked at men’s haircuts from 1988 and decided a Swayze vibe would be the perfect fit. The final piece was the music: what would Elvis sing in the 80s? John Mellencamp and Meatloaf songs fit in perfectly, but the closer of the show is what quickly became a fan favorite: “I will Always Love You.” Elvis always wanted to record that song, so in this world, he did.
The ‘88 Comeback Special was more thanjust a fun project. Since Elvis died so suddenly, many people told Dwight this show gave them a sense of closure. He never expected how it would affect people; he thought that it would just be a fun night out for the fans. But this show resonated with people emotionally and filled a hole left by Elvis’ death. The concert is on Youtube and I can’t recommend it enough.
I think the reason that the ‘88 comeback special worked so well is because it was a labor of love from a lifelong Elvis fan. Dwight has studied the King for his entire life and knew exactly how to capture his essence and keep it going. He knew he couldn’t just pick any 80’s song; it needed to be something that fit Elvis’ vibe. “Addicted to Love,” “Rock this Town,” “Two Outta Three Ain’t Bad,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love.” Dwight carefully selected songs that he thinks Elvis would’ve gravitated towards and did them in his style. Seriously, I could write an essay about the whole thing.
And while Dwight’s love for the King will never die, he’s not the only musical icon that holds a special spot in his heart.
Me: YOU DO ELTON JOHN?!
Dwight: He’s my favorite singer-songwriter of all time. I’ve seen him in concert 116 times.
Me: -laughing- Wait, are you being serious? That’s the actual number?
Dwight: Yep. I saw him twelve times one summer.
I didn’t even know somebody could see Elton John that many times. So obviously, Dwight is a huge fan, and he said his Elton John tribute act just kind of naturally evolved. Every time he grabbed the karaoke microphone, he was singing “Don’t let the sun go down on me” or “I guess that’s why they call it the blues.” A producer told him to get himself an Elton John outfit and he’d put him in a show.
Dwight: So I did. Looking back at it now, it was a horrible outfit. I looked like Willy Wonka. It was really bad. I had this big top hat and what looked like a Willy Wonka suit.
To be fair, I feel like a Willy Wonka suit isn’t that much of a stretch for Elton John. His fashion choices are pretty unique. And that’s what Dwight focuses on- the early years with the REALLY crazy outfits. Think of the white jacket with the huge feathers. The costumes are so elaborate that he can’t fly with them, so if you ever want to see Dwight at his Elton John-iest, it’ll have to be at a show within driving distance.
When it comes down to it, Dwight loves singing and performing. And at the end of the day, it’s not the dollar signs or seeing his name in lights that keeps him going. It’s the love.
Dwight: So many of us have made a career out of this. We do it full-time. If it was strictly about the money and I didn’t love what I do, I’d be so burnt out. There are times that I’ve done 15 shows in a row and I’m exhausted and I don’t want to hear Elvis music, like, please play something else! But then you’re on Youtube, and you find a clip of Elvis and you’re like “that’s the reason. That guy is the reason we keep doing this.” And Elvis will always be relevant. In a million years from now, people will know what Elvis is like they know what dinosaurs are. Something that iconic doesn’t disappear. And I hope to just keep performing. I just love to sing and as long as people want to hear live music, and I can make people happy with what talents I was given, that’s all I want.
Talking with Dwight felt less like interviewing a global superstar and more like catching up with an old friend who just happens to have a closet full of rhinestones and a direct line to the King’s spirit. It’s rare to find someone who has reached the absolute summit of their profession (five world titles and counting) while remaining so genuinely humble. As we wrapped up, I realized the magic of Dwight Icenhower isn’t just in the perfect vibrato or the "Cosmic Cobra" jacket; it’s in the heart he pours into every single note. Whether he’s "painting for the back of the room" or helping a man with dementia find a lost memory, he treats this legacy with the reverence it deserves while keeping it fresh, human, and fun. Walking away from our chat, the intimidation I felt at the start was long gone, replaced by the kind of buzz you only get from talking to someone who truly loves what they do. Elvis may be the reason Dwight started this journey, but it’s Dwight’s own kindness and legendary talent that keep us all coming back for more. One thing is for sure: as long as he’s on stage, the King isn’t going anywhere.
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