THE BLUE SUEDE BRIT: An Interview With Lewis Goddard

Today's chat is a special one. We often talk about Elvis’s legacy in the past tense, but for a whole new generation, the "King" is just getting started.

I recently sat down (virtually!) with Lewis Goddard, a 17-year-old tribute artist from England who is proof that Elvis’s magic is truly timeless. Lewis isn't just a fan; he's a rising star who recently took home a major title. We talked about everything from splitting trousers on stage to the "illegal" act of being British and not liking The Beatles. His first introduction to Elvis was actually through a tribute artist. He stumbled across a video of Dean Z performing and thought it was really cool. 

Lewis: There’s a whole world around this guy called Elvis. Who’s Elvis? Never heard of him before. It’s crazy now that I think about it.

Readers, I sprouted gray hair when Lewis said this. But considering that Lewis is British and Elvis died 30 years before he was born, I guess I can understand it. I still feel like I should join AARP…

It’s funny how Elvis connects people. We both got into Elvis tribute artists because of one man: Cody Ray Slaughter.

Lewis: I saw a show Cody did and thought “this guy’s insane! He’s incredible!” And I thought that I wanted to try that. I did, and it wasn’t very good. But I started my own show, going around to clubs and bars. I called it “Elvis: the younger years” and it was really inspired by Cody. 

Cody Ray Slaughter was the first ETA that I saw perform and it opened my eyes to the world of Elvis tribute artists. I knew that Elvis was popular worldwide, but I was curious about other fans of Lewis' age.

Me: So are there other Elvis fans in your area? Do you have friends your age that are also into Elvis?

Lewis: There’s quite a few young tribute artists. In the competition, there was one that was 11. It’s crazy to think that an 11 year old is doing it, and that’s coming from a 17 year old. Most of my friends that like Elvis are tribute artists. 

Some people come just to watch a show and get a drink, but there’s these three people that come to my shows when I’m near them. They’re obsessed with Elvis, they’ve always got the shirts and know everything about him. But it’s really hit or miss. 

Me: I have to ask about the accent. Austin Butler is American and even he had trouble getting the accent right, and then he had trouble losing it. 

Lewis: There're some words that are really hard to pronounce, and the British accent still manages to seep through. Elvis also tended to mumble a lot in his earlier music, so that was very hard, and it still is. He’s got a very distinct voice. It’s not a generic American accent. He was from Tupelo and lived in Memphis, so there’s a bit of that southern drawl in there. But his voice fluctuated so much depending on his mood and the situation. Especially in the movies. 

Me: Speaking of movies, do you have a favorite Elvis movie?

Lewis: That’s a hard question! “King Creole” is probably my favorite movie. I also love “G.I. Blues” when I want to watch a comedy.

Me: Like Austin Butler in the Elvis movie, if you could play any of Elvis’ characters in a movie remake, what would you pick?

Lewis: Either Vince from “Jailhouse Rock” or Danny Fisher from “King Creole.”

I asked about the reactions of his peers, and he said he was actually bullied quite a lot for it. He ended up dropping out of college and pursuing his Elvis career full time. Since he just won the European Elvis youth championship, I’d say he’s well on his way to doing that.

Let me emphasize that: Lewis Goddard won first place in the youth contest for ALL of Europe, and he’d been a tribute artist for less than a year. 

LESS THAN A YEAR. 

He also competed in a competition with adults and made it to the finals, after only being a tribute artist for a few months. Lewis stays fully booked with gigs in clubs and bars, but hopes to start getting shows in theaters and bigger venues. His first performance was in a nursing home and said it did wonders for his confidence. 

Me: Did anyone hit on you in the nursing home? Because that seems to be a thing.

Lewis: Yeah, I’m quite tall (he’s 6’6. He’s literally a FOOT taller than me) and they don’t really care how old you are. They just say “oh he’s so handsome, he’s elvis! You’re coming home with me!” 

Lewis sticks mostly to 50’s era Elvis, so I asked him about his costumes.

Lewis: Mostly jackets and shirts, but I do actually have one jumpsuit. I’ve got the gold jacket, the black and white striped jailhouse rock jacket. I love the jacket, it’s my favorite to wear.

Me: How long does it take you to get into Elvis mode?

Lewis: Usually 30-45 minutes, but sometimes it can take up to an hour if it’s not going well. I’ve got more makeup than my mum now. 

Me: So when you’re not listening to Elvis, what are you listening to?

Lewis: Honestly I mostly listen to Elvis, but I have a spotify playlist for my girlfriend to add as many non-elvis songs as possible so I can get out of the cycle of always having Elvis on my brain. I mostly listen to 50s and 60s. I’m actually not a fan of the Beatles, I like one song. 

Me: You’re British, is that legal? Should I not put that on my blog? I don’t want you to get beat up.

Lewis: There’s actually a lot of British people that don’t like the Beatles, so it’s fine. 

Me: So what’s your favorite song overall, and your favorite song to perform?

Lewis: Another hard question! I like to sing “There’s Always Me” because of the power at the end of it, but then I like “Trouble” because I like dancing to it. I also like “Peace In the Valley," it’s just such an amazing song. My favorite song overall, and it’s a pretty unpopular one, is “Run On.” It’s a gospel song and I’ve always loved it, and it’s fast paced. My other favorite is “Mess of Blues.”

I don’t know about you, but I’m a completely different person than I was at 17. I asked Lewis if it was a struggle to keep himself separate from the Elvis persona, or if it influenced his day to day life. When you’re 17, you’re still finding yourself and figuring things out. Lewis said he had difficulty at first, wanting to wear the Elvis getup in his day to day life. That sort of ruined the illusion for him, so he saved it for performances. He compared it to playing a character. It’s totally different going onstage as Lewis and as Elvis. He tries to keep his personal life separate and just saves the Elvis stuff for the weekends. It helps him to keep that line in the sand between who he really is and the person he has to become for a show. 

Me: I wanna hear about your worst show.

Lewis: It was in a very small bar, and I’m tall anyway so the ceiling was close to my head. I started performing and there were only 3 people there. Eventually I just started taking requests. It could’ve been a really bad show, but I made it into a good one. I want to give the audience what they want, and that gives me room to practice and have fun. And even though there were only 3 people there, those 3 people took the time to come see me. You’ve got to give them the energy they’d expect and the energy you’d want in return.

I do have a funny story… I was at a gig and it was going really well. I was doing “I Need Your Love Tonight” and I always stand on my toes for that one. My trousers split right down the middle. And I would be wearing the jumpsuit for my next set, so I had white underwear underneath. The whole audience was just watching me with my trousers split in half. There’s a video and you can just hear my grandma telling me “stop! Don’t stand on your toes! No!” I ended up taking my gold jacket off and had it wrapped around my waist for the remainder of the set.

He can laugh about it now. I definitely laughed about it, with a very unladylike snort. We talked about the signature Elvis moves like the toe point (I cringe every time, that seems like a good way to break an ankle) and I asked if there were any he struggled to master. He said he struggled with that windmill move where you go across the stage swinging your arm. In fact, he injured his arm by swinging with a little too much gusto during a performance. Then I asked him about his best performance. 

Lewis: Any time I get to perform with a full band is awesome, but my best was my first solo show. I performed in a church and it actually sold out. And the audience was amazing. 

In a fun twist, Lewis asked me some questions! He asked what my favorite song to see tribute artists perform was. My favorite song overall is “Can’t Help Falling in love” because it just makes me swoon every time. But for me, the real measure of an ETA is one of the powerhouse songs. “How Great Thou Art” and “Unchained Melody” really show off an artist’s range, so that’s what I always like to see. 

Lewis: If you could go back and watch an Elvis show live, which one would it be?

Me: 68 comeback special. I would be one of those women screaming and crying near the front. I love the sit-down chill vibes of that show as well. Just Elvis, a small band, and a leather jumpsuit. What’s yours?

Lewis: The 1957 Tupelo show where he’s in the gold jacket and the black suit. The women are going absolutely crazy in that one, and it’s because they’re seeing something brand new. No one has danced onstage like him before, so I think it would be so cool to see their reactions and feel what they were feeling at the time. 

It’s easy to see why Lewis is winning championships. He has the height, the voice, and, most importantly, the humble attitude of a true artist. It was such a blast getting to know the guy behind the gold jacket.

If you’re in the UK (or just fancy a trip!), keep an eye out for Lewis Goddard. Whether he’s performing for 3 or 300, he’s keeping the spirit of the 50s alive and well and you’re guaranteed to get a good show.

At just 17 years old, Lewis Goddard has skyrocketed from a high school student to a rising star in the tribute world, capturing the European Elvis Youth Championship after performing for less than a year. Standing a towering 6'6", this English phenom specializes in the raw energy of Elvis’s 1950s era, winning his first major title and even reaching the finals of adult competitions within months of his debut.