The King And I

Roy Adkins

Shea Arender won the 2002 Elvis Impersonators’ World Championships in Miami.

by Ari Glogower
September 17, 2008

There’s no mistaking the home of Elvis tribute artist Shea Arender. Four white pillars and a pair of somber stone lions flank his front door, eliciting a knowing grin from visitors as if they have been let in on a good joke. After all, these iconic features from rock ‘n’ roll’s most famous estate seem misplaced among the modest spec houses in this unassuming Clinton subdivision. But somewhere beneath my chuckle, I fail to suppress a fleeting thrill; for a brief moment I am at Graceland’s gates.

The feeling recurs when Arender answers the door. He wears a partially buttoned black shirt and smiles with a slight sneer. His face is framed by ample sideburns and a post-war rebel quiff. His voice, deep with a country twang, is instantly recognizable, uncannily similar to that of The King.

Beyond the resemblance, Arender and Elvis have a lot in common. Elvis was born in Mississippi, and although Arender technically began his life across the river in Tallulah, La., he’s now settled in the Jackson metro area and considers himself a “Louisiana/Mississippi native.” In 1945, the 10-year-old Elvis made his first public performance at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. Arender also took to the stage at a tender age, appeared as Elvis when he was 12, singing “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock” aboard a Commodore Cruise Line ship in New Orleans.

After his first show, Arender was hooked. “Something happened to me,” he says about that New Orleans stage.

He began performing at local festivals and towns, gradually expanding his repertoire and vocal range. Now 27, he travels frequently with his band, recreating Elvis shows for audiences in Italy, Brazil and Puerto Rico, hitting the high notes in classics like “American Trilogy,” “Danny Boy” and Presley’s version of Frank Sinatra’s My Way.”

Arender considers himself an Elvis tribute artist, not an impersonator. The distinction is subtle but significant, he says. When impersonators takes the stage, they discard their own identity and fully adopt the character of the artist as best they can. Arender, on the other hand, remains Arender, channeling Elvis through his own personality. While loyal to Elvis’ arrangements and stage presence, Arender adds guitar solos, performs songs that Elvis never sang live and otherwise tweaks the experience to his own tastes.

The result is a tenuous balance between individuality and mimicry. Perhaps this explains why Arender dropped off the competitive Elvis impersonator circuit after winning the 2002 world championship in Miami. He doesn’t relish performing as one Elvis among many.

“[I]t’s more watered down than individualism,” he says. “I don’t want to share the stage with 10 other guys.”

On the other hand, he admits that it’s hard to define where he ends and Elvis begins.

“People say I do Elvis better than I do myself,” Arender says, laughing. “Even when I try not to … I sound like Elvis.”

Arender does sound like Elvis. Close your eyes while he sings, and you’ll never know the difference. He likes to do a sound demonstration, during which he plays an original Elvis recording on the speakers, then gradually reduces the volume while singing into a microphone. The result is a seamless transition from Elvis’ voice to his own, plunging the casual listener into spirals of cognitive disarray.

Arender performs a variety of shows, and owns an impressive wardrobe of replica jumpsuits, custom-made by a company in Indiana, including the Black Matador, the White Lion and the Sunburst. He prefers the Elvis shows of the pre-Vegas era, and his favorite performances feature the intimate setting and modest black leather suit of the 1968 Comeback Special. His favorite Elvis songs are soulfulדHow Great Thou Art” and “Bridge Over Troubled Watersԗbut like any performer, Arender knows his audience, and it doesn’t take much cajoling to let loose with a rousing rendition of “Burning Love.”

What makes for a good Elvis tribute artist? Many can sway their hips. Some can even sing like him. But what made Elvis a legend was the passion he put into his music. It may not match the fire of the one true king, but Arender certainly has passion. He doesn’t feel any supernatural ties to Elvis and doesn’t talk to him or call on him before each show the way some impersonators do. But he admits: “When I get into the suit and hear the opening vamp, there’s a certain amount of Elvis presence that comes over me.”

Shea Arender performs Saturday, Sept. 20, at 8 p.m. at Hal & Mal’s. Tickets are $15. Call 601-948-0898 for more info. Skeptics and true believers are both welcome.

 
posted by on 09/17/08 at 02:51 PM. [printer-friendly version]