Only a handful of
Elvis Presley
impressionists proved viable on the popularity charts:
Terry Stafford
,
Ral Donner
, and
Orion
(aka
Jimmy Ellis
), all of whom cultivated a sound-alike style that transcended mere influence and entered the realm of vocal impersonation.
Sun Records
' marketing of
took the schtick one step further than
Donner
and
Stafford
did by implying that
actually was
Elvis
, who had (the story goes) faked his own death to escape the scrutiny of fame. It's unclear why
would go to such lengths only to re-emerge singing his old songs and looking exactly like his former self -- down to the sequined duds and pompadour hairstyle -- but wearing a
Lone Ranger
mask and using a different name. Nevertheless, that was the legend of
, whose voice was so similar to
' that many wishful fans fully embraced the fanciful resurrection story.
Some Think He Might Be King Elvis
is an anthology of
's
Sun
recordings from 1972-1982 that includes a handful of previously unreleased cuts. During this period he graced the
country
charts nearly a dozen times with minor hits like
"Rockabilly Rebel"
and a cover of
Queen
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love,"
but only a few of
's hits appear on the anthology. Most of the songs are
's versions of classic
rock & roll
numbers like
"Rockin' Little Angel"
"Peggy Sue,"
along with early-'80s
ballads
on which he sounds very much like
. The joy in
's music, apart from indulging in the appealing fantasy that
didn't die, is the opportunity it affords to hear a good pseudo-
perform songs like
Bobby Mitchell
"I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday"
that sound like something the real
would have recorded.
really does manage to recapture a little of the
magic, and he certainly rises to the top among the ranks of
impersonators who have made commercial recordings.
enthusiasts wanting to dig even deeper into the
experience can seek out
Bear Family
's four-disc
box set,
Who Was That Masked Man?
~ Greg Adams