How did Elvis impersonation start? Surely he was not the first wildy popular entertainer to die, & he wasn’t the last, either, but around no other deceased entertainer has an industry of impersonation sprung up. There aren’t, for example, John Lennon impersonators, that I’m aware of. Nor are there Mozart impersonators. & there are tribute bands for the Dead & the Doors, but there aren’t Jerry Garcia Impersonator Conventions or anything. (Again I must issue the disclaimer: not that I am aware of, anyway.)
The weird thing is that there were Elvis impersonators around even before Elvis died.
In fact, when Elvis died, one of the impersonators (Ronnie McDowell, I believe was his name) immediately came out with a song entitled “The King Is Gone,” which promptly shot to the top of the charts.
Michael Jackson, in his 80’s heyday, also spawned a few impersonators, IIRC.
On the CD 'The Million-dollar Quartet" Elvis himself tells of seeing an act in Vegas that included an impersonation of him. Interestingly, he tells of the way the impersonator went way up on his toes and was especially fasinated by the way he pronounced “telephone” in (on?) ‘Don’t Be Cruel’. A pronounciation that Elvis used on his subsequent apperance on the Ed Sullivan show. Elvis spent a lot more time on his toes after that also. This took place in 1956. He was SO different (and sucessful) that the impersonators started right after he made it big and never stopped.
My WAG is that Elvis ‘stole’ some of his own characterized moves from his early impersonators further enhancing his unique style. This in turn made him that much easier to impersonate.
Also,he became such a characture of himself he lent himself to being imitated.
And, hey, he’s Elvis!
Long live the King.