John Paget's Blog

Elvis World Champion

I just posted a couple more clips to You Tube.

They feature Elvis Junior, the Elvis impersonator from Belgium who just won the World Championship at the Images of the King contest in Memphis, TN.

His winning performance in the finals was an all-gospel set, and one of the finest shows I've seen.

Here is

How Great Thou Art

and

I'm Saved

Makes you want to come to Jesus all over again, don't it?

Elvis Duets

During Elvis Week in Memphis, I filmed a "Breakfast of Champions," where past winners performed during a tasteful brunch. I've put a couple of the songs on You Tube and Google Video, just because they are so simultaneously beautiful and comical (something about seeing two Elvi sing harmony together).

Anyway, the first one features the 2006 champ Elvis Jr. singing My Way with 1988 champ Michael Hoover. Elvis Jr., who is from Belgium, sings the intro in French, and then harmonizes the final chorus in a powerful finish. Check it out here.

The second one features Elvis Jr. again, this time with Garyelvis, singing "Memories" - the song Elvis performed during his 1968 Comeback Special. Enjoy!

Elvis Week 2006 Wrap-Up

America came up empty in the Elvis Olympics, as the top three medal were swept by foreign entries. First place and the title of Elvis World Champion went to Elvis, Jr. of Belgium. First Runner-Up was Kjell, from Norway, and 2nd Runner-Up was Gino Monopoly, from Canada.

Toki, a Japanese Elvis, made a strong bid to place but came up short.

I wrapped up the week with a midnight trip to Graceland Too with photographers Erin Feinberg and Yancey Allison, and Elvis imperonsators Richard Atkins (from London, England), and the aforementioned Gino Monopoly (AKA Elvis Soprano).

When we arrived at the mansion, it was 1 a.m. We knocked on the door for twenty minutes to no avail. Gino and Richard began singing Amazing Grace at the front door. Finally, the World's #1 Elvis Fan Paul McLeod came to the door and gave us the tour. For some reason, we got the X-rated tour this time, with Mr. McLeod detailing how he drinks a 24-can case of Coca-Cola every day which makes him horny as a "Mississippi bullfrog."

Check out photos from the week here.

What Would You Do with $50,000?

Not much exciting to report today...besides playing basketball at the backlot of hotel in searing heat (100+ farenheit) versus Emcee Ronny Craig and Ken Yuvienco, a Filipino Elvis with true three point range.

I saw Elvis, Jr. smoking a cigarette while using a hotel computer, despite the posted NO SMOKING signs all over the computer area.

Occasionally people stop talking about Elvis to discuss Jonbenet case.

Last night, about 1:30am, they announced the thirty or so finalists. The ballroom closed, and everyone migrated down the hallway, beers in hand (Old Milwaukee), to a first floor alcove where they set up a karaoke sound system and continued impersonating Elvis for a few more hours.

One early favorite to win it all is Kjell, a performer from Norway who has reportedly spent $50,000 for multiple plastic surgeries in order to look more like Elvis. Was it worth the cash (not to mention the pain of the knife)? Judge for yourself.

Sing Like the King

I'm writing from the computer business center in the hotel. There is a large cigaratte butt/ash remnant  resting above the backspace key, so this post will contain no editing. If I mispel something, tough.

On the computer next to me, two young Elvi are checking their myspace pages.  There is an older Elvis with frayed sideburns waiting for the elevator, and another one is disappearing down the hallway with a rolling suitcase. Two French female Elvi (twins) are socializing in the lobby with their French entourage.  There would be more, but it's still early and Elvi tend to be nocturnal creatures.

Yesterday was opening day for the contest, which for the first time includes a youth division.  I witnessed eight children (under ten years old)  square off singing numbers like Teddy Bear, Jailhouse Rock, C.C. Rider and Polk Salad Annie in full jumpsuit regalia. 

I'm using this computer because my laptop crashed last night.  The hard drive cannot be repaired, so I've lost everything.  If you don't hear from me for a while, it's because I lost your e-mail.

This makes life complicated, because before leaving Buffalo I sat at Cafe Aroma and hammered out a one page press release: World's First (and only) Elvis instructional DVD released in conjunction with 29th anniversary of Elvis' death!"

I send it out via an online national press release service for $199.00.  Then I rode home to pack up for the trip.

Within the time it took me to pack up, I had six requests for review copies.

Today, upon awaking, I had messages from ABC Radio (national), Capital Radio in London, and AP.  Apparently, an AP story will hit the wires today at 4pm.  AP Digital plans to excerpt the video at their online site. I'm doing the on-air interview in London in one hour.

I checked google news to see what stories have appeared.  So far, the only hit I got was some  newspaper in Florida which covered it under the headline "DVD Releases We Won't be Covering."

Elvis Song of the Day: "Wearin' that Loved on Look" (dedicated to Ross)

Reporting Daily from Elvis Week 2006

Last night (and this morning) I drove from Buffalo to Memphis for 2006 Elvis Week.

In 1999, I filmed the Elvis impersonator world championships here as part of my documentary Almost Elvis.

I returned the following year to premiere the film on Beale Street, and in 2001, I began returning every year thanks to a recurring contract with "Images of the King" (the superbowl of Elvis competitions) to record and produce DVD copies of the contest.

This year, I will blog daily from contest headquarters, the Holiday Inn Select in Memphis, Tennessee. So check in often for a blow-by-blow account of Elvis Week 2006, and my obscure Elvis song of the day (available for download from iTunes).

Since I just arrived in Memphis after a brutal, all-night 18-hour drive through torrential rainstorms in Ohio and Kentucky, today's pick is "Kentucky Rain."