Robert Washington (impersonator)

Last updated
Robert Washington
Also known as"Black Elvis" [1]
Born (1958-08-16) August 16, 1958 (age 65) [2]
St. Louis, Missouri, United States [3]
Occupation(s)Entertainer, singer
Years active1983 – present

Robert Washington (born August 16, 1958) is an American Elvis impersonator who has won many Elvis competitions in the United States. Washington is African American, [4] [5] and was the first African American to win the World Champion Elvis Impersonator title. Sam Thompson, a former bodyguard of Elvis Presley, once commented on Washington's close resemblance to Presley's sound. [3]

Contents

Personal

Washington grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. [2] In 1974, he attended an Elvis Presley concert. The day that Presley died in 1977, Washington was at Marine boot camp, and it also happened to be his 19th birthday. [2] He served in the United States Marine Corps until 1981. [6]

Career

Washington's early performances were singing for family and friends, after Presley's death. [3] In the early 1980s, Washington lip-synced Elvis tunes in a stage act. [7] He quotes 1983 as his first career stage appearance. [3] He later branched out into competitions using his own voice. [7]

Washington's act has concentrated on the 1968 era of Presley, around the time of Elvis's comeback television special. [1]

He appeared in the 2000 television documentary Elvis and the Men who would be King. [7] Footage of Washington was also included in the 2001 documentary Almost Elvis, which filmed him during 1999. [7] [8]

Contests

By August 2001, he had appeared at ten "Images of the King" impersonation contests in Memphis. [9] He won the event in 2003. [3]

In December 2013, he was voted number one in the Online Viewer's Choice Award on the Elvis World Championships website. [10]

Shows

In 2007, Washington toured Europe with the "Original Elvis Tribute" and received many positive reviews. [11]

In January 2013, he appeared at the Capitol Theater in Olympia, Washington. [12] In July 2012, he was booked to do two shows in Aroostook County. His show at the time consisted of two sets: one from Presley's earlier days, and a second from his 1970s Las Vegas period. [3]

Films

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvis Presley</span> American singer and actor (1935–1977)

Elvis Aaron Presley, also known mononymously as Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Known as the "King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Presley's energized interpretations of songs and sexually provocative performance style, combined with a singularly potent mix of influences across color lines during a transformative era in race relations, brought both great success and initial controversy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartbreak Hotel</span> Song recorded by Elvis Presley

"Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being given also to Presley. A newspaper article about the suicide of a lonely man who jumped from a hotel window inspired the song. Axton presented the song to Presley in November 1955 at a country music convention in Nashville. Presley recorded it on January 10, 1956, in a session with his band, the Blue Moon Boys, the guitarist Chet Atkins and the pianist Floyd Cramer. "Heartbreak Hotel" comprises an eight-bar blues progression, with heavy reverberation throughout the track, to imitate the character of Presley's Sun recordings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvis impersonator</span> Musician who performs in the style of Elvis Presley

An Elvis impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates or copies the look and sound of American musician and singer Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators, commonly known as Elvis tribute artists (ETAs), work all over the world as entertainers, and such tribute acts remain in great demand due to the unique iconic status of Elvis. There are even several radio stations that exclusively feature Elvis impersonator material. Some of these impersonators go to Graceland on the anniversary of Presley's death to make their personal tribute to the artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural depictions of Elvis Presley</span>

Elvis Presley has inspired artistic and cultural works since he entered the national consciousness. From that point, interest in his personal and public life has never stopped. Some scholars have studied many aspects of his profound cultural influence. Billboard historian Joel Whitburn declared Presley the "#1 act of the Rock era".

<i>Elvis</i> (1968 TV program) 1968 American television special

Singer Presents ... Elvis, commonly referred to as the '68 Comeback Special, is an Elvis Presley concert special that aired on NBC on December 3, 1968. It marked Presley's return to live performance after a seven-year period during which he focused on his film appearances.

<i>Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite</i> 1973 Elvis Presley concert broadcast via satellite

Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite is a concert starring Elvis Presley that took place at the Honolulu International Center and was broadcast live via satellite to audiences in Asia and Oceania on January 14, 1973. The show was presented with a delay in Europe. In the United States, to avoid a programming conflict with Super Bowl VII and Elvis on Tour which was playing in cinemas at the time, NBC opted to air a ninety-minute television special of the concert on April 4.

<i>Elvis</i> (1979 film) 1979 television film directed by John Carpenter

Elvis is a 1979 American made-for-television biographical film aired on ABC. It was directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russell as Elvis Presley. It marked the first collaboration between Carpenter and Russell.

<i>Elvis on Tour</i> 1972 film by Robert Abel

Elvis on Tour is a 1972 American concert film starring Elvis Presley during his fifteen-city spring tour earlier that year. It is written, produced, directed by Pierre Adidge and Robert Abel and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

<i>Elvis in Concert</i> 1977 film by Dwight Hemion

Elvis In Concert is a posthumous 1977 television special starring Elvis Presley. It was Elvis' third and final TV special, following Elvis and Aloha From Hawaii. It was filmed during Presley's final tour in the cities of Omaha, Nebraska, on June 19, 1977, and Rapid City, South Dakota, on June 21, 1977. It was broadcast on CBS on October 3, 1977, two months after Presley's death. It was transmitted by the BBC in the United Kingdom on June 9, 1978. Unlike the majority of Elvis' programs, it is unlikely to be commercially released on home video and is only available in bootleg form. This is because it showed Elvis near the end of his life when he was overweight and addicted to prescription drugs, and much of his performance reflects his poor health. However, parts of the special were used in the video documentary Elvis: The Great Performances and the theatrical documentary This is Elvis, both of which were released on home video. Parts of the special were recreated for the movie Elvis, specifically Presley's performance of "Unchained Melody".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural impact of Elvis Presley</span>

Since the beginning of his career, American singer Elvis Presley has had an extensive cultural impact. According to Rolling Stone, "It was Elvis who made rock 'n' roll the international language of pop." The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll describes Presley as "an American music giant of the 20th century who single-handedly changed the course of music and culture in the mid-1950s". His recordings, dance moves, attitude and clothing came to be seen as embodiments of rock and roll. His music was heavily influenced by African-American blues, Christian gospel, and Southern country. In a list of the greatest English language singers, as compiled by Q magazine, Presley was ranked first, and second in the list of greatest singers of the 20th century by BBC Radio. Some people claim that Presley created a whole new style of music: "It wasn't black, wasn't white, wasn't pop or wasn't country—it was different." As most singers in his time created music geared for adults, he gave teens music to grow up with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvis sightings</span> Conspiracy theory about Elvis Presley

Sightings of the American singer Elvis Presley have been reported following his death in 1977. The conspiracy theory that Elvis did not die and instead went into hiding was popularized by Gail Brewer-Giorgio and other authors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orion (singer)</span> American singer-songwriter

James Hodges Ellis, who used the stage name Orion at times in his career, was an American singer. His voice was similar to Elvis Presley's, a fact which he and his record company played upon, making some believe that some of his recordings were by Presley, or even that Presley had not died in 1977. Ellis appeared with many artists, including Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tammy Wynette, Ricky Skaggs, Lee Greenwood, Gary Morris, and the Oak Ridge Boys.

Elvis is an American drama series about the early life of Elvis Presley that aired on ABC from February 6 until May 19, 1990 before its cancellation due to the high cost of each episode. These ten episodes, along with three unaired episodes, were edited into a four-hour mini-series titled Elvis: The Early Years. The series starred Michael St. Gerard as Presley, Jesse Dabson, Blake Gibbons, Millie Perkins, and Billy "Green" Bush. Elvis voice-impersonator Ronnie McDowell provided the singing voice for St. Gerard on the series.

<i>Elvis Greatest Shit</i> 1982 compilation album (bootleg) by Elvis Presley

Elvis' Greatest Shit is a bootleg recording of Elvis Presley, released in July 1982. It assembles a number of studio recordings—including some film scores—and outtakes intended to represent the worst recordings Presley made in his career.

Clearance Giddens is an African American Elvis impersonator from Melfa, Virginia, who has been billed as the "Black Elvis". He has appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and the Geraldo Show, and in the film Honeymoon in Vegas. In the early 1990s, he also sang on stage in a duet with Jimmy Buffett singing "Jailhouse Rock". He is listed in the book I Am Elvis: A Guide to Elvis Impersonators.

Pete Vallee, known professionally as Pete "Big Elvis" Vallee, is an Elvis impersonator. At one stage and possibly even now, he is the world's heaviest Elvis impersonator.

Dean Vegas is an Elvis tribute artist and politician. He has performed around the world as Elvis. He has been referred to as the top Elvis Presley impersonator in Australia.

Navi is a Trinidadian-born Michael Jackson tribute artist and actor based in England.

<i>The King</i> (2017 American film) 2017 documentary film by Eugene Jarecki

The King is a 2017 American documentary film directed and co-written by American filmmaker, author and two-time Sundance nominee Eugene Jarecki,. As indicated in the film title, the documentary is about Elvis Presley and America during his career. Blending archival footage, celebrity interviews and footage of significant American events such as the twin towers collapse, the documentary adopts Presley as a metaphor for the rise and fall of the American Dream.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXIII halftime show</span> 1989 show in Miami, Florida

The Super Bowl XXIII halftime show took place on January 22, 1989 at the Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida. It was entitled "BeBop Bamboozled in 3-D". It featured a 1950s theme, an Elvis impersonator, 3D effects, and a magic trick.

References

  1. 1 2 Martin, Philip (1997). The Shortstop's Son: essays and journalism. Fayetteville, Arkansas: The University of Arkansas Press. pp. 156–157. ISBN   1-55728-484-9.
  2. 1 2 3 Kirk, Virginia (January 5, 1993). "International Elvis Competition: Auburn man dreams of being top winner". Sun Journal. p. 8.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ezzy, R (June 24, 2012). "Music, Elvis is in the County". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016.
  4. ↑ Haithman, Diane (May 17, 1991). "'Seoul House': Rap Opera to Social Commentary: Stage: Set in a Korean-owned store in a black neighborhood, the multimedia piece has found itself mirroring recent news events". Los Angeles Times.
  5. ↑ Adams, Jessica (2007). Wounds of Returning: Race, Memory, and Property on the Postslavery Plantation. The University of North Carolina Press. pp. 51–52. ISBN   978-0-8078-5801-1.
  6. ↑ Henle, Mike (June 11, 2014). "Maine's Robert Washington could be riding a winning streak heading into the fifth annual Elvis Rocks Mesquite June 20–21". Mesquite Local News.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Bolduc, Ben (December 9, 2000). "Don't be cruel to a filming crew". Sun Journal. p. Section B.
  8. ↑ Almost Elvis (2001 Video) at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  9. ↑ Snow, Donnie (August 15, 2001). "Fit to be King: Fans love to Impersonate Elvis". Daily News. Bowling Green, Kentucky. p. 3-B Living.
  10. ↑ "Official Results: 2013 KING OF THE WORLD". Elvis World Championships. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 Deelen, Arjan (2008). "Robert Washington: Biography". Elvis News. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015.
  12. ↑ McCoy, Nikki (January 17, 2013). "Saturday, Jan. 19: Elvis Birthday Bash". Northwest Military.
  13. ↑ Webster, Dan (February 21, 2003). "Videofile: 'Almost Elvis' follows men who would be the King". The Spokesman-Review. p. 8.
  14. 1 2 3 Robert Washington (II) at IMDb
  15. ↑ "THE FAITHFUL The King. The pope. the princess". Annie Berman. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.