It’s not easy being Elvis.
Embodying the king on an international stage means delicately sculpting a wave of jet black hair, taking care of shimmering suits, and protecting a set of golden vocal chords.
“Elvis was the greatest singer of all time. His voice was so pristine and his technique was so immaculate,” Brazilian tribute artist Diogo Light told AAP.
“I practise every day and avoid things that could hurt my voice, like being out in the cold and I don’t drink alcohol.
“It’s a big responsibility to pay tribute to the greatest of all time.”
Light is one of three major international acts at the Elvis Festival in Parkes, in NSW’s central west, this weekend.
It’s Light’s first time in the town of 14,000, oceans away from his swathe of fans at home.
“Elvis is very popular in Brazil, despite the fact we speak Portuguese and the majority of people cannot understand the lyrics. But it’s his magnetism.”
He is joined by US artists Dean Z and Victor Trevino Jr for the festival’s 30th anniversary, in the theme of Presley’s Blue Hawaii film.
Trevino Jr, from Texas, was born for the stage, descending from a family of mariachi performers and renowned session musicians.
“On the day my father was born, my grandfather wasn’t there because he was playing bass for BB King,” Trevino Jr said.
“That was always a cool thing growing up.”
Dean Z first connected with Presley as a three-year-old, getting up on his parents’ coffee table to shake, rattle and roll as he watched the documentary This Is Elvis.
“I was mimicking what I was seeing because it was like seeing Superman.”
He got a taste for the limelight in talent shows as he grew older.
“Every time I would wiggle and shake, the audience would just scream and I fell in love with not only the feeling of the audience, but being accepted.
“Everyone wants to be accepted.”
The streets of Parkes filled up with Elvis fans in pompadour wigs, rhinestone jumpsuits, victory rolls and swing skirts on Friday afternoon, ahead of a full weekend of burning love for the king of rock ‘n’ roll.
A parade of classic cars and tribute artists will roll down the main street on Saturday morning, while couples will renew their wedding vows at a concert on Sunday.
Simon Browne drove his 34 Plymouth bright yellow hot rod – complete with flames down the side – from Gippsland, Victoria, to Parkes.
Dressed in a leather jacket with a lightning bolt on the back, Mr Browne was a crowd favourite on Clarinda Street, in the heart of Parkes.
“It’s all about the music and the atmosphere,” he told AAP.
Dean Z, who was swamped by fans during a visit to The Dish, said the festival has endured because most Australians never got to see Elvis in the flesh.
“It’s getting a piece of what that might have felt like.”
By Stephanie Gardiner in Parkes, NSW
