6 kinds of Elvis Presley performers, as defined by Trent Carlini
1. Elvis impersonator: “People who want to act like Elvis all the time. They get offstage and they are still trying to play the role and so they are actually impersonating the man.”
2. Elvis performer: “He who dresses and performs like Elvis.”
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3. Elvis entertainer: Someone who entertains like Elvis; he could be singing on the sidewalk, he could be coming to your house and doing a sing-a-gram, something Elvis never did.”
4. Elvi: “Probably the lowest of them all . . . like `The Flying Elvi,’ which have nothing to do with Elvis, because Elvis never flew out of an airplane. . . . A form of theatric and entertainment usually reserved for the groups.”
5. Elvis stylist: “I was an Elvis stylist when I didn’t really dress like Elvis but performed his songs in his style rather than trying to act like him as a person.”
6. Presleyian artist: “Elvis Aaron Presley came up with a sound that is Presleyian music. And as an artist, since I portray the guy’s musical career, I consider myself a Presleyian artist. Just as if I were an artist and I was playing Bach or Beethoven, you wouldn’t call me a Beethoven impersonator. Basically someone who just restores the art and craft of a great entertainer, a tribute artist if you will.”
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Carlini, who says he stands alone in the last category, performs Friday and Saturday at the Paramount Arts Center in Aurora to commemorate Presley’s death on Aug. 16, 1977.