Westlock may have never had a visit from Elvis Presley, but residents are about to get the next best thing.
Professional Elvis tribute artist Adam Fitzpatrick will make a stop at the Westlock Legion to perform a set of Elvis gospel tunes on Saturday, March 12.
But while an adoring public are all part and parcel of playing the Tupelo Tornado, Fitzpatrick has a request of his own for audience members, and he’s not alone among other Elvis acts: never refer to him, on stage, as an Elvis impersonator.
“Tribute artist is a nicer word for it. We actually don’t really like the word impersonator,” he said.
Fitzpatrick will take the stage to perform a lineup of early Elvis hits from the Atomic Powered Singer’s gospel catalogue.
“His favourite music was gospel,” Fitzpatrick said.
“If he had his choice, he would have done gospel concerts, but his manager never let him do that because he didn’t think it was a good sell.
The gospel sets, Fitzpatrick said, are a nice change of pace from his usual lineup of Vegas-era hits, though his own personal favourites are from the 70s.
“He’s just very commanding on stage [in the 70s]. I’m very tall and I’ve found that doing the 50s is a little awkward for me now with all of the moves.”
The gig, he explained, is about a lot more than just dressing up like Elvis.
“It’s also important to have your own personality on stage. That’s where it becomes the tribute artist instead of the impersonator. You want to give people the look of Elvis and make it feel like they’re watching Elvis, but at the same time you want to be yourself.
“I’m very much myself on stage. Obviously, I try to throw in a bit of the southern accent.”
Fitzpatrick’s story as an Elvis tribute act began the same way as many others: his innate love of the Memphis Flash drew him to a visit an amateur tribute competition.
After the competition, a friend dared him to don a pair of sideburns, and he’s never looked back — although he’s probably done a windmill or two.
Since winning his first amateur competition in 2008, Fitzpatrick has won four professional competitions, placed second in the Big E’s homeland of Memphis, and taken his act as far away as England.
The competition wins are, for him, a highlight, although he insists the real reward is spending a little time filling those blue suede shoes.
“Competitions are competitions. You can’t take them too seriously,” he said.
“It’s more so about the music.”
