Special Series number 4

By Rhiana Yazzie

Everette Howie Atherton likes to be called Howie for short. But when he is on stage you can call him Elvis. Or as many of the women in his audience do, you can scream and cry and let yourself be taken back to a by gone era when The King still reigned.

Born in Deer River, Minnesota, but a member of the Fond du Lac Ojibwe nation, Mr. Atherton has been perfecting the art of Elvis impersonation since the age of ten when he saw his first Elvis movie, "Change of Habit." His profound thought as a young boy, "that guy is cool," sent him on a life’s journey to follow in the footsteps of his idol.

Atherton says that "Rubbernecking" was the first Elvis song he attempted to perfect. At the age of fifteen after five years of church choir and of driving his "sister and parents nuts" he finally succeeded in sounding like Elvis.

Thirty-two years later Atherton is a professional Elvis impersonator. He says that at his performances he can take audiences to a place where they could imagine really being in the presence of Elvis. Atherton’s voice is so much like Elvis’ that he’s been accused of lipsyncing. To combat this accusation, at his concerts he will sometimes phrase the lyrics slightly different so that folks know he is the real thing.

Like any artist, he takes his craft very seriously. Atherton constantly strives for excellence in his work. He says that he regularly evaluates his voice to make sure that his singing is as close to sounding like The King as possible—ironically enough, a good voice is a skill that not all Elvis impersonators actually have or need.

According to Atherton, many of the estimated 60,000 Elvis impersonators across the world are actually relying on the fact that they look like Elvis. When it comes to opening their mouths, the illusion is not so convincing.

Anyone with enough money can perfect the art of looking like Presley. Authentic Elvis costumes can be purchased from a vendor in Tennessee where each bead is historically correct in its placement. Another company specializes in selling only the scarves Elvis wore during his white jump suit phase, and yet another company in Denmark of all places, specializes in creating authentic backup music for Elvises without a live band. Some impersonators have gone so far as to get plastic surgery to look like their hero.

Impersonators with just the look succeed because "younger audiences don’t have the discernment" when it comes to true Elvis impersonation Atherton laments. Though Atherton’s indigenous genes will not allow for him to grow a pair of sideburns, the testimonials on his website claim that this Ojibwe singer has got chops even if they’re not muttonchops.

Atherton specializes in Elvis’ Las Vegas period. His best performances are the ones where there are true Elvis fans who can take that ride back to memory lane with him. He admits that lots of women in the audience also helps too. "Too many guys doesn’t make for a good show. Elvis is a woman’s show and guys that really are big fans." He says that for the ladies he goes into the audience to "smile and grin, give them a kiss on the cheek and a scarf, and make them feel good and think back when they saw Elvis."

One of his recent gigs was for the American Indian Chamber of Commerce at Mystic Lake Casino where he performed for 20 representatives from casinos across the nation. Like many Native American performers, he has found it difficult to access Native casino stages. Many of these casinos work exclusively with unions and agencies leaving Native talent like him out on the fringes of his own community. When he is invited to sing, it often is for private conferences at these casinos which is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is frustrating to know that he has not been able to access the larger general casino audiences.

Atherton is hired across the state and sometimes country, by Native and non-Native people alike. By putting it out there that he is Native American sometimes "impedes" and sometimes "helps" him get gigs. Native organizations want to support Native performers, while potential non-Native hirers wonder if he is going to be a good Elvis simply because he is Native.

His work speaks for itself as most of his gigs have come from word of mouth. He usually books about two concerts a month. These dates range from private parties to commercial spots. If you remember the August 2007 "Running of the Elvises" commercial, that was Atherton riding on the treadmill. Unfortunately he was not able to actually take part in this event because of the fact that he has a day job as a car salesman which sometimes prevents him from taking gigs that last more than one night. But being an Elvis impersonator and car salesman can have its advantages too. Atherton once sealed the deal on a sale after a short serenade with his magic vocal chords.

Atherton has come a long way from his first show in 2000 at the VFW when he began his career, which he wishes he could do full-time. A man who shies away from public speaking has learned to entertain like The King himself. He even met his wife Darcy at one of his shows. Now his performances involve the whole family, his kids Andrew, Joshua, Diona, and Drew make up his roadies setting up lights and props for him.

Next year he is already looking forward to a show at his home community in Fond du Lac where he will be the main event for a fundraiser in August. When you go to his website and listen to his songs, remember that it is Atherton’s voice singing, not Elvis’.

Atherton can be reached through his websites www.oncenightwithelvis.com and www.gigmasters.com under "Elvis impersonators."

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