There’s no mistaking the home of Elvis tribute artist Shea Arender. Four white columns and a pair of somber stone lions flank his front door, eliciting a knowing grin from visitors as if they have been let in on a good joke. After all, these iconic features from rock ‘n’ roll’s most famous estate seem misplaced among the modest villa houses in this unassuming Jackson, Ms outskirt area subdivision. But somewhere beneath my chuckle, I fail to suppress a fleeting thrill; for a brief moment I am at the Gates of Graceland.
The feeling recurs when Arender answers the door. He wears a partially buttoned black shirt and smiles with a slight sneer. His face is framed by ample sideburns and a post-war rebel quiff. His voice, deep with a country draw, is instantly recognizable, uncannily similar to that of Elvis Presley.
Beyond the resemblance, Arender and Elvis have a lot in common. Elvis & Shea were both born in Mississippi, and although Arender technically began his life across the river in Tallulah, La., he’s now settled in the Jackson metro area and considers himself a “Louisiana/Mississippi native.” In 1945, the 10-year-old Elvis made his first public performance at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show. Arender also took to the stage at a tender age, appeared as Elvis when he was 12, singing “Hound Dog” and “Jailhouse Rock” aboard a Commodore Cruise Line ship in New Orleans. Anita Wood Brewer a serious girlfriend of Elvis in the 1950’s, is the mother of Shea’s sister in law. Shea & Elvis are both baritone singers and about the same height and weight.
Shea began performing at local festivals and towns, gradually expanding his repertoire and vocal range. Now 28 years old, he travels frequently with his band, recreating Elvis shows for audiences in Italy, Brazil and Puerto Rico, hitting the high notes in classics like “American Trilogy,” “ Hurt” and Presley’s version of Frank Sinatra’s My Way.”
Arender considers himself an Elvis tribute artist, not an impersonator. The distinction is subtle but significant, he says. When impersonators takes the stage, they discard their own identity and fully adopt the character of the artist as best they can. Arender, on the other hand, remains Shea Arender, channeling Elvis through his own personality. While loyal to Elvis’ arrangements and stage presence, Arender adds guitar solos, performs songs that Elvis never sang live and otherwise tweaks the experience to his own tastes.
The result is a tenuous balance between individuality and mimicry. Perhaps this explains why Arender dropped off the competitive Elvis impersonator circuit after winning the 2002 world championship in Miami. He doesn’t relish performing as one Elvis among many.
“It’s more watered down than individualism,” he says. “I don’t want to share the stage with 10 other guys.”
On the other hand, he admits that it’s hard to define where he ends and Elvis begins.
“People say I do Elvis better than I do myself,” Arender says, laughing. “Even when I try not to … I sound like Elvis.”
Arender does sound like Elvis. Close your eyes while he sings, and you’ll never know the difference. He likes to do a sound demonstration, during which he plays an original Elvis recording on the speakers, then gradually reduces the volume while singing into a microphone. The result is a seamless transition from Elvis’ voice to his own, plunging the casual listener into spirals of cognitive disarray.
“When I get into the suit and hear the opening vamp, there’s a certain amount of Elvis presence that comes over me.”
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