MANILA šC More than 20 Elvis Presley impersonators shimmied, gyrated and belted out classics like ¡°Jailhouse Rock¡± in Manila on Saturday at the first Elvis in Asia contest.
The King of Rock ¡®n¡¯ Roll died 40 years ago last week and contest organizers said they aimed to keep his style and music alive for a new generation of fans.
With trademark pompadours, side burns and bejeweled jumpsuits, 23 performers from the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia paid tribute to their idol.
¡°His music is timeless,¡± said Filipino Jun Espinosa, who won first prize after his rendition of the Elvis classic ¡°Burning Love.¡±
¡°Every generation can enjoy his music because it¡¯s so natural and it¡¯s so awesome and great. That¡¯s king Elvis,¡± he said.
First prize included a free trip to Graceland, the Presley estate in Memphis, Tennessee, where thousands of fans gathered last week to mark the anniversary of the singer¡¯s death.
The contestants at the Manila event were judged on their appearance and their ability to imitate the charisma and music of Elvis.
¡°It¡¯s incredibly difficult,¡± said Japan¡¯s Yukihiro Nishijima who sang ¡°You Gave Me a Mountain.¡±
¡°Probably more difficult than any other artist because he has a ¡®rainbow voice¡¯ meaning he has seven different voices. Anyone who is a singer would know this,¡± he said.
Elvis died suddenly at age 42 on Aug. 16, 1977, from heart failure after battling health problems including weight gain and a dependency on prescription drugs.
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