Irv Cass as Elvis
Irv Cass as Elvis — Celebrate Elvis Presley’s life and songs with nationally known tribute artist Irv Cass! He’s won countless awards, he stars in the popular documentary “Almost Elvis” and he’s one of only a few tribute artists invited to perform at Graceland.
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More about Irv Cass
From Niles to Memphis
By KAREN RIVERS
Staff Writer, South Bend Tribune, Sept. 10, 2006
Irv Cass is seen performing at the Lake George Elvis Festival in Lake George, N.Y., this June. The peacock jumpsuit is a replica of one Elvis owned.
When Graceland called Irv Cass, his first thought was: "They're going to sue me. They're coming after us one by one."
Cass, after all, has been an Elvis tribute artist for more than a decade. He's played the King of Rock 'n Roll everywhere from cruise ships to apple festivals to Beirut, Lebanon. He has a closet full of costumes and no less than seven jumpsuits. He does early Vegas Elvis. He does "comeback special" Elvis. He turns on the dance moves like he's flipping a switch.
And because Graceland had never really acknowledged the world of Elvis tribute artists before, his mind turned suspicious.
Then he was all shook up: Graceland was inviting him to perform.
Cass, a native of Niles and current resident of Fenton, Mich., was asked to be part of an "Elvis Tribute Artist Showcase" during Elvis Week this August in Memphis. This special event would mark the first time that Graceland ever produced a show featuring that very distinct musical subset: Elvis impersonators.
"It was a shock to me that they called," Cass says. "They present Elvis, the real deal — and there's nobody who can take the real Elvis' place."
Cass is the first to admit there are some bad Elvises out there, "guys who weigh 400 pounds and have paste-on sideburns." But there are also dedicated tribute artists who want to "celebrate his music, the charismatic entertainer that he was." Some Elvis fans — he stresses some — enjoy watching a good tribute artist.
So if Graceland wanted him to do his thing, he was more than ready.
