The author who, other than his book, has virtually no public or Internet presence, will sometime grant owners of, The Cuckoo Chronicles, a complimentary copy of his CD, Echoes of Elvis/”Peace in the Valley,” recorded on September 7, 2007 — part one of the Demo for ABC Entertainment in 2013. A select few also have the companion CD, “Solid Gold” 1986-2007, and a few others from the complete collection of 20 CDs covering 1986 to 2019.
During the mid 1990s, the author had been a regular at “open mic” events and became known as the “#1 Elvis Presley Soundalike in Southern California and Las Vegas, Nevada, drafted for consideration to star in “Legends in Concert” at the Imperial Palace, where down below at their strip-fronting night club, he wowed tourists with his indiscernible-from-Elvisrenditions of “Viva Las Vegas.”
During one of the many regular open mics the author attended throughout Southern California, the entourage for famous Elvis impersonator, Ron Stein, who had been on The Tonight Show and was at the time performing nearby, walked in and were struck by the wonderfully eery Elvis sound, and like so many before, quickly concluded it was a decent performance of lip-syncing. On several previous occasions, a few truly devoted Elvis fans were openly insulted and even outraged that someone would lip-sync to “their” Elvis, and yet were equally ecstatic to find out — usually from others in attendance — that the voice was live, which only increased the author’s following. Although accused of lip syncing many times, the author has never done it.
At one corporate event of nearly 800 people, several audience members were polled as to whether the author should become an impersonator in the future or continue as himself evening dress. Virtually all of the knowledgeable respondents (who also thought he was lip-synching to an actual Elvis song) agreed with the sentiment of one aficionado — “don’t be an impersonator…to many of them…when I heard that voice and then you came out on stage — the shock value was worth the price of admission.”
In fact, people from restaurants and lobbies of major hotels had on many occasions previously, diverted their path to where the author was participating at an open mic — usually invited by the host to anchor the event — to verify that what they were hearing and seeing was real. The true Elvis fan can tell the difference between a karaoke version of “Jailhouse Rock” and the author’s true and soulful “American Trilogy” or “Wooden Heart,” complete with the German second half.
(Let’s be clear —there is only one Elvis.)
The entourage for Ron Stein returned on several more Thursday nights, maybe to confirm also that it had not been a dream, and it was during their final visit when one of them — an elegant lady stood up and proclaimed: “Ron Stein sounds like Elvis — Jeff Low IS Elvis!”
High praise indeed, and a tribute to the author’s long and often difficult path to achieve the true Elvis Sound and Message. He will tell you though, that all top-tier Elvis performer share a desire to return the Love that devoted Elvis fans hunger for even today,“…and it ain’t easy!’”
An impersonator can take a lot of artistic license, because expectations are low, given that none of them, without plastic surgery can do the King justice and to be fair, people expect the over-the-top, exaggerated deep 1970’s Elvis impersonator voice and act, which Elvis himself never did.
The true Elvis soundalike has to be near perfect, because there’s nothing visually to make up for an average performance. The “Connection” must be made exquisitely and purely with sound, and why there are so few, without using any of the electronic devices and tech tricks available..
There is also a learning process, which is evident in the author’s early tapes. But if you’re talking straight stereo with no funny enhancements, the author’s — Echoes of Elvis/ “Peace in the Valley” of 2007 and Dedication Comeback Special of 2019 — meets a standard higher than most anyone to-date.