JJ: Well I used to be really shy in school, but when my voice was heard, a classmate of mine and fellow Elvis fan named Tammy Curry encouraged me to enter the school’ s talent show. I got third place, and so from there I decided I really wanted to pursue a singing career! The practice definitely helped my singing, but I think it was mostly my interests in Elvis that made me an Elvis singer. I tried country but got nowhere so I decided to just stick with Elvis.
CW: Ever since my infatuation with Elvis, my singing improved just through practicing on my own. I didn’ t start singing live for people until later in my career. I was lucky to have a musical family who supported me in my career choice, and I had the
Cody Wise privilege of getting voice lessons, which also helped.
TL: It’ s so interesting, Jerome said his family wasn’ t musical at all, but yours was!
CW: Yeah, I guess we really do come from different places! That’ s what convergent evolution is all about, right?
TL: Right on! You guys come from such different backgrounds, yet there are many qualities that both of you share. Let’ s talk about your costumes- in performance, at least, you wear a similar styles- you know, the greased hair with the long sideburns, and the rhinestone-studded suit. I find the evolution behind the analogous structures to be so intriguing.
JJ: Oh yes! I mean if you go to one of these Elvis impersonators contests, you see them everywhere. I love my rhinestones!
CW: You know, you gotta do what you gotta do! As an Elvis impersonator, these are musthaves! Because we’ re from similar niches or environments- that is, we’ re all Elvis impersonators and we’ re accustomed to all the Elvis influences around us- we’ ve evolved these similar characteristics and styles despite coming from all over the country.
TL: Well, you certainly do a good job, Mr.“ Best Look-A-Like!” Congrats! We love your costumes! So from my understanding, while I get that you’ re obviously not from the same lineage, both of you are of two different“ species?”
CW: Right, so while I do spend a lot of my career performing and practicing my voice to match Elvis’ s as best I can, I was originally a Lookalike impersonator, meaning I concentrated on matching more of the visual elements of Elvis. There are so many species and subspecies of Elvis impersonators, it’ s pretty crazy!
JJ: It is pretty crazy! The three main species are E. look-alikes, E. sound-alikes, and E. combinations. I’ m a Combination impersonator, meaning I concentrate on both the physical and aural aspects of Elvis.
TL: Is there anything else you’ d like to say before our short time today here ends?
JJ: Thanks! And just a shout-out to my lovely wife Pam for being so supportive- I couldn’ t have done it without her!
TL: Alright, well thank you guys so much for coming! It was great having you!
19 VOGUE JUNE 2013