Elvis Birthday Tribute Concert Saturday

First, let me say I am not or was not an obsessive Elvis Presley fan. I don't celebrate his birthday or make an annual pilgrimage to Graceland. I never understood all the hoopla about Elvis even though as a child I saw him sing and swivel his hips on the Ed Sullivan Show on our family’s black and white TV way back when. Actually, I recall that he mostly was shown from the waist up or his hips were blurred.

And after later seeing Elvis star in the romantic and scenic movie “Blue Hawaii,” my best teenage girlfriend and I practically wore out the record album from the movie playing the songs over and over again. I also enjoyed watching Elvis in “Jailhouse Rock,” especially the title song performed in the cellblock scene; “Follow That Dream,” a musical comedy about a squatter family in Florida; and “Viva Las Vegas,” in which Ann-Margret played his love interest. There is no accounting for the incongruous range of Elvis movies that appealed to me.

Over the years I've grown to like his music more and appreciate his influence on the music I listen to today.

And I enjoy watching Mark Pitt impersonate Elvis and sing his songs. Pitt gives a couple of concerts a year at the in Duluth and opens the entertainment at the Duluth Fall Festival every year. His looks, moves and voice are amazingly similar to Elvis, and he wears bejeweled, big-buckled jumpsuits with matching capes like Elvis did. His wardrobe contains 28 custom-designed costumes.

Back in the 1970s, my husband and I saw Elvis deliver an incredible show at the Houston (then) Astrodome with several backup groups including the Jordanaires. It was then that I realized that Elvis was an exceptional performer. I was so envious of the people who were close enough to snag one of the scarves Elvis pulled from around his neck and tossed into the audience. I decided to try for one of Mark’s scarves.

I recently attended a special performance by Pitt at New Dawn Theatre in Duluth that was his first request show ever. The audience sent in their requests ahead of time. I didn’t know to do that and, unfortunately, didn’t get to hear my favorite Elvis song “Blue Suede Shoes.” I have an original 45 rpm recording of it.

Their requests included popular favorites like “See See Rider,” “Little Sister,”  “Jailhouse Rock,” “Return to Sender,” “Kentucky Rain,” “All Shook Up,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Love Me Tender,” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You.” There were some songs I’d never heard before. Among the most requested were “Amazing Grace,” “How Great Thou Art” and “An American Trilogy,” comprised of “Dixie,” “All My Trials” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

Fans of Pitt’s from over the years came from all over to hear him sing the Elvis classics. As I listened to the songs they asked Pitt to perform, I realized just how versatile Elvis was as a singer. His hits included rock ‘n’ roll, gospel, patriotic, ballads and more. There were fast and slow ones. Pitt estimated that he knows 250 to 300 Elvis songs.

Pitt recalled his talent as an Elvis impersonator emerged while a student at Duluth High School. When the teacher asked if anyone could sing “Blue Christmas” in the holiday pageant, he blurted out words to the song: “I’ll have a Blue Christmas without you” in a voice that sounded just like Elvis. Pitt got the part and the start to his career. Actually, it was some years later that he started performing professionally as Elvis. He’s being doing Tribute to Elvis concerts since 1990.

During the show at New Dawn, I flirted, begged and waved my arms around, and I got not only a scarf that I later had Pitt autograph, but a teddy bear, which he throws to his fans when he sings “Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear.” And I posed for a photo with Pitt and my trophies in the lobby after the show.

The long, thin scarf smelled slightly of cologne. During the show, Pitt introduced the couple that make the scarves for him. They were in the audience with his other fans. The scarves come in white, bright colors and prints. Mine was white. Pitt must order the scarves by the case because he sure gives away a lot of them.

I’m even considering attending another Mark Pitt show at New Dawn, this one an Elvis tribute on his birthday Jan. 7 that Pitt does every year. It would have been Elvis’ 77^th birthday, and a special birthday cake will be served. The concert starts at 8 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. New Dawn Theater is located at 3087 Main St. in downtown Duluth. For tickets, call 678-887-5015 or order tickets online at www.newdawntheatercompany.com.

Maybe he’ll sing “Blue Suede Shoes.”