Longtime Elvis impersonator to go beyond the standards

By Jerry Fink

Published Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009 | 3:52 p.m.

Dennis Wise knows exactly where he was when Elvis Presley died Aug. 16, 1977.

Wise was doing an Elvis show in Hawaii.

“That was a very strange day,” Wise says. “First of all, you don’t believe it. It’s got to be wrong. He was only 42 years of age. He’s Elvis. Elvis can’t die.

“I was heartbroken, very upset. It took a long time to get over that.”

Fans who wish to pay homage to the King of Rock ’n’ Roll might enjoy attending Wise’s annual show commemorating the passing of Elvis. Wise is “King for a Night” on Saturday at Boulder Station.

Wise has been performing his Elvis act longer than almost anybody — since 1977. “I do two annual shows — one for his passing and one for his birth (Jan. 8),” the 54-year-old tribute artist says.

The Joplin, Mo., native had been an Elvis fan since age 5, when his mother would put on stacks of records and play them all day long. Growing up, he dressed like Elvis and answered to Elvis in the school halls.

He saw his idol in concert four times, the last in Kansas City, Mo., in 1974.

About then Wise began managing a band that included his brother, Jim.

“I got up one night and did ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ and the fans liked it,” Wise says. “So Jim said, ‘Let’s do a little Elvis thing in the show.’ ”

The band ended up in Hawaii. A few months after Elvis died Wise traveled to Little Rock, Ark., to audition as an Elvis tribute artist. He was hired and began working at it full-time in November 1977.

In 1978 Wise went through extensive plastic surgery to make himself look more like Elvis. That landed him appearances on “Good Morning America” and “The Mike Douglas Show.”

“Cosmetic plastic surgery was just a novelty back then. It’s pretty common now,” Wise says. “People were calling me from all over the world. I got more publicity over that than John Travolta did in 1978.” Travolta was popular at the time because of “Saturday Night Fever” and “Grease.”

Saturday’s show will be a family affair. The 10-piece band will include his wife, Marcia, as a backup singer; their son, Shane, on drums; and Dennis’ brother, Jim, on guitar.

“This show will be a little different from the past few years,” Wise says. “In addition to the classics, I’m throwing in some ... songs Elvis did onstage that aren’t heard as much.

“A lot of guys stick to your basic Elvis songs, like ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ but what I try to do is to expand it to let people know this is what Elvis did — gospel, rock ’n’ roll, R&B. He was the whole package of music.”

Wise isn’t totally focused on Elvis. He’s lead singer for the dance band Deja Vu, which performs from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays at South Point.

But that doesn’t mean his interest in the King has waned.

“If I could still do two shows a night, six nights a week, I’d do it,” Wise says. “My whole life has been dedicated to Elvis.”

Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect the correct date that Elvis Presley died.