KING OF KINGS
Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of the passing of Elvis
Presley, International World-Champion Elvis tribute artist, Thane Dunn and his
Cadillac Kings, will perform seven shows throughout the Maritimes over the coming months. Recently we spoke with the King of Kings about his passion and
profession.
What are your roots?
I was born in Moncton, New Brunswick. I've lived everywhere
from California to Toronto but Moncton always has had a special place in my
heart. My musical roots have always been early Rock and Roll and also old
Country and Western like Buck Owens and Stonewall Jackson. I’ve always been a
huge Jim Morrison fan. He had a lot of similar traits to Elvis.
What first inspired the
Elvis tribute?
I
always loved the man and I’ve had people tell me I looked like him and in early
bands I was in people would say I sounded like him. I had a few months leading
up to the decision to do it where it seemed every time I turned on the TV there
was Elvis, the radio would be playing Elvis, he was everywhere and I decided to
try and do a realistic tribute to Elvis, as if an actor would take on a role
trying to duplicate the look and voice mannerisms of that person. I wanted to
portray Elvis in a positive light and not the bad joke like most of the Elvis
Impersonators I had seen on TV and by all accounts it’s worked.
Are they the same
reasons you do it today?
Yes,
it’s still a big part of why I do it. I want people to experience a taste of
Elvis magic that we offer Elvis fans and those who never got a chance to see
him first hand that is done with respect, class and dignity without the
cheesiness that people have come to expect from Elvis shows. I also do this to
feed my family as our soul source of income. I’ve been blessed with an
incredible wife and son Charlie and at the end of the day it’s Elvis fans that
pay our bills.
What are the challenges
of the gig?
Elvis
was the world’s Greatest Entertainer with the looks of a Greek god. His voice
was incredible and he oozed charisma from every pore so there’s a challenge if
I ever heard of one..lol! I exercise everyday and follow a strict diet and I
vocalize each day for around an hour and watch Elvis. I have taken voice
lessons, opera lessons and now have Bill Baize, who performed with Elvis,
giving me tips and pointers which has gone a long way.
What are the rewards?
The
rewards have been many. I have travelled to places I would have never seen and
met people I would have never met because of Elvis, some of my best friends
I’ve met because of our show. I met my wife because of Elvis and he brought
myself and my father very close together in his last years and I know that he
was very proud of me and my success in this crazy business.
What have been some
career highlights?
Career
highlights would be winning the World’s Largest Elvis contest in 2009 and the
World’s largest International Elvis Gospel competition in 2012 - my Father and
I always loved gospel music. Touring with world-famous rock photographer, John
Rowlands, who was hired by RCA and shot 48 Elvis concerts has said, “I was a
split second away from Elvis Presley” - that was really cool. Being endorsed by
the Hank Snow Museum was amazing. Hank co-managed Elvis for 6 months and
introduced Elvis to the Colonel but the neatest thing is actually having Bill
Baize who performed with Elvis from 1971 to 76 and has been called one of the
finest tenor singers of the 20th Century not only endorse my show but actually
become a part of it. He loves the show and we love him and I have learned so
much from him. Having a man who toured with Elvis and sang gospel music around
the piano late at night in Elvis suite say that I’m the "closest
thing
Who is your core
audience?
We
really don’t have a core audience. I initially thought it would be an older
demographic, and it might have been, but they started bringing their kids,
grandkids and now I have entire families that come out to see us. Elvis is
still a phenomenon all these years later and we now get a lot of kids,
teenagers, etc. I think people initially either come to the show because their
big Elvis fans or due to curiosity and thankfully we've been able to deliver
keep them coming back.
What is their response
like at shows?
No
one will ever be Elvis but there have been many times over the years I’ve
gotten a pretty good taste of what he would have experienced onstage. I’ve had
lots of people who saw Elvis say that it was like seeing him again…people
trying to rip your clothes off, women fighting over scarves, women trying to
grab your jewelry or get a kiss. I’ve seen pandemonium in a good way and at the
same time I’ve seen 2000 people all singing the same song at the same time and
have never experience so much love in the room. Elvis fans are the best people
you could ever meet and you can basically feel the love in the room and the
more I can create the fantasy of Elvis onstage the crazier it gets.
From your perspective,
do younger people today understand and appreciate Elvis' contributions to music
and culture?
I
think the younger generation definitely knows who Elvis is and some love him
just the way I do. I think Elvis is like Grandma’s apple pie recipe, something
so good that it gets passed down to the next generation as I see that over and
over but as far as kids understanding Elvis contributions to music and culture
I think it comes and goes like Rockabilly, it’s a new trend for awhile and then
backs off for a bit but I think Elvis is still so popular today because quality
stands the test of time and he will live forever in music and movies. I think
kids find out things on their own when it comes to music and what they like.
Elvis had the power to entice you just from a picture on an album cover or most
definitely when you hear his amazing voice you were drawn to him.
What are your plans for
the rest of 2017, and into 2018?
We
will be touring around the Maritimes and then plan to hit Quebec and possibly
Maine in the fall. We have a few dates planned in NFLD for January and then off
to Toronto and then a tour throughout Ontario .We leave in March on our first
ever Elvis Dream Cruise. My band, Bill Baize and I are headed to the Caribbean
onboard the Allure of the Sea for 7 nights. We are also working on a tour of
the UK and of Costa Rica. Other than that I’m currently working on a project
where my focus is motivational speaking. I have an interesting story that will
help people to believe in themselves and follow there dreams that I want to
share with others.
