By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Elvis Presley died on Aug. 16, 1977, at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tenn., at the age of 42. But his music and legacy live on, in part, thanks to countless Elvis impersonators around the world. Not all of those impersonators are created equal. This Saturday, July 26, one of the world's best impersonators will perform many of Elvis's hits at the Crest Theater in downtown Great Bend. Nebraska-native Joseph Hall, born seven years after Presley's death, said it all began with his dad's taste in music.
"Growing up, Elvis was always in the house and always in the minivan," he said. "I heard Elvis before I saw Elvis. I think, right away, I was attracted to his vocals and attracted to the sound. When I saw him, I just absolutely fell in love with him. It wasn't until I was about 21 years old where my love for Elvis was reignited. Dad took me to Las Vegas and I saw my first professional Elvis show. The gentleman that night, he was just absolutely amazing. I kind of came home with this fever for Elvis Presley."
Hall dressed up as Elvis that year and performed some songs. A local bar owner invited him to perform as Elvis and his act was born. Hall was still doing Elvis part-time in 2007 when his dad told him about a show in Chicago. That life-changing show turned out to be an audition for NBC's "America's Got Talent."
"I didn't realize it was the actual audition for 'America's Got Talent,'" Hall said. "I think if I would have known it was for 'America's Got Talent,' I probably wouldn't have gone."
Hall did go, making the top-10 in the show. His performances from the program have been viewed more than 90 million times. His success on national television allowed him to make Elvis a full-time act with 90-100 performances each year.
Elvis has been a mainstay in American culture since making his debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1956. But his name reached a new audience in 2022 with a feature film starring Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks as the divisive Colonel Tom Parker.
"It sort of sparked a whole new fanbase for me, which is pretty awesome," Hall said. "Now, you come to the shows and there's a newer, younger audience. They bring a sense of energy to the show. Their curiosity for Elvis, it's pretty awesome."
The versatile Hall can perform with or without a band. He plays a lot of smaller venues without space for a band, including the Crest, which will feature instrumental tracks.
"It's just about logistics and what the venue wants," he said. "A lot of the tracks I will play have been recorded by my band, so it's a great sound."
The Great Bend stop, titled "Return to Vegas," will focus on Elvis's 55th anniversary of playing Las Vegas.
"There were three different iconic looks that Elvis had in 1970," said Hall, "so we'll be doing those looks, along with we have social media in our show, so there will be pictures and videos of Elvis behind me."
Seats are still available for the July 26 performance at the Crest Theater, which begins at 7 p.m. CLICK HERE to learn more about Joseph Hall, and CLICK HERE to purchase tickets to the July 26 show.