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Robert Washington (impersonator)

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American Elvis impersonator (born 1958)
Robert Washington
Also known as"Black Elvis"
Born (1958-08-16) August 16, 1958 (age 66)
St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Occupation(s)Entertainer, singer
Years active1983 – present
Musical artist

Robert Washington (born August 16, 1958) is an American Elvis impersonator who has won many Elvis competitions in the United States. Washington is African American, and was the first African American to win the World Champion Elvis Impersonator title. Sam Thompson, a former bodyguard of Elvis Presley, once commented on Washington's close resemblance to Presley's sound.

Personal

Washington grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. In 1974, he attended an Elvis Presley concert. The day that Presley died in 1977, Washington was at Marine boot camp, and it also happened to be his 19th birthday. He served in the United States Marine Corps until 1981.

Career

Washington's early performances were singing for family and friends, after Presley's death. In the early 1980s, Washington lip-synced Elvis tunes in a stage act. He quotes 1983 as his first career stage appearance. He later branched out into competitions using his own voice.

Washington's act has concentrated on the 1968 era of Presley, around the time of Elvis's comeback television special.

He appeared in the 2000 television documentary Elvis and the Men who would be King. Footage of Washington was also included in the 2001 documentary Almost Elvis, which filmed him during 1999.

Contests

By August 2001, he had appeared at ten "Images of the King" impersonation contests in Memphis. He won the event in 2003.

In December 2013, he was voted number one in the Online Viewer's Choice Award on the Elvis World Championships website.

Shows

In 2007, Washington toured Europe with the "Original Elvis Tribute" and received many positive reviews.

In January 2013, he appeared at the Capitol Theater in Olympia, Washington. In July 2012, he was booked to do two shows in Aroostook County. His show at the time consisted of two sets: one from Presley's earlier days, and a second from his 1970s Las Vegas period.

Films

  • Elvis and the Men who would be King – 2000, television documentary
  • Almost Elvis – 2001, documentary
  • The Notebook – 2004, feature film
  • Baby Let's Play House – 2008, short film
  • The Faithful: The King, the Pope, the Princess - in post-production As of 2016, feature film

See also

References

  1. ^ Martin, Philip (1997). The Shortstop's Son: essays and journalism. Fayetteville, Arkansas: The University of Arkansas Press. pp. 156–157. ISBN 1-55728-484-9.
  2. ^ Kirk, Virginia (January 5, 1993). "International Elvis Competition: Auburn man dreams of being top winner". Sun Journal. p. 8.
  3. ^ Ezzy, R (June 24, 2012). "Music, Elvis is in the County". Bangor Daily News. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016.
  4. Haithman, Diane (May 17, 1991). "'Seoul House': Rap Opera to Social Commentary: Stage: Set in a Korean-owned store in a black neighborhood, the multimedia piece has found itself mirroring recent news events". Los Angeles Times.
  5. Adams, Jessica (2007). Wounds of Returning: Race, Memory, and Property on the Postslavery Plantation. The University of North Carolina Press. pp. 51–52. ISBN 978-0-8078-5801-1.
  6. Henle, Mike (June 11, 2014). "Maine's Robert Washington could be riding a winning streak heading into the fifth annual Elvis Rocks Mesquite June 20–21". Mesquite Local News.
  7. ^ Bolduc, Ben (December 9, 2000). "Don't be cruel to a filming crew". Sun Journal. p. Section B.
  8. Snow, Donnie (August 15, 2001). "Fit to be King: Fans love to Impersonate Elvis". Daily News. Bowling Green, Kentucky. p. 3-B Living.
  9. "Official Results: 2013 KING OF THE WORLD". Elvis World Championships. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014.
  10. ^ Deelen, Arjan (2008). "Robert Washington: Biography". Elvis News. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015.
  11. McCoy, Nikki (January 17, 2013). "Saturday, Jan. 19: Elvis Birthday Bash". Northwest Military.
  12. Webster, Dan (February 21, 2003). "Videofile: 'Almost Elvis' follows men who would be the King". The Spokesman-Review. p. 8.
  13. ^ Robert Washington (II) at IMDb
  14. "THE FAITHFUL The King. The pope. the princess". Annie Berman. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
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