are ETA'S needed

[yvonne]

NO THEY ARE NOT NEEDED.....Elvis memory is kept alive by the legacy he left behind.

You're right. We don't need them, Elvis's memory doesn't need them.
I really can't understand why there are fans who treat them almost like they are Elvis himself. The most of them are embarrassing. For Elvis but most of all for us, they give Elvis fans in general a bad name. Because of them we must explain over and over again that the majority of Elvis fans are not like them and that not all of us are walking around in handmade jumpsuites every day, all day.
They are NOT replacing Elvis. Never can be, never will be! NEVER!

[TCBDavid]

Its clear to me a great may of you hate eta's and theres nothing i can say or do that will ever change your minds, but im curious what do you think of tribute artist for other musicians such as buddy holly, roy orbison, johnny cash, the beatles and other artists who are still actually around today . They don't carry the same stigma as eta's do but are they still pointless bottom feeders making a living of a dead celebrity???

[sasha]

Ive been to Memphis Elvis week and these *****s walking around in their cheap tacky jumpsuits who make up less than one percent of the fans there are the ones the media film and talk to as if all the Elvis fans go round like this .[/B]
They make Elvis fans look like sad freaks to the rest of the world . How is it furthering his name or legacy or memory walking around the streets in a jumpsuit and usually a very cheap tacky one , when the people that are there are Elvis fans . Do they need to be reminded . No they are just sad people who need attention . As for the support from EPA and hosting thet grotesqe spectical in Graceland they shoud hang their heads in shame .

FYI: Those people are not ETA 's.
Do you not like what's said about fans or Elvis?

I just correct their "impressions" & hold the media responsible.
Might help him a lot if we'd tell them what we think.

[merry77]

and in years to come all these fantastic people will all have died. Are we going to put up 10 screens? (Elvis, JD, Charlie, who's next?)
That should make for a nice Elvis the concert. I could just stay at home and put in a dvd.

In another few decades people who saw the real Elvis shows will also have died. This process has already started: Rick Rennie etc.
Who is going to make sure to tell new people how Elvis was in concert?
The few official released videos?

I believe that a good ETA can do a fantastic job of trying to recreate how Elvis was live in concert.
Watching a dvd is not as much fun as seeing someone perform for real.
And this is what will bring Elvis into the next century.
Just listening to the 1000th rerelease of Hound dog doesn't cut it for me.

Yes there are some bad apples and media tends to focus on them. Therefore I think it's good what EPE is doing. They are focussing on the best. And thereby slowly trying to change the image of ETAs.

I dont buy the arguement that its the nearest you can get to experiencing an Elvis concert - you can go see Elvis The Concert, thats the nearest you'll get.

[TCBDavid]

its nice to finally see some support for eta's i was beginning to think i was one of the only ones...i just dont understand how people who don't like eta's can't see why we do.

[LuckyJackson]

Seems to me that fans of ETAs are not so much fans of Elvis Presley - to think that without the ETAs, Elvis would be forgotten......!!!!!

[KPM]

Its clear to me a great may of you hate eta's and theres nothing i can say or do that will ever change your minds, but im curious what do you think of tribute artist for other musicians such as buddy holly, roy orbison, johnny cash, the beatles and other artists who are still actually around today . They don't carry the same stigma as eta's do but are they still pointless bottom feeders making a living of a dead celebrity???

I do not think ETAs are bottom feeders-I just do not think they are essential to his memory. I think many ETAs do have a great respect and love for Elvis and to do what they do is a form of sincere flattery.
I have not seen many ETAs in person-but unfortunately the ones I have seen did not do Elvis's memory much justice. My problem with it is too many people come away thinking what they saw was very close to Elvis the performer-and usually it is not. I saw a documentary on ETAs at a competition-and 90% of them were nothing like Elvis.
As far as other artists I have seen a Buddy Holly TA and he looked like him quite a bit-but that was where the resemblance ended.
I have seen tape of a Beatles tribute band called Rain and they were quite good, musically and visually in all aspects of the Beatles career.

[Diane]

No I don't believe ETAs are needed....stress on the "needed". Elvis' great talent doesn't need anything to be remembered, to live on and to be enjoyed.

I do believe though that for people who have never seen him in person that a good ETA could bring them a tiny semblance of what Elvis was.....too bad all the bad ones couldn't be totally weeded out.

Diane

[Junebug]

Answer: NO

My response is based on my own experience. As a fan, they have just never been a part of it. They had nothing to do with my initial interest and what drew me to Elvis nor do they have anything to do with the continuation of that interest.

That being said, it does not mean I dislike ETAs or their desire to participate in this type of activity.

Elvis ETAs just don't happen to be my thing.

I can agree with EPE's explanation of the Tribute Artist competition as a way to provide some type of framework around this and improve the quality of ETAs. EPE cannot stop people from paying tribute to Elvis and I think have done a very good job in elevating the standard for those who choose to do this. Overall, I think it has been a good business decision and has brought some much needed professionalism to this touchy subject. Again, I agree - but don't necessarily like it.

Also, what have I missed?

I did not know EPE had ETAs at Graceland. I know they are in Memphis for the Elvis Week competition and perhaps at the Plaza but did not know EPE had them on Graceland's grounds. Is this true or am I misreading the posts?

[KPM]

No I don't believe ETAs are needed....stress on the "needed". Elvis' great talent doesn't need anything to be remembered, to live on and to be enjoyed.

I do believe though that for people who have never seen him in person that a good ETA could bring them a tiny semblance of what Elvis was.....too bad all the bad ones couldn't be totally weeded out.
Diane

I agree if the cream of the crop of ETAs were all that were allowed to put on a tribute show that may not be so bad.

[TCBDavid]

Seems to me that fans of ETAs are not so much fans of Elvis Presley - to think that without the ETAs, Elvis would be forgotten......!!!!!

i think your pushing it questioning how much we love elvis because we appreciate tribute artists, i dont like having my status of as a fan questioned just because i like something you dont.....how dare you!

[beaustewart44]

!!!wow!!! ok well i perfome as a ETA and with a nother performe, who performes as patsy cline and we raise money for brest cancer and last year we rised $10.000.so like a lot of things is this world there will all ways be some bad apples,but i like to think were makeing pepole happy and rising money for a great cocern.


TCB

[Elizasong]

Do they try to be Elvis ? Or is that just our own interpretation ?
I saw Elvis in person & agree there wiill never be another .
At least, I've not seen one yet.

I must say I didn't like EPE going along with having ETA's at Graceland either.
However, we must realize - Elvis has been gone over 30 years.
To most now, his name is a commodity , not a person.
Do I like it? Can't say I do.
But, this is the "real world." Promote him & his music or it will all die out.
Does anyone honestly believe that anyone in business will promote him or his music if they don't realize a profit from it ?
Would any of us be in a business that didn't ?

I agree with you Sasha. I don't agree that EPE should have an ETA contest. I think EPE should stick to Elvis himselvis!!

[Getlo]

Not all people that sing Elvis' music wear the jumpsuits nor are they fools.

ETAs do.

That's who we're talking about.

If they're not in a jumpsuit, they're not ETAs.

They're just singing Elvis songs.

And that should be enough for anyone.

[sasha]

!!!wow!!! ok well i perfome as a ETA and with a nother performe, who performes as patsy cline and we raise money for brest cancer and last year we rised $10.000.so like a lot of things is this world there will all ways be some bad apples,but i like to think were makeing pepole happy and rising money for a great cocern.


TCB

Good for you & thank you !!
Elvis & his memory can still do good things for people in this world !!

[sasha]

ETAs do.

That's who we're talking about.

If they're not in a jumpsuit, they're not ETAs.

They're just singing Elvis songs.

And that should be enough for anyone.

I've seen many that use the term ETA dress in their own clothes.
I'm sorry you haven't.