our-stories

Elvis is Back

Ethos

June 3, 2012

Story by Xenia Slabina
Photos by Andy Abeyta
Multimedia by Ariane Kunze
On November 25, 1976, a crowd of nearly 10,000 watched as Elvis Presley performed at the University of Oregon’s McArthur Court. Thirty-six years later, Elvis Presley is gone (or maybe not, as some diehard fans still believe). Either way, the memory of the King of Rock and Roll remains fresh thanks to the work of impersonators like David “Elvis” Lomond. Since 1995, the 52-year-old entertainer has performed as Presley. Originally from Hawaii, Lomond grew up with Elvis songs, but it wasn’t until he was 17 that Lomond realized he could sing just like the King.

Xenia Slabina: There are so many different versions of Elvis impersonators. What type of Elvis are you?
David Lomond: Every impersonator has his own strengths and weaknesses as far as being like Elvis. A complete package would be someone who can sing, sound, look, talk and move like Elvis. My strength is singing, so I’m more of a sound-alike. I’m not as strong in looks. I’m probably 75 percent in looks like Elvis and around 80 percent in moves.
XS: Where do you get your costumes?
DL: I’ve had professional seamstresses for several of my costumes. Some I find in retail stores or order online. In all, I have about seven or eight Elvis costumes.
XS: What do you like the most about your costumes?
DL: So much is very flashy, a lot of rhinestones. It was important for Elvis to learn how to dress for the audience. Elvis got some of his ideas from [Valentino] Liberace, a famous piano player. He and Elvis both loved opulence. Liberace encouraged Elvis to dress a little flashy for his audience.
XS: Did you ever meet Presley in person?
DL: No. As a child, I watched a lot of his movies on a regular basis; in Hawaii they showed them a lot. That’s where I got an interest in Elvis. As I started becoming involved in singing and performing, I didn’t do just Elvis at first. I did Hawaiian entertainment, gospel music, and classic rock and roll. Basically, I’m not just an impersonator but also an entertainer.
XS: How did you come to pick Elvis as your alter ego?
DL: I always thought Elvis was almost like God, and then I realized I could sing like him. That was really cool. I started working in the entertainment business in Waikiki. It’s an international crowd; there were people from Europe, China, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and I had to find something that worked with all these people. I found Elvis. When you impersonate somebody, you have to find somebody you like and can do good. It’s like going to the dress shop and finding clothes that fit you well. Elvis was a really good fit for me.
XS: Do you have a favorite Elvis song?
DL: Probably his gospel songs. I like “How Great Thou Art.” Of his classic rock and roll I like “Treat Me Like a Fool,” “A Fool Such as I,” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”
XS: There are so many celebrities these days, but not all of them become as popular as Elvis. What do you think was so special about him?
DL: One of the reasons why Elvis was such a big star was because when he hit the market in the 1950s there wasn’t anything like him. It had such a big impact and changed the music scene forever. It’s really difficult for anyone to make that kind of impact now because we have so many different radio stations, so many different forms of media, so many different ways to get music. When Elvis came out, there were maybe three or four radio and television stations that played rock and roll. He pretty much dominated everything there was.
Another reason [he is popular] is that Elvis’s personal life and motivations were beautiful and humanistic. He really cared about people and generously gave to different organizations. The Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, which was founded almost 30 years ago in his honor, still provides housing, clothing, and food for people. Before his death he gave most of his fortune away. That guy loved people, God, his country, and music. He loved to make people happy. His modus was pure.
XS: What’s your personal life like?
DL: Well, it’s been pretty tough having my wife leave and my father pass away in the past year. One of our family dogs died and then my own dog died; they were both about the same age [16], so I had a lot of loss and grieving. Then in November 2011, I had a double hernia surgery. It was another thing that I had to endure. It’s been a tough time. I haven’t had a lot of tragedy in my life, but it seems I got all of it in one time.
XS: What helps you deal with your losses?
DL: I believe completely in Jesus, in God, and I turned everything over to Him. Let Him handle this. He is smarter than I am. He is an expert in all these kind of things. He’s been dealing with this stuff for years. I was able to overcome and still perform and still bring joy and happiness because of my faith and because God is good.
I’m really thankful for what I do have. I have two good sons, a good place to live, good food, a healthy mother. There are so many good things that override all of the tragedies. I think when we face tragedy we can try to see what is good about it and what we can learn from it.
XS: In the face of all those difficulties, how are you still able to put on a good show?
DL: The past year gave me an opportunity to work on myself. It’s extremely difficult to try to make people happy if you’re not happy yourself. I used to judge people who didn’t seem happy or didn’t laugh at my jokes when I was performing. Now I don’t judge, but try to be sympathetic. Now when I see that happen, I think maybe they are going through a hard time and came here to get cheered up. I think, ‘I hope I can make them happy in some way.’