Elvis has entered the building!
On Friday, April 25, the “Ultimate Elvis Show” graced the stage of the Capitol. Award-winning, veteran Elvis tribute artists Tyler Christopher and Brooke Wright performed over 20 songs from the whole gamut of Presley’s career.
With a setlist ranging from Presley’s lively 50s tunes to the heartfelt ballads written toward the end of his life, Wright’s and Christopher’s performances were a mixture of hip gyrations and teary eyes.
Christopher, donning a salmon jacket, opened the show with “Shake, Rattle and Roll” and had a first set chocked full of Presley’s 50s’ classics such as “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Don’t Be Cruel.”
After Christopher’s set, gold-jacketed Wright sauntered on stage and played hits that ranged from the salivation-inducing “Trouble” to the sorrowful “Memories.”
Christopher’s next set was an ode to Presley’s ‘68 Comeback Special. He dressed accordingly for this section, as Christopher was clad in head-to-toe leather just as Presley was in the special. This set concluded with the very same song Presley closed the special with, “If I Can Dream,” a civil rights anthem, which Christopher deemed “as relevant as ever.”
With the conclusion of the ‘68 Comeback Special, Wright spun on stage clad in the white, bedazzled jumpsuit of ‘70s Presley. This set was diverse as it contained songs such as “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and the energetic “Sweet Caroline.” Wright closed his set with a moving rendition of “The Wonder of You” that he dedicated to his grandmother, whom he lost earlier this year.
Christopher followed Wright’s set with a myriad of different songs from Presley’s discography. It was during this set that Christopher doled out scarves, which Presley did at his concerts. Presley closed his later shows with “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and in furthering the accuracy, Christopher closed the show in the same way.
Bowling Green native Margaret Johns said she is attending the Ultimate Elvis Show enthralled by the energy in the room.
“I loved hearing everyone scream,” Johns said. “I felt like I was back at an actual Elvis show.”
Johns said she never got the opportunity to attend a Presley concert, but she was fortunate she got the opportunity to watch Christopher and Wright take the stage.
“My daughter told me about this show a few weeks ago, and before she even asked if I wanted to go, I said ‘If it’s Elvis, I’m going,’” Johns said. “These guys know what they’re doing. They’re just about as close as you can get to the real thing.”
Johns said she first fell head over heels for Elvis when he played the Ed Sullivan Show on Oct. 28, 1956.
“I had stayed up very late to catch the Ed Sullivan Show and saw that the musical guest was this Elvis person,” Johns said. “As soon as I saw him walk on stage, I knew I was in love.”
According to Britannica, in 1956, Elvis Presley was given the title of the “King of rock-n-roll” by reporter Bea Ramirez, but Presley declined the title and said the true “King of rock-n-roll” was Fats Domino.
Tyler Christopher, a full-time Elvis tribute artist and 2024 Elvis Fantasy Fest grand champion, said he discovered Presley’s music early in life by way of his father.
“My dad was a huge Elvis fan, so I grew up listening to the music and watching the movies with him,” Christopher said. “My dad unexpectedly passed away a couple of days before I turned 6 years old. So after that, Elvis was like a tether to my father.”
Christopher said that he continued singing Presley’s songs and watching him dance on VHS tapes throughout his childhood. In his teenage years, that devotion led to the start of his professional career.
At age 16, Christopher said a local talent scout was discovering him. He said the scout was involving him in an invitation-only Elvis tribute contest in New York.
“I didn’t know what I was doing,” Christopher said. “But I won that contest. And so after that, I’ve been doing it professionally ever since.”
Following his win at 16, Christopher said his career gained momentum with the passing years. He was in the top five in the Elvis Tupelo Festival contest. He said the contest is one of the largest Elvis celebrations in the country. Additionally, he said he placed among the top three in the Las Vegas Elvis contest. In 2024, Christopher won a prestigious award for those in the Elvis tribute artist community.
“This past year, I won the title of grand champion in the Elvis Fantasy Fest in Portage, Indiana, and that was a big one for me,” Christopher said. “Later this year, I will be traveling to Memphis to compete in the Ultimate Elvis Competition.”
As a result of his career achievements, Christopher said he has been able to create his own production company. He said he decided to name the company after himself, Tyler Christopher Productions.
“I started it just realizing that for years, I would get hired by promoters to be in these shows,” Christopher said. “And, it kind of just dawned on me one day that I could do the business side of this.”
Christopher said that his production company has become a “family business.” Christopher’s wife is responsible for marketing, his sister is in charge of creating and selling merchandise. Additionally, Christopher’s brother, Cody, is his backup vocalist and is also a roadie.
According to USA Today, Presley made over 750 songs throughout his career. Christopher said he has an abundance to choose from, but some stand out to him for different reasons.
“There are so many good ones that I love doing,” Christopher said. “If I had to choose one to perform, probably ‘Suspicious Minds’ because everyone loves it. You can feel the electricity in the room when you’re doing that song.”
Vocally, Christopher said, one of the most challenging songs to do is Unchained Melody. Performance-wise, he said he deems Jailhouse Rock the most difficult. Christopher said the dance moves in combination with the vocals, is what make this difficult to perform.
Christopher said he has a large wardrobe ranging from the signature sleek leather to the glittering jumpsuits of the 1970s.
“I love the style in the ‘50s because it was so different for the time: the long, slick back hair and the pink jackets and things like that,” Christopher said. “But there’s something special about being in a jumpsuit. I’m almost a jumpsuit addict at this point.”
Wright said he has admired Presley since his childhood. However, he said that he and Presley were connected before Wright discovered his love for him.
“My father was a musician in the late ‘60s and 1969, under the stage name Jesse Brady, my dad recorded a song called ‘It’s Your Baby, You Rock It’” Wright said. “On the west coast, it was a top 40 hit. Two years later, Elvis recorded it and put it on the Elvis country album.”
Wright said the relationship between his father and Presley brought Wright’s attention to the music at an early age.
“Growing up, I always knew there was a connection there,” Wright said. “And then, as I was going through my teenage years, finding my voice, realizing that I could sing and that I wanted to sing, the Elvis thing was just kind of freakishly natural.”
Wright said his skills won over his father and cemented his career as a tribute artist.
“It was one of those things where my dad latched on to it and said, ‘I think you should do it. You should go do this,’” Wright said. “So that started in 1995. I was 15 years old and I’m now 45 years old. I’ve been performing as Elvis and paying tribute to my hero for 30 years. It’s been a fun ride.”
Wright said his three-decade career has been one with multiple awards and titles. Some of these include the Tupelo championship in 2022, the Branson championship in 2021 and the Elvis Fantasy Fest winner in 2023. However, he said his favorite achievement is not something one can win.
“I think the thing that I’m most proud of, more than any of those awards and accolades, is putting together an incredible band of my own that I do my shows with,” Wright said. “I’m very proud of that group of guys.”
Wright said he and his band, the Impossible Dream Band, play Presley songs from each genre and decade. However, he said there is one type that appeals to Wright the most.
“Elvis had so many different facets and went through several different reinventions of his career,” Wright said. “I’ve always been and always will be drawn to the 1970s Elvis. It’s where it’s at for me.”
Staying true to his love for ‘70s Presley, Wright said he has an array of different jumpsuits. However, only one stands out as his favorite.
“I’ve got a new suit that I recently had made,” Wright said. “It’s called the Tiffany and it looks incredible under the lights. Not a lot of guys have the suit or wear it that often. So, there’s always a moment where I get to put that suit on and come out, and there’s that little wow moment.”
Although Wright said he has enjoyed Presley for decades, he still wonders one thing about Presley and his life. Was he happy?
“My true belief is that if you throw everything else away and just put Elvis on stage in front of a live audience,” Wright said. “That’s where he was truly happy.”