Elvis tribute artist Dean Z wants to bring out all Battlefords-area Elvis fans for a tribute show. But don’t come expecting an impersonation.
Dean Z will bring his show “One Night With You” to the Dekker Centre on Oct. 4. He performs with the Canadian band the Cadillac Kings and the show features a horn section.
Z (pronounced “zee”) hasn’t been to North Battleford before, but he’s played shows in Saskatchewan earlier this year. He’s originally form California and now lives in Branson, Missouri.
In 2013, he won the Ultimate Elvis Tribute contest, an event sanctioned by Elvis Presley Enterprises
“It’s sort of like winning American Idol of the Elvis community,” Z told the News-Optimist. He’s one of 11 performers in the world who has the title.
The Elvis community, Z said, is like a brotherhood as opposed to a competition.
“We’re all out to help each other,” Z said. “Our goal is to spread good music around.” The community is collegial, Z said, and many performers provide for their families.
He’s been performing since he was a kid, and loved Elvis in his early years. He saw Elvis on TV when he was three.
Z performed as Elvis in middle school and in high school, then moved to Las Vegas at 18. He eventually got involved with Legends in Concert, a live tribute artist production with shows in a number of U.S. cities.
Z’s show samples Elvis’s major accomplishments. Z is 36 and portrays Elvis in the prime of Elvis’s life. His favourite Elvis era, Z said, is Elvis’ 1968 comeback special.
“His voice and charisma were just off the charts,” Z said.
The age range of many Elvis performers can vary, he said, from kids to 50-year performing veterans singing The King’s songs.
Z’s show is a tribute rather than an impersonation. Rather than pretending to be Elvis, between songs Z talks about how the songs have affected him. Z said the format allows him to be authentic.
Many of a younger generation have attended his shows, Z said, and said Elvis’ legacy is being passed on to a future fan base. People like Elvis, musically or otherwise.
“All a woman has to do is see him from 1956 to 1968 to appreciate the visual of Elvis,” Z said.
