Elvises Everywhere!

Our correspondent Stinky recently asked himself: how many countries and record companies had an "Answer To Elvis" -- a response to the musical and cultural phenomenon that was Elvis Presley? And now, on the King's own birthday, Stinky presents Answer To Elvis, more than two dozen songs in the key of TCB.

France had Johnny Hallyday; England gave us Cliff Richard, Billy Fury, and Tommy Steele; Germany, India, Japan, Australia, and other countries had their own answers to Elvis. Numerous record labels hoped to duplicate the success of Sun's biggest star. Movie studios and TV networks did the same.

But this isn't a compilation of Elvis impersonators (although it does include Clownvis and El Vez). Most were his contemporaries, though few were his equal. I contributed a few performers who met Stinky's criteria: Arch Hall, Jr. (the Elvis of B-movies), Ronnie Hawkins (one of Canada's answers to Elvis), and the masked singer Orion. I also suggested some who didn't make the cut; among them were Danzig, Eilert Pilarm, and this guy (one of whose albums is wittily entitled Return To Splendor).  

Maybe you have a few ideas to share. And maybe Stinky will compile another volume of Answer To Elvis!