Elvis Herselvis is the stage name of the American actor and singer Leigh Crow, whose rise to international exposure was performing as a female

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

impersonator An impersonator is someone who imitates or copies the behavior or actions of another. There are many reasons for impersonating someone: *Entertainment: An entertainer impersonates a celebrity, generally for entertainment, and makes fun of ...

. Crow still performs as Elvis Herselvis on occasion as well as sings, acts and performs regularly; including performing with the all female rockabilly band called The Mighty Slim Pickins.

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

-based Elvis Herselvis identifies as a "Female Elvis Impersonator" and "

Drag King Drag kings are mostly female performance artists who dress in masculine drag and personify male gender stereotypes as part of an individual or group routine. A typical drag show may incorporate dancing, acting, stand-up comedy and singing, eit ...

" and has been evoking the King of

Rock and Roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from Africa ...

for several years. "Elvis Herselvis & the Straight White Males" were one of the most original and innovative Elvis impersonation acts, recalling

with her sensuous vibrato, while wiping the sweat from her brow with the panties of devoted fans. The performer even "satirizes Elvis impersonators and includes in her act a discussion of Elvis's drug problem and sexual proclivities." Crow's uncanny portrayal has made her a popular entertainer in

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

clubs and the alternative cabaret circuit in America. In 1993, she also toured Australia. According to Crow, Elvis Presley occupies an important place among lesbian icons. She says, When the organizers of the Second International Elvis Presley Conference, held at the

University of Mississippi The University of Mississippi (byname Ole Miss) is a public research university that is located adjacent to Oxford, Mississippi, and has a medical center in Jackson. It is Mississippi's oldest public university and its largest by enrollment. ...

Oxford, Mississippi Oxford is a city and college town in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Oxford lies 75 miles (121 km) south-southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, and is the county seat of Lafayette County. Founded in 1837, it was named after the British city of Oxf ...

, in August 1996, invited Elvis Herselvis to perform at the conference, the conference organizer, Professor Vernon Chadwick, "sought 'to test the limits of race, class, sexuality and property ...'" He was of the opinion that "the conference must comply 'with all applicable laws regarding affirmative action and equal opportunity in all its activities and programs and does not discriminate against anyone protected by law because of age, creed, color, national origin, race, religion, sex, handicap, veteran, or other status'. Whilst these intentions were widely known, a number of local Baptist Ministers complained to the Mayor of Tupelo about the inclusion of Elvis Herselvis on the conference program and sought to block funding for the conference. The church's concerns were supported by the organiser of the Elvis birthplace and Museum, then

Elvis Presley Enterprises Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) is a corporate entity created by "The Elvis Presley Trust" to conduct business and manage its assets, including Graceland.

(EPE) followed suit. Conference organizer Chadwick argued that these actions 'really get interesting when you throw in all the indigenous racism, homophobia, and class distinction that Elvis suffered in the South and throughout his career'. Chadwick received a formal, but diplomatic, letter from EPE's licensing officer which formally withdrew support for the conference." In a paper entitled "Women Who 'Do Elvis': Authenticity, Masculinity and Masquerade" and presented on February 19, 2006, at the Study of Popular Music conference in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

researcher Francesca Brittan dealt with female Elvis Presley impersonators such as Elvis Herselvis and found them to be "campy, cheeky, and often disturbingly convincing."See ''Journal of Popular Music Studies'', Vol. 18, No. 2. (August 2006), p.167–190.

References

External links

*
Kerry Bashford, "Elvis Herselvis Part I""Justin Bond's San Francisco public access show 'It's Glam' featuring Elvis Herselvis, performance at the 7:24 minute mark"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herselvis, Elvis Living people Year of birth missing (living people) American drag kings Elvis impersonators American lesbian musicians American LGBT singers 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people

See also

References

External links