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‘Elvis Lives’ brings impersonator close to home
By Jaime Baranyai
Published: Sunday, March 18, 2007 7:45 PM CDT
His real name is Rich Vickers, but he’s better known as the Elvis impersonator, singing songs and wooing fans all
over the country.
Vickers has been leading worship and music services in churches for more than 20 years, but his hobby for the
past 10 years pays tribute to a different king -- the king known as Elvis Presley. Now 42 years old, Vickers says it
all started several years ago when he was growing up in Salem, Mo.
“I learned to play drums and to sing in the seventh and eighth grade by listening to the live Elvis concert
performances over and over, and I guess I got Elvis stuck in my head,” he said. “For the last several years I’ve
done this for fun at banquets, class reunions, car shows, Christmas dinners and such, and now it’s basically a
second career.”
Vickers has competed in the National Elvis Idol Extravaganza Contest at the Missouri State Fair in Sedalia and at
the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City. He placed fourth at the Missouri State Fair and received the Grand
Champion Prize in Oklahoma, which qualified him to compete in the national competition in Las Vegas in June of
2006.
But he never intended to compete when he first started “being Elvis.” It took his daughter entering him into the
Missouri State Fair competition to get him to do it.
“I had never even liked the idea of competing because at that point I just considered this a hobby,” he said. “But
once I got to the competitions I really enjoyed the atmosphere, the camaraderie and of course, singing for all of
the Elvis fans.”
Jamie Coyne, the director and Master of Ceremonies for the Oklahoma contest, said it’s very unusual for a first-
time competitor to place as high as Vickers did, but “he had a great voice and superb talent.”
Vickers first started his Elvis impersonating at his former church in Oklahoma City. The church was going to have
a Thanksgiving banquet and hire an Elvis impersonator for fun when a couple of people from the church band
and choir suggested Vickers for the job.
“I distinctly remember renting the whole costume -- side burns and all -- and it cost me a lot more money than I
even made for actually singing,” he said.
But it turned out to be worth it. Vickers has since performed as Elvis at many different events and has had the
opportunity to work with Elvis’ step brother, Rick Stanley, at a number of functions. He’s even recorded his own
CDs. In 1996, Vickers performed a concert in Anchorage, Ala. While he was there a man approached him about
doing a CD of Elvis gospel songs.
“A pastor had asked me to sing and old song, ‘Where Could I Go But to The Lord,’ and honestly the only
arrangement I could remember of that song was Elvis.’ So I sang and afterwards an elderly man approached me
with a check for an unusually large amount,” Vickers said. “The man told me he would like for me to record a CD
of the old Elvis gospel songs and to use the check for that purpose. I came back and immediately got started.”
Of the three recording projects Vickers has to date, that CD, entitled Songs for the King, remains his best seller.
Currently, he’s working on two new CD recordings, a live worship recording from his church worship band team
and a CD of his all-time favorite Elvis songs.
The Elvis impersonator has recently performed at a number of events including the annual Intercounty Electric
Business Meeting with over 3,000 people in attendance, the State of Missouri Republican Representatives
Fundraiser, the U.S. Food Service Annual Sales Meeting, Viva Las Vegas at Ozark Actors Theatre in Rolla (three
sold out performances) and many others.
Vickers has also produced an entire two-hour variety show called “Elvis Lives” featuring the sounds of Patsy
Cline, Linda Rondstadt, Johnny Cash and others, along with an hour of Elvis’ greatest hits from his concert years
with the TLC Show Band and Singers. He is now part of the exclusive EEN -- Elvis Entertainers Network -- and
has been competing and singing at some of its “Images of the King” competitions.
“This whole thing has really snowballed in the last couple of years,” Vickers said.
In addition to performing as Elvis, Vickers has had the privilege of being a guest solo artist (as himself) at venues
including Silver Dollar City and Branson in Missouri, the Winston Cup 500 in Alabama, the Christian Artist
Seminar in Colorado, and several others. In terms of acting, he’s been in several commercials, training videos
and voice-overs, and has played the leading role in a number of Broadway musicals including, “Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Chicago,” “Oklahoma,” and more.
This summer Vickers is slated to perform at several Elvis Tribute events and in the fall he’ll be performing again
at the Missouri and Oklahoma state fairs. He’ll also be performing at various theaters and resorts in Branson,
Mo., throughout the year.
People in this area will have a chance to see “Elvis” perform a little closer to home when he appears at the Salem
Area Community Betterment Association Fundraiser on Saturday, March 31, at the Salem High School
Gymnasium. Vickers will have two shows of his “Elvis Lives” concert at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. that day. Tickets are
$20 for preferred seating (seats in the first couple of rows), $15 for adults in advance, $18 for adults at the door,
$10 for students in advance and $12 for students at the door. For tickets, call (573) 729-8684. For more
information about Vickers, visit his Web site at www.rvickerseta.com.
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