At the Graceland Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas, weddings cost $55 to $225, but having an Elvis Presley impersonator officiate will cost $495.
The number of officially registered Elvis impersonators in the United States is up to 35,000.
It’s official. Elvis Presley is still the King! Twenty-five years after his death, Elvis Presley can still top the charts and couples still flock to Las Vegas to be married by Elvis impersonators.
The Concert Years
When Elvis returned to the live stage after the success of his 1968 television special and the wrap-up of his Hollywood movie contract obligations, he opened at the International Hotel in Las Vegas in the summer of 1969 for a 4-week, 57-show engagement that broke all existing Las Vegas attendance records. He returned to the International a few months later in early 1970, during the slow winter season in Vegas, and broke his own attendance record.
Elvis took his elaborate live show on the road in the latter part of 1970 for his first concert tour since 1957. Throughout the 1970’s Elvis toured America, breaking box office records right and left, and continued to play an engagement or two per year in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe.
During his “concert years” from 1969 to 1977, Elvis gave nearly 1,100 concert performances.
A Little Less Conversation
In the fall of 1968, Elvis released the single “Almost in Love.” Peaking at #95 it lasted two weeks on the Billboard pop singles chart. On the flip side was the song “A Little Less Conversation.” It peaked at #69 and lasted just four weeks.
But fast-forward to 2001…
Nike decides to use an updated version of “A Little Less Conversation” in their World Cup Soccer promotions. They call on JXL, to produce a remix, adding a whole new feel to the song.
Around the same time, Warner Brothers decides to film a remake of the Las Vegas themed movie, “Oceans 11,” originally released in 1960 starring the true Rat Pack of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Joey Bishop. Along with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, the remake features Las Vegas and in particular the Bellagio hotel in a supporting role. With the action in Vegas as the underlying theme of the movie, Elvis music is a must and the chosen song, “A Little Less Conversation," brings Elvis back to the top of the music world.
In October of 2002, Elvis Presley held the number one spot on the billboard albums chart with the release of Elvis 30 #1 Hits. The Elvis vs. JXL mix of “ A Little Less Conversation” is included as a bonus track on the album. Twenty-five years after his death, Elvis Presley was still King – of the charts.
