My name is Lili Rodriguez. I own a market research company called RABID Research. I am also a cultural anthropologist, an author, and an Elvis fan. My co-author, Marian Keijzer, and I have written a book about Elvis Tribute Artists (ETAs for short) and the fans who love them.
The goal of the book is to bring an understanding of who ETAs really are to the wider world, what it takes to do what they do, and the important part they play in keeping the legacy and spirit of Elvis alive. The book also provides insight into the world of ETA fans and how important the Elvis and ETA worlds are to them.
It tries to answer the question of why ETAs, many of whom were not even born before Elvis died in 1977, have dedicated their lives to paying tribute to this extraordinary man, and why fans are so enthusiastic about their performances.
Echoes of Elvis is filled with personal stories from both ETAs and fans, describing in their own words how they discovered Elvis and the ETA world. It includes stories (and pictures) from ETAs about what their professional lives are like, and all the hard work and dedication it takes to be a professional Elvis tribute artist. And it includes stories from fans about how they discovered the ETA world and what seeing ETAs perform does for them.
The book is based on personal interviews lasting one to three hours with more than 50 ETAs, more than 40 fans, and a dozen people closely associated with the ETA world.
We are currently in the final editing and layout stages of producing the book, and we hope to have it available for sale by mid-August.
Meanwhile, sign up here to receive updates on our progress and occasional “sneak peek” snippets from the book itself.