The following is a little bit of background information on my involvement with the Elvis Music phenomenon.
In the early 70’s I formed a Rock N Roll revival band that became very successful in the Chicago area. In 1972, the first time I saw Elvis perform live, we saw a young man at a local boys club carnival that looked just like Elvis. We put him on stage with us the very next night and the audience went crazy. His name was Rick Saucedo. I became his manager and 5 years later, just after Elvis passed away, I brought him to New York where I co-produced and co-directed the Broadway show ‘Elvis the Legend Lives’ which ran at the famous Palace Theater in NY for 16 weeks. We incorporated Elvis’ own backup singers the legendary Jordanaires in the show as well as some of Elvis’ own musicians like his original drummer DJ Fontana. The show toured the US and Canada for a number of years which included a successful run at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas. Following that show, I produced and directed a series of highly successful tours including The Elvis Memorial Concert Tour, Heart of the King on Tour, The Las Vegas Elvis Fest, 3 Faces of the King and the highly successful Elvis Birthday Tribute Tour each January.
I formed over a 40-year friendship and business association with The Jordanaires, DJ Fontana and so many others that worked and many who lived with Elvis. That is much longer than they knew or worked with Elvis. I also formed a close friendship and business relationship with the late Joe Esposito, Elvis’ right hand man, road manager, army buddy, roommate and best man at his wedding. He was undisputedly the man who was closest to Elvis. I exclusively manage, book and tour with The Sweet Inspirations, Elvis’ very own female vocalists from his Las Vegas shows through all of his concert performances until the time of his death. I worked with the late Joe Moscheo and Terry Blackwood of Elvis’ Imperials, Elvis’ Stamps Quartet including JD Sumner, the late Joe Guercio and have become very close with Jerry Schilling who was Elvis’ lifelong friend and closest member of his inner circle and one time Manager of Lisa Marie, the Beach Boys, Billy Joel and Priscilla Presley who he still remains very close to today.
Besides the US, I tour the shows regularly in the UK, South America, Europe, Australia and Canada where the response has been unbelievable, exposing these legends who lived and worked with Elvis, to new markets.
I have produced 7 Elvis Tribute albums and have participated in, been consulted on or been listed in numerous Elvis related books. I was asked to review the CBS TV movie ‘Elvis’. I also work closely with a network of 120 Elvis fan clubs worldwide and of course, Elvis Presley Enterprises. I also consulted on numerous TV shows including Elvis Day on Oprah Winfrey, Maury Povich, BBC1’s World’s Greatest Elvis TV Show, ‘Elvis Week’ on the Late Show with David Letterman and the HBO series Vinyl produced by Martin Scorsese and Mic Jagger. I am currently involved on the pre-production of the sound track of a new Elvis Bio Pic due to be released in the Fall of 2021.
Currently I produce, direct, act as musical director and consult for several of the largest Elvis Festivals in the world. I exclusively managed and started the careers of the world's most successful Elvis Tribute Artists; Rick Saucedo, Trent Carlini, Ryan Pelton and Justin Shandor. I also act as agent and advisor for Dean Z and several others. Currently, I exclusively manage Shawn Klush, Elvis Presley Enterprises ‘Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist’ and Cody Ray Slaughter, who starred in the Tony Award winning Broadway tour of Million Dollar Quartet and the newest young Elvis sensation Jake Rowley. I am the agent for most of the actors in Million Dollar Quartet and EPE’s Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artists.