An Evening with C-Elvis Cameron Caton (Copy)

Tuesday, August 9th, 2022

Cameron’s girlfriend, Chantal, adds a finishing touch.

I posted my first article on Cameron Caton, aka CoVid Elvis, and now known as “C-Elvis”, on June 23th, 2022. 

On Tuesday, August 9th, 2022, I saw Cameron perform in person for the first time.    

I knew before arriving at William Connell Park, Hamilton, ON, that Cameron had a great singing voice as I had watched several videos of him on YouTube before writing the SB Mag article.  I knew what he looked like, sort of, having seen photos of him in other articles and on his FB page; but digital images do not tell the whole story. I was really looking forward to meeting Cameron in person and seeing his live performance.

“I never imagined dying my hair black, growing sideburns and wearing an Elvis Jumpsuit.”

Photo Credit: Carolyn MacArthur.

Tall, thin, and dressed in the Spanish Flower jumpsuit with red stones—my favourite jumpsuit since black, red, and white are SB Mag’s trademark colours, Cameron looked handsome and very professional.  With his blue eyes, tanned complexion (probably from all the times he has performed outdoors) and jet black hair, he was definitely selling the Elvis illusion.

Photo Credit: Carolyn MacArthur.

“Craziest thing is I've never been an ETA.  I am not an Elvis impersonator.  I have never been in competition. I have never been to Collingwood or Graceland.  When people ask, “How long have you been a Elvis impersonator?”  I tell them I'm not—I simply love to sing the music of Elvis Presley and play the part; but I'm not an ETA and have never claimed to be an Elvis impersonator.”

Well, Cameron, if you put on a jumpsuit, dye your hair black, and respectfully sing Elvis songs to an appreciative audience, I think technically you are an ETA (Elvis Tribute Artist), even if you have never, and likely will never, compete. 

“I've always loved Elvis and his music; I just never imagined playing the part.  It is amazing how more than 40 years since Elvis’s untimely death, his legacy continues and he is still appreciated long after his passing.  It is the real tribute and testament to his influence and greatness.”

At Tuesday’s show, Cameron said he was trying out new Elvis songs, such as the ballad “Love Me”.

From his very first song, it was obvious that Cameron has a great voice and stage presence (or in this case, a great “sidewalk presence”).  I know from talking to Cameron that he has no intention of competing; but I, and other ETA fans who witnessed his terrific performance on Tuesday, are convinced that if he entered a competition as a Non-Pro, he would definitely be a contender for the top prize and would most likely walk away with the Fan Favourite trophy.*

Although Cameron says that he has never “studied” Elvis, he has more in common with the King of Rock and Roll than he might imagine…

Cameron does it all. After the show, he, with the help of Cathy and other volunteers, loads up his van and trailer.

Photo Credit: C.M.

Elvis Presley was a generous man, and not only to those who worked for him and his family and friends. He often gave to strangers and made regular gifts to charities, both nationally and locally.

Even before Cameron Caton put on his first jumpsuit in 2020, for 15 years he used his talent as a performer to entertain at Seniors’ Residences.  When he was just 12 years old, he and his younger brother took the change left over from buying a Green Hippo keyboard for their little sister to buy a meal for a man they met on the street.  The experience of feeding the hungry man led to Cameron’s commitment to do his part to ensure “no one in his city would ever go hungry.”  It is a pledge that Cameron continues to live by. 

Elvis had a great sense of humour.  John Lennon is quoted as saying, "It was his sense of humor that stuck in my mind.  He liked to laugh and make others laugh, too."  

Throughout Cameron’s performance, he joked with the audience.  When cars drove down the residential street where he was performing, he stuck his thumb out to mockingly hitch a ride.  Somehow, tastefully, he slipped the word “thong” into a song.  Our friends, Cathy, Ingrid, and Penny, along with others, could be heard laughing out loud many times during the evening.  Cameron seems to genuinely like people and has a natural rapport with all ages.

I asked Cathy if she was having a great time. I think the big smile on her face says, “Yes!” Photo Credit: Carolyn N.

One night on stage, Elvis went through a whole discourse about how he was going to sing whatever song was revealed on the slip of paper which he would draw from a large bowl, as these were the songs his fans desired to hear. The audience was in suspense as Elvis reached into the bowl and carefully swirled his hand around. He paused, and then moved his hand around some more. Finally, he drew out a piece of paper. Everyone was quiet as Elvis stood there with the big glass bowl encircled in one arm, and holding the tiny bit of paper in the other hand. He stared down at the paper as he read to himself in deep concentration. Then Elvis frowned. Without even looking up at the audience, he threw the slip of paper over his shoulder and thrust his hand back into the bowl. He came up with another slip, only to shake his head and toss it away, too. After several attempts, Elvis finally found a song he wanted to sing.

At Tuesday night’s show, Cameron involved the audience in song choice by asking them to shout out the name of an artist other than Elvis. Neil Diamond and Tom Jones made the cut, and Cameron added a three way vocal with Willy Nelson, Julio Iglesias, and Elvis in “All the Girls I Loved Before”, much to delight of the audience. Adding a touch of humour, Cameron played an air trombone. Humour and music is sooo Elvis!

I cannot comment on whether Elvis was sentimental.  He was only photographed once crying in public, sitting on the steps of Graceland with his father, Vernon, after his mother, Gladys, passed away.  But from Priscilla Presley we know that Elvis’s favourite song was “If I Can Dream” that he sang at the end of the ’68 Comeback Special.  The song, which some see as a protest song, expresses a wish for a better world, a world where one can live in peace and harmony with all others—a sentiment that Elvis surely shared.  

Cameron was overcome with emotion when speaking about The Purple Butterfly of Hope Foundation’s generous gift to his food drive for The Good Shepherd. Cameron also recognized others in the audience who have supported him in so many ways.  Many were generous donators, and one very special fan, Bill Sweet (pictured below with his daughter, Sheri), purchased a Peacock jumpsuit for Cameron so he could continue his tribute in style and fill hampers with food, cash, and needed items for the most vulnerable in the city of Hamilton and other Ontario cities.  Recalling one of the first shows he did, Cameron told the story of a little three year old girl, who after seeing others putting donations in the bins, decided she wanted to donate, too.  It wasn’t until much later when her grandmother asked, “Where is your phone?” that the little girl revealed that she put it in the box like other people did.  Cameron said that he made sure she got her toy phone back, but when he found a cell phone in one of the hampers, he kept it…LOL.  Quickly he recanted, “Yes, I gave it back!” 

September 25th, 2021.

“Great night raising 1861 pounds of food for the Good Shepherd ….Sydney’s foundation will be donating $2000.00 because we hate odd numbers.  Thank you Cam ( Covid Elvis) for all you do in the community, and it was awesome to spend some time with Shawn Caton.” Greg Wood.

Taking an audience from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other and not losing anyone along for the ride, is the sign of a true professional. 

One last likeness to Elvis that I would like to mention occurred off stage. Near the end of a fantastic evening, Cameron gave a shout out to his high school friend, Joe, and told the audience that they recently tossed around a football like they did when they attended West Mount High.  Cameron said that while he thought he was doing just fine while “going long”, he realized in hindsight that he probably was running in slow mo. 

Elvis playing football in Hawaii, March, 1977.

Elvis often enjoyed a pick-up game with his entourage, and often played football on the grounds at Graceland. In fact, on October 16, 1960, he broke his finger while playing touch football at Graceland. Elvis's famous generosity and his love for football often worked hand-in-hand.   

If you want to experience great entertainment, try to catch one of C-Elvis Cameron Caton’s Pop-Up shows.  There is one coming up on Tuesday, August 16th, 2022—the 45th Anniversary of Elvis’s passing.  The show at Eleanor Park on the Hamilton Mountain is free, but you are asked to bring non-perishable canned goods. Money donations for charity, and tips for Cameron, are much appreciated.  Hope to see you there!

C-Elvis Cameron Caton and Carolyn MacArthur, Editor, www.sideburnsmagazine.com

Final thoughts: I wish to thank Cameron Caton for a wonderful evening of fun and entertainment and also for the mention of the article in SIDEBURNS Magazine. Thank you to my pals, Ingrid, Cathy, Pam (who was seeing her first ever ETA performance) and Penny. I cannot wait to do a repeat with you all! Thank you to the sidewalk dancers who did not mind that I joined them. A special hello to Kathy from Florida, who received a red scarf from Cameron, and her sister, Marg, and Marg’s son, Robert. It was a pleasure chatting with you. And kudos to Cameron, Joe, and Pam who learned that in the ETA world it is always okay to point to your friend, another ETA, or a fan in loving recognition. Until next time…Cheers, everyone!

Carolyn MacArthur, Editor, SIDEBURNS Magazine.

*Truthfully it takes much more than just dressing the part and singing Elvis songs with a great voice.  I have seen a lot of competitions and researched a lot of guidelines, and judging can be brutal.  It can come down to something as simple as a move that is not consistent with the original Elvis performance or a costume that does not match the song or decade.  It takes a lot of studying of Elvis’s videos and a lot of hard work on the part of any ETA who wishes to compete.  C.M.

To access more information about quotes etc. and to read more about organizations mentioned in my article, just click on any of the highlighted text. The article, photos, and edits are credited to Carolyn MacArthur, Editor and owner of SIDEBURNS: The Ultimate ETA Fan Magazine. All other photos and quotes were credited in the original articles on SB Mag.