Intro

As with most ETAs I post, Aaron Smith, aka “Aaron Presley”, caught the ETA bug very early on. A regular performer at a popular venue in his hometown, Aaron continues to hone his skills as a tribute artist to give his audiences his best Elvis tribute performance. We wish Aaron much success with his ETA career and thank him for sharing his story and photos with SIDEBURNS Magazine.

Bio

I was born in Appleton, WI, on January 5, 1995 to a wonderful family. I started singing Elvis professionally when I was about twenty-one or twenty-two, but my earliest memory of doing my Elvis thing would be when I was 5 years old. I used to entertain in my parents’ living room by singing into a pencil pretending it was a microphone. I liked the 70s stuff mostly--which I still dig. My mom, Sara, was always encouraging, but I'm sure she and my dad didn't expect me to be playing Elvis around the house 24/7 especially at such a young age.

ETA Aaron Presley with Elvis’s friend, George Klein.

I preform locally in my hometown of Appleton, WI, at a place called the Deja Vu Martini Lounge where one of my band members helps to host a live band karaoke. My favorite songs to preform are “Suspicious Minds” and “CC Rider”. I love the closeness of a live band; and a live audience really makes a huge difference to me. It's all about making people smile because the best music is Elvis music. I like working with my band because it gives the audience a more authentic feel. The bond I have with the audience is special to me. The age range in the audience, from 21 to 72 plus, is just insane!

One of my favorite memories is meeting Elvis's friend, George Klein, in Memphis in 2017. I was so honored to meet this wonderful man. I got to sing a little bit in Memphis, which, as an Elvis tribute artist, was a fantastic experience. Shawn Klush was a big inspiration to me when I was younger, and seeing him perform made me want to pursue an Elvis tribute career. Besides Elvis Presley, Shawn Klush, and later on, Dean Z and Jay Dupuis, outside the ETA world, I gained inspiration from Harry Styles. In many ways, they all helped me to mold my style in my show where I present myself as an Elvis tribute.

ETA Aaron Presley with his best friend and bodyguard, Sebastian.

As an ETA, I prefer to wear the two-piece outfits versus the jumpsuits from ‘69 to ‘72. My favorite suit would have to be the Madison Square Gardens press conference suit. Hearing ETAs being called a “legend”, a “star”, or “the next best thing” is kind of weird to me because I'm still myself when I'm not doing my tribute. On stage I am “Aaron Presley”; but off stage, I am still me, Aaron Smith. My friend, Harold, who is in my band came up my stage name. I wish to thank Harold and my best friend, Sebastian, who is also my bodyguard, for being so supportive. It helps in the music business to have friends to travel with and keep a young ETA grounded and humble. There is only one Elvis and nobody will ever replace him. TCB - Aaron Smith

Photo Album

Notes: Edits by Carolyn MacArthur, Editor, SIDEBURNS Magazine. All photos used in this post were provided by Aaron Smith.

Regarding ETA Aaron Presley’s influences, please click on https://www.sideburnsmagazine.com/blog/2019/10/16/spotlight-on-ultimate-eta-dean-z for Ultimate ETA Dean Z’s amazing interview. Keep following SIDEBURNS Magazine for Ultimate ETA Jay Dupuis’ interview that will be posted in the weeks to come; and with fingers crossed, an interview with Ultimate ETA Shawn Klush that was initiated at the Colligwood Elvis Festival in 2019 will follow. If you want to learn more about singer/song writer Harry Styles, check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Styles