Introduction

I invite you all to enjoy the photos and bio of Queen Valley, Arizona, ETA, Will Humbarger. Thank you to Joyce Allen for initially contacting me about Will and thank you to Laurel Kay for sending Will’s bio and photos. From everyone at SIDEBURNS Magazine, congratulations on your success thus far, Will. We wish you the very best as you continue to follow your ETA dream. Carolyn MacArthur, Editor.

I'm just a man living the dream.

Growing up while Elvis was still alive, Will Humbarger was captivated by the way Elvis’s music felt to him and also by the way he saw it made others feel. Will, who became a fan at a very young age, recalls a time when he was four or five and his mom walked in on him and found him dancing to an Elvis song in front of the mirror—a scene that made them both laugh.

Will’s parents also loved Elvis’s music. It was a fun and common bond that they shared as a family. When his parents passed, he buried each of them to Elvis’s music; and now the songs they loved bring memories of them back to him, especially when he performs as an ETA.

Will eventually began watching ETAs perform, going to see them each year at the Michigan Elvis Festival and wanting to be one himself. His wife, Janice, saw this and encouraged him to pursue his dream. Together they made his first jumpsuit in 2008.

Will began performing for free at local bars to get the feeling of it all. He wanted to understand the pulse of the audience, no matter how small, and to see them feel the same magic in Elvis’s music as he did. He needed to learn how to bring that feeling and energy to them.

A lot of this learning came through his fellow ETAs. Respecting their craft, and listening and learning from them, was a tremendous help as he grew; and he also enjoyed the camaraderie between the ETA family and the fans.

As an ETA, Will says that one of the first things you fundamentally know as you step on stage is that you are honoring and respecting Elvis. All the passion you feel inside of you for Elvis’s music becomes personified in your performance and you can feel it from the audience as they watch and listen to you portray him.

Will is currently a part-time ETA and works full-time in the flooring industry with a goal of becoming a full-time ETA – something he is working very hard towards. With a goal to take things further and continue to improve, Will is taking voice lessons, studying Elvis more adamantly, and working to absorb himself into the best representation of Elvis’s heart and soul on stage as he possibly can.

Continuing on his ETA journey, Will has placed in the Final Top 10 in seventeen different competitions with eight of those leading to the Final Top 5, including: 5th place in the 2020 Winterhaven Expo in California, 4th place in the 2019 EP Expo in Shawnee Oklahoma, and 5th place in the 2019 EP Expo.

Will performs for audiences at small shows, individual celebrations, and large concert events of all sizes. One of the best parts of Will’s shows is the interaction with the fans. Although each show is different, Will puts in the same effort to entertain, whether it’s for five people, five thousand people, or for an online audience. His goal is always to represent Elvis the best way he can.

After every performance or competition, it is wonderful to visit with fans of Elvis who share the enthusiasm for his music. Recently at an Eagle’s Club event, there was a fan with Alzheimer’s who sang and danced happily to each song. After the show, her daughter told Will that it was the most coherent she had seen her mom in years. Elvis’s music has such an effect on people all over and of all ages. It truly is one of the most rewarding parts of being an ETA.

There is a lot more to come on his ETA journey, and Will is enjoying every part of the progress. He especially wants to thank all of his fans who make his tribute to Elvis so worthwhile.

Introduction

I'm just a man living the dream.

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