I wish to extend a warm welcome to Chris (Franklin) Collins to SIDEBURNS Magazine and thank him for sending along his bio for posting. Everyone at SB Mag wishes you much success with your ETA career, Chris. Best regards, Carolyn MacArthur.
Bio
ETA Chris Collins. Photo Credit: Jenny Paige.
Chris Franklin was born in Anderson, South Carolina, on April 10th, 1996. He has been a music lover since birth. He picked up the iconic voice from his late maternal grandfather, who would sing throughout the little boy’s childhood. From then on, Christopher was always singing, and he hasn’t stopped since!
His love for Elvis began at a young age at a shop in the Anderson County Jockey Lot, where he and his dad would spend many Saturdays. The little shop, which has a permanent setup, is called Tony’s Place and sells memorabilia from the 50s and 60s. Chris had to stop there at least once on every trip. From there, his interest snowballed. Always an entertainer in his mind, Chris afelt he was going to do big things. The loss of his mother at the young age of 11 only inspired him.
Chris’s first loves were acting, and an unlikely interest —professional wrestling. Chris has had some involvement with both. Being in the entertainment business, he felt a catchy name would do the trick, so ‘Chris Collins’ was born. One of the earliest projects he worked on in the wide world of entertainment was a short film that he was invited to be in by his friends, gaining the starring role. He’s also been involved in professional wrestling, as a referee for most of 2016, along with competing in several matches.
In high school, Chris found a love for all things 50s: fashion, cars, lingo, music, and The King. His first Elvis CD was “ELVIS: 30 No. 1 Hits”. Chris has always had a knack for mimicking voices, and one day, while listening to the CD with his best friend, Luke, he tried his hand at the King. Chris began studying Elvis from that point, 3 years ago. Though it has been a slow start, playing events from car shows and nursing homes, to birthday parties and Talent Shows at Lander University, there is not a single aspect of performing as an ETA that Chris doesn’t love. From live rehearsals on Elvis Fan Groups on Facebook, to the elaborate outfits, right down to the business side of things, it’s all been highly enjoyable for the 24 year old Elvis tribute artist.
Chris’s dream in the ETA world is to one day become an Ultimate Elvis — just like his inspiration, Dean Z; but above all, his goal is to just have fun with it. Chris pays tribute to all three eras of Elvis’s life with his show “The King Continues”. With a wide variety of tracks, costumes, his own PA system, and his unique voice and dance moves, he’s sure to get the room grooving.
You can find more about Chris on Facebook page “Chris Collins Entertainment”.
Videos
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Edits by Carolyn MacArthur, Editor, SIDEBURNS Magazine.