Patty Elvis has been getting crowds all shook up for well over a decade—thank you very much.
She and her band ( composed of guitarist Bill Bango, bassist Dave Budrys and drummer Scott Carson ) will be commemorating the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death throughout August at Davenport's, 1383 N. Milwaukee. They will pay their respects by bringing their unique blend of comedy, lip curls, jumpsuits and great tunes to the stage.
Patty Elvis, a.k.a. Patty Manning, is quite possibly the hottest ( if not the only ) lesbian Elvis impersonator around. But it's clear she is much more than that.
'People get confused,' Manning said. 'They're like, 'Oh, you do Elvis?' It's really a comedy show. What I should call myself is a comic, and not an Elvis impersonator.'
When Manning was a child, she was fond of doing impressions of celebrities. She loved watching comedian Andy Kaufman, who would later be an inspiration for her act, on television.
'Kaufman used to come out as Elvis in the '70s, and he's have on a jumpsuit that was too short,' Manning recalls. 'He totally would exaggerate Elvis' movements and sort of make fun of him and everything,' she added, slipping into a spot-on, deep Elvis mumble.
'When I first saw him do it, that's how I felt about Elvis.'
As time went on, Manning found herself doing impressions of the King to amuse her friends. During the '80s, she was attending theater school, and taking part in some plays and musicals while working regular jobs on the side. ( She currently works as an interior painter ) .
'Then, I just decided I was just going to get a jumpsuit one day,' Manning said. 'I wanted to get a jumpsuit real bad in the early '90s.'
Her friends didn't believe she was ever going to do it.
One day, a friend was going to put on a talent show, so she got to work. Manning's first Elvis outfit was made out of bell bottoms and a sailor shirt with the collar folded over.
'It was really cheesy,' she admitted. However, it went over quite well. Manning now boasts owning over seven jumpsuits—from silver snakeskin to sequined camouflage—all of which are her own designs.
Still, Manning was shy about performing as Elvis in front of a crowd. When she was invited to a South Loop art gallery that featured Elvis artwork and a contest, she initially protested when people insisted she get on stage, but ended up caving in to the demands.
'I came in third place that night against really hardcore Elvis guys,' she boasted. 'That was kind of what started the whole thing.'
Now, Manning and The Patty Elvis Band are requested all over, from bars to benefits. After all, like she says, 'There is nobody else who does what I do.' The show includes parodies of songs, pop-culture references, jokes and additional impressions, such as Cher to Neil Diamond. Crowd favorites include Manning's renditions of Suspicious Minds and In the Ghetto, but the band will perform parodies ( such as a recent take on Jailhouse Rock that pokes fun of Paris Hilton called She's Locked Up ) , or non-Elvis songs such as the show staple She's a Lady.
'It's opened up a lot of doors,' said Manning, who hopes to someday have a show in Vegas or at least land a manager.
There is also more on her plate than the King. Manning writes original songs, and recently submitted her work to a record company.
'I've spent a lot of years trying to get it there, but it's been hard until people see the show,' she said. That is because, she added, many people assume she's just another Elvis impersonator. But she tries not to get discouraged, and knows everything takes time.
After a couple of years into it, Manning considered quitting because she thought it was going nowhere. She's glad she didn't. 'It's bigger than life,' she said, adding that because Elvis was such an icon, people are really drawn to anyone who pays homage to the King. 'It doesn't matter who you are, how old you are and if you even like Elvis or not. It's just always a thing that's kept people's attention.' At least she is doing something she loves, she added..
'Sometimes you just got to hang in there, and it may or may not go anywhere, but the best thing to do is act like its going to, and believe that it's going to,' she advised. 'I think people that make it in any kind of business have to first believe that, yes, I'm going to do this and its going to happen.
'Without that belief, most things aren't created. The ingredient in creating something is having the belief behind it.'
Catch Manning's crowd-pleasing lip curls and pelvic thrusts at Davenport's on Aug. 4, 11 and 18; RSVP at 773-278-1830. See www.pattyelvis.com or www.davenportspianobar.com for more info.
