Timothy Dudley, of South Bend, is an Elvis impersonator who walks, talks, dresses and sings in the style of Elvis.

From the time he was a young child, Dudley has had a love for the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

He prides himself in knowing not only all the words to Elvis’ songs, but a lot of trivia about the iconic singer. Today, he enjoys sharing that passion through live performances at various concert venues and conventions.

How did you get involved in impersonating Elvis?

I have always been an Elvis fan. My grandparents and my mom all lived in one house and they have always been Elvis fans. Back when we lived in Louisiana in 2003 I got to see Doug Church (Elvis impersonator).

I was watching him and at that time I had a flat top and goatee and I was just watching how the Elvis fans just interacted and I thought, “I would like to do something like that.”  I talked to Doug for a few minutes and he helped me get started in the business.

What did you like about Elvis?

I just loved his music and the passion he put into every song. You could just tell when he sang the song that he meant it. You know, like “I Will Never Fall in Love Again.” It was on his last album and if you listen to it, you can just feel the passion coming through his vocals.

What do you think Elvis would have to say about today’s music?

I know some of [today’s] songs do not have passion like back then. I really do think if he had not passed away. … It opened the doors for others.

What do you enjoy about playing Elvis?

The Elvis fans. I will do a show and after the show, I will not leave until the last person has left.  A few of them have seen Elvis and they tell stories — you know, “this is what he was like on stage.” Those kind of things.

I have gotten to know some of his best friends through the years and listening to their stories.  He [Elvis] was very humble, giving, loving and faith driven. He believed in God.

Is there one cool Elvis fact that most would not know?

He was a very giving man. There is a story about how he went and bought a brand new Cadillac, when he saw a lady crying and he walked out and said, “what is wrong?” She said, “My husband has lost his job because he does not have a vehicle. We would love to have a car,” and he handed her the keys and said, “It is yours.” That is the kind of person that he was.

A lot of people think that he was a racist, but he was not.  That is one of the biggest things people do not know is that he was not a racist.  He would give to St. Jude’s. It was not anything for him to write a $5,000 check to someone who needed it.

What does it take for you to commit to the Elvis role?

A lot of studying. I will break down each CD and each song and study his videos, because I do not want  to do anything that… whatever he did on stage I want to make sure it portrays on stage.

I do not want to make a mockery out of it, so I break down each song for his mannerisms, where his voice fluctuates.

What I normally do if it is a new song,  I will sing Elvis at home and then I will sing it myself. I will tape record it and listen back.

You have Elvis’ moves down?

Yep. I try.  I do not do a whole lot of ‘50s Elvis, because I have a lot of bass in my voice, so  I cannot do that early raw stuff. I do mostly the ‘70s era of Elvis with the jumpsuit.

Do you recall the first time
that you ever heard Elvis?

I was about 3 years old and for some reason at that time I had a fear of death. I had the chicken pox and I was scared that I was going to die, so my grandmother told my mom to go to the video store and pick some videos out. She looks over and saw “Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii.” She said, “That cannot be too bad.”

I was laying on the couch miserable. She fast-forwarded it to “My Way.” When he hit that first note. …They said I just sat up and the whole time I was just watching. Ever since then I was hooked.