I recently had the privilege of interviewing one of the most talented and famous guys on the planet. Any idea who it could be? Kraig Parker! He’s brought happiness, memories and rocking good times to people across the country as an International Elvis Tribute Artist. As you can imagine, I had plenty of questions for Parker and he answered them all in the same graceful, humble way “The King” would have.
Parker has been in this business for 17 years and still considers his job, “the most exciting career in the world.” Don’t you wish we could all say that? His grandmother (who happened to be a huge Elvis fan) bought him his first guitar when he was 10 years old and ironically enough, the first song he learned to play was “That’s Alright Mama.” He continued to play the guitar, learn new songs and eventually started a band. As most of us have heard, breaking into the music business is quite difficult, which is why Parker ended up working at a corporate company. He couldn’t deny his musical roots for long though. When his company was having a party, he dressed up as Elvis and performed for his co-workers. It was such a hit that he expanded to performing at other parties and weddings as well. From there, his music career sky rocketed. He now performs for adoring fans at casinos and fairs across the United States. A fun tidbit: he says performing at WinStar is his favorite- we are so honored!
I challenged Parker to choose his favorite Elvis song, which turned out to be an exceptionally hard question. He decided on 3 different songs: “Burning Love”, “My Way”, and “How Great Thou Art”. He also stated that the most crowd pleasing song is “American Trilogy” because it is a tribute to our veterans and troops.
Now, it’s time to talk about those fancy, elaborate costumes Elvis is known for wearing! Parker says on average, he has 20-30 costumes on hand. From all white costumes with fringe to gold costumes with a cape, he has it all! For a sneak peek at what they look like, visit his website here.
At the end of the interview, Kraig Parker said, “thank you very much” in true Elvis form. He also wanted to send out a big thank you to all of his fans and everyone who has supported him along this crazy journey. It was a pleasure to speak with him and I encourage you all to go see his show on Sunday, January 4. It will be a nostalgic good time that you cannot pass up!
