Bigfork kicks off Pelton's Montana stops

About a dozen years ago, Ryan Pelton owned his own Web development company, had never sung in public and evaded suggestions that he looked like a famous king.

Today, he tours around performing as pop-culture icon Elvis Presley and is considered one of his best tribute artists.

Pelton will appear on a Montana stage for the first time this weekend, as he performs two sold-out Valentine's Day concerts at the Bigfork Center for the Performing Arts.

He's come a long way to get there though. Growing up, Pelton wasn't as familiar with Elvis and his legacy. He describes his home life as fairly strict.

"We didn't listen to music or watch TV," he said.

He got a few comments about his rock star look-a-like during high school, but it really hit him when he joined the U.S. Marine Corps. With his head shaved, his officers still nicknamed him Elvis.

In college, the jeers continued. As he'd walk by, people would say, "Hey, Elvis." They also tried to convince him to sing karaoke, but he refused.

"It's the kind of thing I ran from all my life," Pelton said. "It picked me. I didn't pick it."

It was a dare that turned his perspective on his near-twin around. He still doesn't know why he accepted, but, on a dare, he entered the Elvis Extravaganza Contest sponsored by Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill in Columbus, Ohio. And, against the odds and the competition of well-known impersonators, he won. He was also star-struck by the presence of Dick Clark who said about Pelton, "It's Elvis!"

Then he started getting calls, worked a couple gigs, and next thing he knew, he had to make a choice between being around for his company or out on the road.

"[I thought] I don't want to be 60 or 70 years old and basically look at my life and say I wish I would have done that," he said.

So, he sold his Web development business and joined a production show on the Gulf Coast for some stage experience, followed by joining the Las Vegas Production Show "Legends in Concert."

Working 12 shows a week all year long, it was easy to get wrapped up in the character, which is partially why Pelton decided a year and a half ago to break out on his own with his band to travel.

Now that he's out on his own, Pelton said he's able to pour a bit of himself into the show and focus on entertaining.

"We wanted to take the show to people," Pelton said. "It's not our goal for you to leave and say, 'He looks and sounds exactly like Elvis,' but to say 'God, I had a fun time tonight.'"

He's also been fortunate to work alongside many of the original musicians and vocalists who performed with the King himself, including The Jordanaires and The Imperials.

With hundreds of songs to pick from, Pelton has many favorites. He likes some of Elvis' lesser-known work, like "We can make the morning" and "You'll never walk alone." But, he still has a soft spot for some of the classics, which he said are fun to perform. He enjoys "Poke Salad Annie," "Suspicious Minds' and others that get people moving.

With his band The Difference, he also performs outside the Elvis character in separate shows. He describes their music as alternative country and says it helps keep them grounded. When not in costume, he describes himself as a "blue jeans and cowboy boots kind of guy."

"We're just trying to have as much fun as Elvis always did," he said.

Though Pelton seems to have found ways to separate himself from Elvis in his own mind, some fans have a harder time separating fact from fiction.

"I get lots of crazy e-mails," he said. "It's a wild situation to be in."

These crazy fan situations include the time a girl hid beneath his vehicle after a show and then climbed in the door and refused to get out. The police came and a chase followed. They later found the girl and discovered she had a 12-inch knife in her purse.

Pelton says he'd rather avoid that kind of crazy, but he wants his fans to be able to let loose at his concerts.

"About 99.9 percent of the people are just good American people who want to get out and forget about the economy and depressing things in the world," he said. "They can get as crazy as they want – the crazier the better."

Pelton has driven through Montana before on the way to Seattle, but Bigfork, followed by a series of other Montana appearances, will be his first in the state.

"It's a big state," Pelton said. "We're going to do it and have some fun. We're just very excited about this tour. It's nice to get out West a little bit."

Some people don't know what to expect, since being called an Elvis impersonator seems to carry a negative connotation with likely hundreds of thousands worldwide, Pelton said, but concert-goers on Sunday should come out and expect to be entertained.

"A lot of times you get a water-downed production. I'm not saying what we do is best," he said. "I think 99 percent of people walk away surprised. Come on out ready to have fun, be relaxed and get into it."

For more information about Pelton, visit www.ryanpelton.com.