A world-champion Elvis tribute artist will be performing the music made famous by Elvis Presley to Weyburn on Friday, April 5, at McKenna Hall. Dean Z will be touring Canada with his tribute band, the Cadillac Kings, featuring The Uptown Hornz.
Doors for the show will open at 7 p.m. and the show will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $44.95 plus fees and GST. They are available online at www.etixnow.com.
He and the 12-piece band and a full horn section will put on about a two-hour family-friendly show that will focus primarily on his early career in the 1950s, and also on his comeback concert from 1968, which was televised on NBC.
“The show is really an encapsulation of his best years, in my opinion. They’ll understand show why he was the King of Rock’n’Roll, and still is,” said Dean, adding that in his opinion, the songs from the 1950s were the best of his large catalogue of songs.
Asked what his favourite Elvis songs are as a performer, he noted “Jailhouse Rock” was the first one he ever did, plus he ends his shows with a song from the 1968 concert, “If I Can Dream”.
His show will include Elvis’s love songs, like “Love Me Tender” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love With You”, as well as his Gospel songs.
“Elvis is basically the American rock’n’roll songbook,” said Dean, adding he does not wear the jumpsuits from Elvis’s 1970s period, but he does do some of the later songs, like “In The Ghetto”.
He plays guitar along with the backup band, and on one song, he plays all of the instruments. Dean also pointed out there is no lip-synching in this show, as all performances are live.
Dean Z has dedicated his entire life to honoring the legacy of Elvis Presley, the “King of Rock'n'Roll.” From his early days growing up in the desert of Lancaster, California, to stages across the globe, he has shown time and again he is one of the best in the business today.
When Dean was three years old, he saw the documentary, “This Is Elvis” on TV. He immediately jumped up on the coffee table and started to imitate Presley’s every move. Not long after, Dean’s mother made his first Elvis jump suit and he was on his way.
“The first song I sang on stage was ‘Jailhouse Rock.’ Every time I shook the audience would scream, and I’ve been shaking ever since,” Dean said, noting that later on, he entered a talent show at his sister’s school, and fell in love with being on stage and performing.
At the age of 17, after performing in several shows of his own, Dean took off for the bright light city that would set his soul on fire – Las Vegas.
Throughout the next 12 years, Dean performed in Japan, Australia, Norway, Denmark, England, across Canada and the United States. Dean soon earned a spot with the World's Greatest Live Tribute Show, Legends in Concert.
When he isn’t on stage as Elvis, he can be found producing plays, independent films and performing with his two bands, The Gimps and The Kraken.
In 2013, Dean decided to go after the title of Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist. Sanctioned by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., The Ultimate Elvis® Tribute Artist Contest™ involves hundreds of Elvis tribute artists competing in preliminary events around the world for an invitation to the finals in Memphis.
2014 was a banner year for Dean; he received the Heart Of The King Award in Las Vegas at the former Las Vegas Hilton on the same stage Elvis himself performed over 700 shows during the 1970s.
“Being a huge Elvis fan, I got to pursue a childhood dream, and I’ve been able to travel the world,” said Dean, noting he works hand in hand with Elvis Presley Enterprises, which is owned by the late singer’s estate in Memphis, Tenn. He said he has been going to Elvis Week every year since he was seven years old, and he continues to work at the event today.
