All For My Satnin

Life Keeps Moving

As I mentioned in my previous post, Been Gone For Too Long, there has been a lot of change in my life in the last two years. Have you ever went to bed one day and felt as if you finally had things the way you wanted, and then you wake up and your whole world is upside down? Well, that happened to me. My world was torn apart and I wasn’t sure what that meant for my career as an Elvis Tribute Artist (ETA).

Where It Began

If you’ve ever heard me talk about my story, you’ve heard me talk about my Grandma Linda. I can’t remember a time in my life when Elvis wasn’t involved. Grandma would play his CDs for me and taught me how to shake my legs like Elvis. My favorite memories are when she’d take me to a local donut shop and they would play Elvis on their stereo. They always offered me free donut holes if I would dance like Elvis for the other customers. That always made Grandma Linda light up. I think somehow she knew would I would one day become.

Years went by and our bond grew with our roots being planted in Elvis. We would sit around and listen to his music, watch his movies and concerts, and just talk about Elvis. I even began to call her Satnin, a nick name that Elvis had for his mother. The bond he had with his mother was exactly the same as the bond I had with Grandma Linda.

(Miss Cellania – http://bit.ly/2diaLf8)

She encouraged me to use my acting and singing skills to pay tribute to Elvis. I decided to try it and the rest took off like wild fire. Grandma Linda was my best friend, I loved her so dearly.That’s what made saying goodbye so hard.

There Goes My Everything

Our family all knew her death would be coming soon, but I don’t think a single one of us were prepared for it. When her health really started to decline I  had just gotten out of a relationship and felt pretty broken. At the same time, a girl who was my best friend for about five or six years had made her way back into my life and I knew something beautiful would blossom from that. So my emotions were all over the place, and now I was fixing to lose the woman who meant so much to me.

The minutes ticked by faster than they ever had before. I guess when you the see the hour glass running out, the sand seems to fall faster. Her breaths become shorter. You could see her heart working so hard to sustain life its vessel. I braced for the impact. Then it happened.

With her family surrounding her, she took her final breath. There was a stillness in the room… then the faint weeping. My mother kissed her on the forehead and told her mother goodbye. My best friend, my Grandma, my Satnin was gone.

I can level a little bit with how Elvis and his Father must have felt when his Mother passed. I know now what it’s like to wake up and have your life changed forever. I know how it must have felt for him. How do you continue doing what you love when the reason for it is gone?

(Stacey Regeline – Vintage Portraits – http://bit.ly/2dSVP6b)

Linda On My Mind

I can’t speak for Elvis; I can only speak for myself. I knew life was going to keep moving, so I had to do the same. I had to sing, even when I wanted to cry. I had to dance, when all I wanted to do was break down. I had to entertain, even though part of me had died. Now I do it all for her. Every leap of faith, every song, every time I shake my legs and people go wild… it’s all for her. It’s all for my Satnin.

(Me and Grandma Linda – 2014 Branson Elvis Festival. A dream come true for both of us.)

Been Gone For Too Long

One Thing’s The Same

First off, let me apologize for keeping you out of the loop for two years. A lot of change (some good and some not so good) has taken place during that time, but one thing is still the same: My dream of being one of the best Elvis Tribute Artists (ETA) out there. For those of you who are new to my blog, allow me to introduce myself.

I’m Just a Big Elvis Fan

Back in the day, when I was in high school (Benton High – St. Joseph, MO.), I participated in all of the school plays. I even won Actor of the Year one time, no biggy. During the last two years or so I joined the school concert choir, so I guess I’ve always been one to like to entertain. Being raised on Elvis (I’ll get into all that in my second post for the week), I was eventual asked to put two and two together and try to “impersonate” (I hate that word) Elvis. I tried it and people seemed to like. Looking back on previous videos, I’m not sure how I didn’t have to wipe tomatoes off my face after every show.

 

Six years later and I’m constantly learning how to better my craft as I strive to honor the life and legacy of Elvis Presley. It’s done amazing things for my life, presented challenges and opportunities, and people seem to really like my work. But at the end of the day I’m no better than anyone in or out of this business. I’m just a really big Elvis fan.

You Are Here

If there’s one Elvis song you’ve probably heard of, it’s Blue Suede Shoes. Now, when I say “Elvis song” I’m not implying that Elvis wrote that song. You can thank Carl Perkins for conjuring that tune, Elvis just did what he did best and made it famous, but I digress. The song is basically about a woman who is upset and can do anything she wants to do to Elvis (knock him down, step on his face, slander his name all over the place), but she better not step on his Blue Suede Shoes.

I don’t know if Blue Suede Shoes are hard to clean or what, but here’s how I look at it. My dreams, ambitions, dedication, and hard work are all my Blue Suede Shoes. Life can do whatever it wants to me, but it cannot and will not step on my Blue Suede Dreams. I really want to share my journey with everyone I can, because I can’t do any of it without your support. Twice per week, this is where you’ll gain insight to my career and even my personal life from time to time. This business (and life in general) can be very unpredictable. You never know what might happen.

Let’s take this journey together. Let’s share some really glorious moments with each other, and let’s be there for each other through the tough times. Let’s also try not to wait two years before speaking again, I missed you guys. Like, a lot.

In Memory of a King

I can’t say enough how great of an entertainer Elvis was. He is hands down the greatest recording artist in history, and that’s not my own bias playing a factor. There are facts to prove it. Name another artist who invented a genre of music. Don’t worry, I’ll wait. Elvis was the first rock star and our music today would be so much different without his influence. Name another recording artist who also starred in 33 films. Don’t worry, I’ll wait again. Each one of his films (some good and some less than par) raked in more money than the one before it. Name another performer who could capture an audience like he did, there simply is none and never will be another like him.

37-years-ago we lost that performer far too soon. Not only was he a great artist but Elvis was also one of kindest people someone would ever meet. He’s well known for buying gifts for friends for no particular reason, but also for complete strangers. My favorite Elvis Story is when he bought a new Cadillac for a woman who was “window shopping” as she passed by the dealership on her way home from work.

Although Elvis has been gone for 37 years, I believe that his legacy is well taken care of and that his memory lives on. I thank God for the talents he’s blessed me with. It’s an honor to pay tribute to Elvis Presley; some of the people I’ve met because of this business have really impacted my life, whether they are a fellow ETA (Elvis Tribute Artist) or an Elvis Fan.

Thank you God, for blessing this world with Elvis, who stood for the truth of your word and connects different people from all walks of life. Thank you for blessing me with the ability to play a small part in keeping his memory alive. If I had a chance to meet Elvis, I would thank him for not giving up on his self and for inspiring the world to achieve their dreams.

In loving memory of Elvis Aron Presley who was born on January 8^th, 1935 and who sadly passed away on August 16^th, 1977.

New Gigs. New Apartment. New Merchandise?

I tell you, it has been a wild a crazy two weeks! In that time I’ve gotten moved in to my new apartment, gotten last minute things ready for school, and have booked a few shows along the way.  I’m very excited to do these shows that I have lined up; it’s been a while since I’ve last been in front of an audience. It really is an addicting thing. When you’re up there in front of a live crowd, no matter how big or small, you feel immortal. Someone could shoot you in the chest and you wouldn’t notice. It feels like electricity is racing through your body, only it’s a good thing!

 

Along with preparing for shows and everything, I’ve been toying around with the idea of getting some Matthew Sharp As Elvis T-Shirts made. I’ve been toying around with some simple designs on customink. I figured that if these ones sell pretty well, then I’ll go with something different and something with more “Pah-zazz”.

 

Please let me know what you think of the design, like I said, it’s very simple. Also, if anyone knows of any other sites that produce good quality work with this sort of thing, let me know and I’ll continue to weigh my options. TCB, everyone and God bless!

 

A Trip I’ll Never Forget.

So about a week or so ago, me and my girlfriend took a much needed vacation to Branson, Missouri. Branson was always a summer hotspot for my family when I was a kid, I can’t recall too many summer’s when we didn’t go.

This was the first time in a while that I was able to go and be able to see some shows, the last time I was there (April) was for an Elvis Festival and I didn’t have time to do anything outside of competing; Not only that but it was also my first vacation with my better half!

I was really proud of myself for planning the trip and buying all of the tickets and everything myself. I had worked my butt off all summer so that we could afford to go there and spend money comfortably, something neither one of us are used to. While we were there we ate some great food and saw some really great shows like Dixie Stampede, Jonah, and Joseph Hall: Elvis Rock and Remember.

Although the other shows were spectacular, seeing Joseph Hall’s show was my highlight moment of the show. Joseph is known for not only being a great ETA (Elvis Tribute Artist), but he also made it into the top ten on America’s Got Talen.

As a matter of fact, that was when I had first heard of him. I was in high school at the time and had no idea I would one day become an ETA and be on the path I’m on. When I saw Joseph perform throughout his time on the show, I know that’s what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to become an Elvis Tribute Artist of that caliber (I still have a long way to go before I’m that good).

When I started out in the business, I didn’t know which way was up or how the business worked. Although I’m constantly learning new things, Joseph was the first ETA to really take the time to reply to my Facebook Messages and give me advice. I can’t describe how cool that was and how much it meant to me.

I had been talking with Joseph for a while about being in Branson and wanting to see his show, so when the time came I think we both were a little excited. Joseph’s show was amazing. It’s very different from anything I’ve seen before and I really enjoyed it.

During intermission he took pictures with everyone who came out to see him. During the second act of his show he took a moment to give birthday shout outs to people in the crowd and thanked performers from other shows for coming to see him. I was shocked when he said “And ladies and gentlemen I’d like to say hello to fellow ETA, Matthew Sharp. Message me on Facebook, brother”.

That was REALLY cool! It meant a lot that he gave me a shout out during his show. Afterwards he met folks out in the lobby andsigned autographs. I got to talk with his Mom and Dad and some people who work for his production. Then I got to spend a few minutes talk to Joseph about the show and things within the business.

I’m not trying to “Fan-girl” over an ETA but it was really cool to have one of the guys who I consider a mentor to take the time to be a friend to me. I appreciate that so much, it was like a part of the dream came full circle. I got to meet the ETA who inspired me to chase the dream.  It was a trip I won’t forget.

Keep chasing your dreams, friends. Keep fighting for the things you want in life. Always take the time for those who look up to you and be humble in all you do.

Vote For Matthew Sharp As Elvis!

Hey everyone, I hope you all are doing well! I wanted to let you all know about a Facebook ETA (Elvis Tribute Artist) Contest that I am in. This contest is purely for fun, they are thinking of continuing it and calling it ETA of the Month. It would mean the world to me if you all went to go vote for me! What an honor it would be to have all of you showing your support in that sort of way, it would be a blessing in its truest form.

Voting is very simply; just go to the competition’s Facebook Page and find my video by scrolling through the page. You’ll see that I posted it (Look for the name Matthew Sharp). Once you’ve found it, feel free to watch the video and click the “like” button. This is the part that is important! Leave a comment on the video that says “vote”, this will officially cast your vote. I also encourage everyone to see what some of the other ETAs have to offer.

Thank you all so much, and feel free to add me on Facebook if you wish, I would love to hear from you! TCB everyone, and God bless you!

I’m Still Here!

It’s been far too long since my last post. I’ve been very busy with work over the summer and I’m planning a trip to Branson before college starts back up. I’ll be sure to post about my experience there once I get back. My girlfriend and I will be there for three days and we’ll be seeing some amazing shows while we’re there, I haven’t been there since I competed in the ETA (Elvis Tribute Artist) contest so I’m really looking forward to it.

I’ll be honest, everyone, it’s been really difficult these past few months. During this time I’ve gotten my new wig, thanks to fellow ETA Tyler James. It’s a lot better than the old costume wig I had before. I no longer have to paste a wig to my head which takes a big load of pressure off of me when I’m performing. I don’t have to worry about my wig falling apart in the middle of a song! You’re probably wondering what’s so difficult about that. There’s not. What’s difficult is trying to keep this dream alive.

I feel like my voice is changing and it’s getting harder to sing some of the songs, or like I don’t sound the same as I did before. That causes me to get down on myself, not practice, not keep up with my blog, social media, so on and so forth. I’ve been to the point where I was very close to calling it quits. Thankfully I have friends, family, and a God who won’t allow me to feel sorry for myself. My ETA brothers have been there to support me and my friends outside of the business have done the same. My family even bought me a new P.A. System to add more quality to my shows.

I want to apologize for my absence and I want to apologize to those who enjoy what I do for ever doubting God and his blessings. I am here to stay and I refuse to quit. Every Pro was once and amateur and every winner has had to lose at some point. Whatever you are in life, whatever your dream is, don’t give in to fear. Dream bigger, and be willing to risk it all and fail. With that you will find your greatest reward and dreams come to pass.

New Album Released!

Things have really picked up in the past day or two. I recently bought some CD labels, officially completing my tribute to the early years of Elvis Presley. I recorded the album back in December but wasn’t fully comfortable with how it sounded. I guess you can say that I’ve finally taken the leap of faith.

What helped me come to the decision to go ahead and release the album was the positive feedback that I received from some of my ETA (Elvis Tribute Artist) friends and some of my friends outside of the ETA world. I sent out a few tracks from the album and requested their feedback. The CD was recorded and mastered in just a few days but they were all very impressed and thought I should go ahead and put it out there. They figured if I was on unsure about my vocals or the engineering, then it was time to put it out there for the people to decide if it’s good or not.

So far they’ve been flying out the door and those who have one say that they really enjoy it. I always try to be fair with my prices. I know times are hard so I needed a price that compliments the fans and also pays for my studio time, labels, so on and so forth. There are a total of 13 tracks on the CD so I’ve priced the CD at $13.00 plus $4.00 for shipping and handling. I hate asking for things and putting a price on things so I took a poll to see if the price was fair. The response made me laugh because I had people who wanted to pay more. Of course I didn’t change anything; I kept the price the same.

The CD includes songs that shook the world when Elvis came on the scene. There are fast and upbeat songs like Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog, and Blue Suede Shoes. Although I enjoy the rock songs, I also included some ballads: I Want You (I Need You I Love You) and Love Me Tender. I really tried to make it a fun album… and honestly I’m proud of it. I’m making progress and climbing up the ladder. God is working. Things are happening.

If you’re interested in purchasing Matthew Sharp: A Tribute to The King, you can find it at my website under the merchandise page.  Thank you all for your support. You keep me going. Keep striving for the things you want and as always, TCB.

A Performance I’ll Never Forget.

I can’t begin to give you all an idea of what goes through my mind before a show, I’m under a lot of pressure with making sure I have all of my equipment, making sure everything works right, and making sure I put on the best performance I can and being as true to Elvis as I can. I always say that when you see me perform, you’re getting a Branson or Vegas quality show. I won’t give you any less than all that I have.

I had some shows last weekend and my voice started to give out before I even performed my first one (please see my post “Voice, Don’t Fail Me Now.”). As soon as I felt the scratch in my voice I tried every home remedy possible to get rid of it. I tried warm tea and honey, cough drops, throat coat, gargling salt water, you name it; nothing was working. I became very frustrated, but I had a show to do and I wasn’t going to back out of a show with a new client.

I showed up at the nursing home I was signed to do a show for and I was more nervous than I had ever been, I had no idea what my voice was going to do… or not do. The folks gathered around and my heart began to pound uncontrollably, I hadn’t been this nervous since I performed in Branson. I put the guitar on, turned on my microphone, and closed my eyes. My eyes were closed for only a few seconds, but so much went through my mind. Then I remembered the first time I ever heard Elvis and all of my emotions went from a boil to a simmer. I roared into Heartbreak Hotel and started the show.

My voice gave out on me a few times and I had to dial back on some of the songs, but I gave the performance my all. I wasn’t fully pleased with the performance, but I wasn’t ashamed of it either. All of the residents and family members who were there really enjoyed it and weren’t shy about letting me know it.

As I was packing up and getting ready to leave, my attention was drawn to an elderly woman in a wheelchair who really wanted to speak with me. I knelt beside her and listened to what she had to say, I had no idea she was paying attention during the show because she seemed outside of everything that was going on. She told me how much she enjoyed my singing and grabbed my hand and held it tight. She looked at me and said, “My sister was your biggest fan”, as if I was actually Elvis, “if she was still here, you couldn’t have kept her from dancing with you.”

The lady couldn’t stop talking about how much she enjoyed it and I was thanking God for the opportunity to bring joy to her day. When she began talking about how much her sister loved Elvis, she began to cry. She sobbed and talked about all the good times she recalled spending with her sister. I’m very in touch with my emotions and couldn’t help but cry as well. I noticed I didn’t hand her a rose or teddy bear during my show (I always give out something to a few members of the audience) so I handed her a rose and a teddy bear and said “These are yours, darling. I want you to have them as a gift from me.” She cried more (as did I) and said, “I’ll cherish them always.”

I love my job. Some people see this business as a joke and laugh at tribute artist, but I don’t hold it against them. Those are the people who don’t understand Elvis and who don’t understand how he made people feel. To be able to glorify God and to bring back memories for so many people is more than I could ever ask for in life.  I’ll never forget that performance for as long as I live. Although my voice wasn’t as healthy as usual, God still allowed me to put on one heck of a show, and I got to meet that sweet old lady. Friends, even if you can’t see how much your work inspires or enlightens the people around you, keep doing what you do! You just might be giving someone the gift of youth and happiness.

If You Can Dream It, You Can Achieve It.

All eleven ETAs that were in the competition. (I’m wearing the gold jacket)

If you’ve read anything that I’ve been talking about these past few weeks, then you probably know that last weekend I finally lived out a portion of my dream. My overall dream is to work for Legends in Concert and/or become the next Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist (ETA). Basically, I want being an ETA to be the job that pays my bills. I want to get up on a stage every night and rock crowds with the sounds of Elvis Presley.

This kind of thing doesn’t just happen overnight, it takes years of hard work. Like I’ve said before, the number one thing is that you have to get your name out there and show people what you have to bring to the table. You have to get the attention of the right people and let them know you’re serious, humble, but serious. The best way to do that is to compete in competitions at Elvis Festivals.

Elvis Festivals happen annually all over the country, there are even some in other countries as well. The best way to explain an ETA competition is by comparing it to the process of American Idol, the only difference is that you don’t try out, you send in a registration form and pay a fee (normally somewhere around 100 to 125 dollars. From there one you participate in a meet and greet where you interact with other ETAs and Elvis fans. Then each contest sings two songs, they narrow it down to the top five, those guys sings one more song, and then they narrow it down to first, second, and third place. Some festivals may have different things planned but this is a basic rundown of it all.

Over the weekend I participated in my first Elvis Festival and my first competition. I had never played with a band prior to this (especially not one as good as the Legends in Concert Band) and was anxious to learn from all of the other ETAs. I think I’ve spoken onthe brotherhood of this business once before (the meaning behind TCB) but to experience the kindness from other ETAs in person was a blessing. They all gave me tips and encouraged me along. They really made me feel like I was a part of the group.

One of my new friends within the business, Michael Brandt 

I was so nervous to perform. There I was, sitting in the green room of Legends in Concert, Elvis’ (or Elvi) were all around me, putting on jumpsuits and mixing honey and herbal tea to coat their throats. I was running my songs through my head and before I knew it, it was show time. I went on that stage and poured my heart and soul out for the crowd. I had been waiting for years to be able to be on that stage, I wasn’t going to hold anything back! The crowd cheered and I ran backstage, looked one of my ETA brothers in his eyes and said “I wanna do it again!” He just laughed and said “I told you you’d do great!”

I know what you’re wondering, “Did you win? Did you even place?” and the answer is no, no I didn’t. It would be foolish for me to walk into my first competition and expect to win, so I was more in this for the experience and to get my name out there. But now that I’ve done one, you can bet that I want to continue to do it and work my way to the top!

Autographing a scarf for a fan.

After the show I was greeted by so many people; this was a HUGE shock to me. I didn’t expect for people to come up and say “Can I have your autograph?” and “I really thought you would win!” or even “You’re one good lookin guy, you capture Elvis so well.” I was shocked. I was honored.

Friends, do not give up on your dreams. Even if situations have changed and it seems like you can’t reach your goals (I’ve been there), keep striving for what you want and when a door opens, dive through that sucker without hesitation!