Community Corner

How Big is the Dream Cruise? Even Elvis Will be There

Fred Wolfe of Westland to bring his best 'Hound Dog' to the Hunter House in Birmingham on Saturday.

Fans unable to make their way to Graceland to mark today's 34th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley will have a way to honor the King of rock 'n' roll at the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Every year, thousands flock to Memphis, TN, on Aug. 16 for a candlelight vigil at the late singer’s home, but Metro Detroiters have the option to go to another house — one that’s much closer.

Elvis Presley impersonator Fred Wolfe of Westland will bring his swiveling hips to the in Birmingham on Saturday from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

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Wolfe has been singing favorites such as “Viva Las Vegas” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love” for 20 years. His career started when his mother sent some Elvis songs he recorded to an Elvis Presley Fan Club in Detroit. The group liked what it heard and invited Wolfe to a get-together.

“They presumed I was an Elvis impersonator they never heard of,” Wolfe said. “I showed up at their party in my black leather pants and a Billy Idol haircut and they where like, ‘What?’ ”

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Up to that point, Wolfe said it was never his goal to be an impersonator. “In fact, at the time, I would have been the first person to make fun of an Elvis impersonator.”

He changed his mind when the fan club convinced him to go the World Series of Elvis competition in Memphis. Wolfe says he didn’t place in the contest, but he signed autographs for 45 minutes when it was all over.

“I thought to myself, ‘I could do this’.” So he grew out his sideburns and started dying his hair black. Today, Wolfe looks like Elvis 24/7 but don’t worry, he says he can distinguish himself “as a human from the man he impersonates.”

Wolfe plays more than 100 shows a year. To honor the anniversary of the late singer's death today, he’ll be performing a two-hour show at a nursing home in Southfield.

On Saturday, don’t look for Wolfe to arrive at the Dream Cruise in Elvis’ iconic 1955 pink Cadillac.

“I drive a minivan,” he said. “I need something practical to carry my equipment in." However, his vanity license plate does read ELVIS01.


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