There are in excess of 40,000 Elvis impersonators out there but, since his advent to the music scene, and as early as in 1954 itself, a full two years before he actually became a part of America’s counsciousness, there has also been numerous tributes to music he interpreted, and made his own.

In fact, from country superstar Bill Monroe, who was so impressed with Presley’s rockabilly take on his own “Blue Moon of Kentucky”, that he covered it, in a rockabilly style, as early as a week after Presley’s record hit the stores, to albums by folk rock’s Phil Ochs, to bluesman Albert King or, as recently as last year, to that of jazzman extraordinaire Cyrus Chesnut, the music of Elvis Presley has been “personalized” by more singers and groups than that of anyone else in particular, since the beginning of the recording industry.

It is very easy to mention the impersonators, but all one need to do, to realize how many times he has been interpreted, seriously, is to take a quick trip, back in time, say, to Rod Stewart’s masterpiece album “Every picture takes a story”, (where Rod enhances Presley’s “That’s all right” to unbelievably levels), or to Bob Dylan’s “Self Portrait”, where he gives both of Presley’s versions of “Blue Moon” and “Let it be me” a new life, or to Bruce Springsteen’s contribution to the Elvis Tribute album “The Gospel of Elvis”, in the shape of the much enhanced “Viva Las Vegas”, or hear his continuous rederings of “Follow that dream”, in many of his live albums.