Friday, September 6, 2013 – Elvis Rose
Today was actually a very cool day. I got in my walk, and my Curves circuit, and my Elvis concert.
What? Explanation! (It’ll take a few paragraphs.)
I am not an Elvis aficionado. Yes, I can remember where I was when I first heard that Elvis died. I was in St. Catharines, Ontario, working a summer job at Canteen of Canada at the GM plant on Ontario St. I can tell you that everyone around me was asking, “Why him, Lord?!” But not me.
I got to appreciate Elvis the Pelvis years later – some 11 years later. Hubs and I had been married 13 years by that point and we had four children – one of whom was still a toddler. I was working on my Bachelor of Social Work – final year. My placement was in Chronic Care at an area centre. My placement was eight months long. Eight months! My poor supervisor!
But I digress.
It was Christmas time at the Chronic Care ward. Part of my “job” was to create posters and find music for the Annual CC ward Christmas party. I confess, I was so tired, I could barely walk a semi-straight line, but one of my meanderings ran me past a cassette titled “Elvis’s Blue Christmas.” That felt about right. I was bluer than blue – good old fashioned fatigue – and it was Christmas time. I bought it.
All of my posters were “Elvis Christmas” themed. When you have been sleep deprived for many years, your imagination can run a little wild. So I drew pictures of what the songs titles were in my crazy but compassionate mind. I may be stretching it a little here.
“Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me” – Santa dropping a baby down a chimney into a soft cradle.
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” – Parents hiding at the local Home Hardware on Christmas morning.
And so on.
*****
I have to tell you that, at some point during the party, someone mentioned to me that the tape playing was actually being done by an Elvis Impersonator! I was shocked, confused, bewildered – and sworn to secrecy. The next day I went to the “record shop” and bought a “true” Elvis Christmas record. And you know what? The Impersonator was even better. He felt the songs; he articulated.
That’s how I felt today at the ParkSide (Older Adults) Centre, listening to Brad Rose - Elvis Impersonator - belt out the best of EP’s songs. His heart was in every song; the Seniors were up dancing their blue suede shoes off.
I looked up Brad Rose on the web when I got home. He is the #5 Elvis Impersonator in the world. That doesn’t mean much to me. But what does is Marg Seregeli’s interview with him where he talks about LOVINGLY singing at Nursing Homes and giving new life to older bones. He even does “room visits”; there are folks who want to hear and see him and are confined to bed. No problem – he brings his show to them. http://www.northernlife.ca/news/lifestyle/2013/06/03-brad-rose-elvis-sudbury.aspx
Rose says, “If ... people say my name in the same sentence as Elvis, I’m kinda proud of that.”
Elvis once said, “More than anything else, I want the folks back at home to think right of me.”
And it makes me kinda happy that Elvis’s Momma also like the Rose(s).
What? Explanation! (It’ll take a few paragraphs.)
I am not an Elvis aficionado. Yes, I can remember where I was when I first heard that Elvis died. I was in St. Catharines, Ontario, working a summer job at Canteen of Canada at the GM plant on Ontario St. I can tell you that everyone around me was asking, “Why him, Lord?!” But not me.
I got to appreciate Elvis the Pelvis years later – some 11 years later. Hubs and I had been married 13 years by that point and we had four children – one of whom was still a toddler. I was working on my Bachelor of Social Work – final year. My placement was in Chronic Care at an area centre. My placement was eight months long. Eight months! My poor supervisor!
But I digress.
It was Christmas time at the Chronic Care ward. Part of my “job” was to create posters and find music for the Annual CC ward Christmas party. I confess, I was so tired, I could barely walk a semi-straight line, but one of my meanderings ran me past a cassette titled “Elvis’s Blue Christmas.” That felt about right. I was bluer than blue – good old fashioned fatigue – and it was Christmas time. I bought it.
All of my posters were “Elvis Christmas” themed. When you have been sleep deprived for many years, your imagination can run a little wild. So I drew pictures of what the songs titles were in my crazy but compassionate mind. I may be stretching it a little here.
“Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me” – Santa dropping a baby down a chimney into a soft cradle.
“I’ll Be Home for Christmas” – Parents hiding at the local Home Hardware on Christmas morning.
And so on.
*****
I have to tell you that, at some point during the party, someone mentioned to me that the tape playing was actually being done by an Elvis Impersonator! I was shocked, confused, bewildered – and sworn to secrecy. The next day I went to the “record shop” and bought a “true” Elvis Christmas record. And you know what? The Impersonator was even better. He felt the songs; he articulated.
That’s how I felt today at the ParkSide (Older Adults) Centre, listening to Brad Rose - Elvis Impersonator - belt out the best of EP’s songs. His heart was in every song; the Seniors were up dancing their blue suede shoes off.
I looked up Brad Rose on the web when I got home. He is the #5 Elvis Impersonator in the world. That doesn’t mean much to me. But what does is Marg Seregeli’s interview with him where he talks about LOVINGLY singing at Nursing Homes and giving new life to older bones. He even does “room visits”; there are folks who want to hear and see him and are confined to bed. No problem – he brings his show to them. http://www.northernlife.ca/news/lifestyle/2013/06/03-brad-rose-elvis-sudbury.aspx
Rose says, “If ... people say my name in the same sentence as Elvis, I’m kinda proud of that.”
Elvis once said, “More than anything else, I want the folks back at home to think right of me.”
And it makes me kinda happy that Elvis’s Momma also like the Rose(s).