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Last November, Paul Fracassi was featured in this column - he’s the 13- year-old, soon-to-be 8th grader from Woodbridge, Ontario (just outside Toronto) who placed second in both the Collingwood and Brantford Elvis Festival Youth Contests last summer.
Just to backtrack a bit......Paul had been singing Elvis songs since he was a baby and had watched many of Elvis’ movies over and over again, so he was familiar with Elvis and he knew “the moves”. Two years ago, he and his family just happened to be on vacation in Collingwood during the Elvis Festival at the end of July. Paul watched many of the ETA’s who were involved in the Festival and, after seeing them, he decided he wanted to get up and sing on the stage too ...his chance came during the karaoke session when Paul sang “Hound Dog” - with all the right moves - and the audience took notice! Right after that, he was asked to go to a local venue and sing with one of the bands....and then he was asked to enter the youth competition. As this was completely unplanned, he had no music with him, and had to borrow another ETA’s CD. He had a great experience in Collingwood ....and, like a few others before him, it started him on his way.
After the November article appeared, I received a very nice thank you e-mail from Paul telling me how thrilled he was to be featured - he also mentioned that some kids at school teased him and laughed at him because he performed as “Elvis” - but it was all worth it just to be on LadyLuck Music. At that time I wrote back and said that I was sure Elvis had been teased at school too until the other kids saw “he was going places” - and to stick with it.
Well .....stick with it he did, and look what he’s been up to since November! He’s even going to be in a movie!! It’s time for a few updates.......
Since November, Paul has continued with his vocal coaching ...he also studies karate quite seriously (and finds that this helps him with his terrific Elvis “moves”). He works very hard at being an ETA and strives to portray an authentic tribute to Elvis. He also looks up to many of the ETA’s he’s seen and appreciates the help and support of award-winning ETA’s such as Anthony Von and Kevin Mills, among others.
Paul has also been one busy person with a performance schedule that has taken him to a variety of venues, including hotels, convention centres, and theatres in and around the Toronto area. He has appeared in several “legends type” shows and performs regularly at weddings, anniversaries, conventions, and fundraisers. He has also appeared on a Toronto TV program (Breakfast Television) 3 times and was a runner up in a “Star Search” contest....competing against many adults. Last month, Paul performed at a LadyLuck show in Montreal with ETA’s Anthony Von and Ron Starr.
And....recently, Paul auditioned for a part in a Hollywood feature film and landed a (non-Elvis) role as the son of a mobster in the movie "Crime Spree" which began production in June. The movie will star Harvey Keitel (Pulp Fiction), Gerard Depardieu (Green Card), and Johnny Hallyday (a French singer/actor who, in the early and mid-60's was a major rock star ... billed as the “Elvis” of France). I asked Paul to tell me a bit about his movie experience and this is what he said:
“One of my greatest experiences was when I met Harvey Keitel and he said, ‘Hey, the way you reacted to that last scene was good..you’re a good actor.’ Later on, when I went to his trailer we talked about Elvis..Harvey played him in a movie called ‘Finding Graceland’. He also told me that he filmed the movie right inside Graceland..the first time a movie had been filmed right in the house. It was really great being involved in the movie ‘Crime Spree’..they were all great people.”
Upcoming plans, after the movie shooting is finished, include performances at the Collingwood, Brantford, Brampton, and Michigan Elvis Fests, a “legends” show in Pittsburgh, and entering the Images of The King Contest in Memphis. Paul is also auditioning for more acting roles.
Here are a few more words from 13-year old Paul...about his performing career..and about Elvis.
“In a way I like to think of my career as the same as Elvis’ career. I’m not just a ‘one-talent person’.....I have other talents and options. It is hard to do some performances. Sometimes I’m sick, but I do it for Elvis, I do it for the fans, and I do it because I just like Elvis. One memory I have of the great fans is from when I was performing at a show in Toronto and during my last song (Can’t Help Falling in Love) the sound system shut off..instead of the performance being ruined, the crowd sang the last verse with me. I think that this shows that Elvis was priceless. He wasn’t just a singer..he was an actor, a father, a role model, a performer, and most of all a legend who will live on throughout the ages. Even though Elvis is dead, he lives on in our hearts.”
Well...I would guess that the kids at school would be pretty impressed by now (in fact, I hear Paul has become a bit of a mini-celebrity now that he will be in a Hollywood movie)....Way to go, Paul!! Congratulations on your recent achievements.....your hard work and perseverance are paying off.......and we’ll look forward to more “updates” in another few months!!
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