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It warms the heart to see an ETA receive the respect
and appreciation he deserves. Some ETAs are blessed
more than others as their talent comes naturally, but
all ETAs are considered gifted when they pay tribute
to Elvis sincerely. One such naturally gifted ETA is
Doug Church - known the world over as The Voice Of
Elvis. When Doug graciously considered performing in
Montreal New Year's Eve in spite of his hectic
schedule, we were all elated! Invitations were sent
out and guests from not only Montreal, but parts of
Ontario and the U.S. couldn't wait to see him perform!
It wasn't just the fans who were eager to see Doug,
but Jimmy and I as well. Lady Luck (that's Jimmy and
I)and Doug hadn't worked together for a few years and
were anxious to share the stage again and very excited
to record a live album. Arriving with his lovely wife
Pam, Doug seemed to be signing autographs from the
second he got to the venue! Once settled in the
dressing room, after all the hugs and warm welcomes,
we got the show underway.
I couldn't finish getting the words out of my mouth! A
thunderous roar of screams and applause overpowered my
introduction to The Voice Of Elvis, setting a
magically exciting tone that would remain well after
the countdown of 2003! From the second he walked out
on the stage, Doug had to have felt how much that
crowd was going to appreciate his show and they didn't
let him down. Doug Church was absolutely incredible!
His reputation preceded him as the "voice" but on this
night the fans confirmed he will forever remain the
"Voice Of Elvis"!
Each song was executed with perfection, commanding
such attention and appreciation. The crowd was
awestruck. Doug seemed to reach into the audience's
heart, triggering emotions of an Elvis memory they may
have had tucked away in a special place. As I looked
out from the side stage, I noticed all eyes upon Doug
- I caught a glimpse of smiles, a waft of sighs and an
aura of happiness that filled the room. Doug sang
their favorite songs the way they expected - with the
voice of Elvis - even Doug's laugh sounded like Elvis!
He was just spectacular and boy did the fans enjoy
his talking with them. Of course the ladies swooned
as they took the scarves from his neck, of course the
men laughed at the women swooning, but what else is
supposed to happen at an Elvis show? The real treat
was listening to a tireless performance - every song
was so beautifully sung, it made many a tear fall and
gave many a tingly kind of feeling. No one could
resist the photo ops after the show either, heck,
there were so many flashes going off we couldn't see
for quite a while...then like magic....Elvis had left
the building!
Doug, we can't thank you enough for putting on such a
great show, hope we can do it again sometime. God
bless and keep you, adios my friend, Joanna
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