He’s paid his dues in blue suede shoes. The title of Darren Lee’s autobiography has practically written itself. But the Edmonton-born Elvis tribute artist, who now calls Langley home, has a few more chapters to live, before he finally sits down to pen the story of his life.
So far, it is one that’s taken him from chilly northern Alberta to the scorching Nevada desert. And, if all goes as planned, it will carry him to the end of his days in a tropical-island paradise.
Lee spent 11 exhausting years appearing on stage as Elvis in a Las Vegas showroom and performing 50 weddings a month in one of the city’s famous little wedding chapels.
And prior to that (in 1997 – on the 20th anniversary of Elvis’ death, in fact) he earned the title of world’s best Elvis tribute artist from among 397 competitors at the Images of Elvis contest in Memphis, Tenn.
From 2000 to 2011, Lee performed as part of the American Superstars show at the Stratosphere on the Vegas strip. In fact, his was the longest continuously running Elvis act in Sin City until recently.
On Dec. 1 Lee, along with his wife and two year old twin daughters are moving to Maui Hawaii to open a show at the Maui Theater. The Show is called Burn’n Love and it is a tribute to Elvis in Hawaii.The show features the music from the movies, and concerts that Elvis performed during his visits to the islands. The show runs four days a week starting on Dec. 20.
Somewhere along the line Darren will begin writing his autobiography which ironically will be titled “I’ve Paid My Dues in Blue Suede Shoes.”
Lee will be in Campbell River on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Tidemark Theatre. Tickets are $38.50 plus tax.