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Known as Elvis Wade... Wade Cummins is a talented
and gifted entertainer. He was born in the Watts Hill area of rural
Tennessee, near the town of Mt. Pleasant. His father was a former moonshiner...and
they didn't have much money, although they were richly blessed with
a
musical form of folk art familiar in the south...the family circle..singing
and playing music together. Between Wade's mom and dad, they played
17 musical instruments. Elvis Wade was the youngest of 7 children and
inherited
their talents. Ironically, his first "professional" performances were
not long after he, like many, saw Elvis Presley perform live on the "Ed
Sullivan Show." At only 9 years old, Wade would accompany his proud
uncle to neighborhood taverns...and he would 'mimic' Presley for dimes
and
quarters from cheering customers and friends.
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Elvis Wade joined his first band playing rhythm
guitar when he was 13 and soon became their lead singer
playing the bass guitar. They became local favorites
playing Hops; and at 16, WADE AND THE NATIONALS performed in top night clubs.
Later, Wade performed with the show band LAFAYETTE AND LES SABRES and as
lead
singer with a powerful 4 octave range, did many vocal impressions on some
hot cover tunes of Gene Pitney, Tom Jones, Buddy
Holly, Roy Orbison, Gary Puckett,
Frankie Valli, and of course...Elvis Presley.
One night in 1968, during their performance,
Elvis Wade received a special request to perform "One Night With You." He'll
tell you sincerely, as a joke and much as he'd done when he was 9 years
old, he began his impression of Presley. I did all the hip shakin' and
everything, thinking I'd get a laugh, he says, "but they gave me a standing
ovation and yelled for more!"
The Elvis Wade show was soon transformed to
focus on the Elvis Presley image, much to the delight of many loving
audiences. He's been performing for Elvis fans ever since. Presley himself
saw the show in 1976 and gave Wade a standing ovation... One of only
two such ovations ever reported seen by Presley staffers.
The Elvis Tribute show has never ceased to
be in great demand, originating 9 years before Presley's untimely death
in 1977, and catapulted to even greater prominence since. Presley's step-mother
contacted Elvis Wade in 1984 and joined his "Tribute to Elvis" tour acting
as a font of knowledge for Elvis fans. "I recommend his show to
truly be the finest tribute to Elvis"... Dee Presley. In 1986, the
Jordanaires, Presley's longtime back-up vocalists for all of his live
performances, records and movies... and nominated for the Country Music
Association "Hall Of Fame" contacted Elvis Wade to perform
with them for an international tour. They performed together for over
12 years... breaking hearts and attendance records everywhere.
Elvis Wade has performed with some of the
country's premier symphony orchestras, setting attendance records with
his mind blowing presentation. What's it called? The Elvis Wade Symphony
Show.
Accompanied by a lush 56 piece ensemble,
experience the inspiring sound and excitment of Elvis Wade. As stated
by the Director, Presentations of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, "Elvis
Wade is a talented and genuinely dedicated artist who brought the music
of "The King" vividly to life."
Partial Credits
The Auditorio National - Mexico City, Mexico
The Tennessee State Fair
The Arkansas - Oklahoma State Fair
Hamilton Place Auditorium - Hamilton Ontario, Canada
The Jack Lawton Webb Convention Center - Joplin, MO
Six Flags Over Georgia - Atlanta, GA
Six Flags Over Mid-America - St. Louis, MO
St. Johns Memorial Stadium - St. Johns, Newfoundland
The Southwest Louisiana State Fair
Worlds of Fun - Kansas City, MO
The Birmingham Convention Center - Birmingham, AL
The Joe Louis Arena - Detroit, MI
Center 200 - Sydney Nova Scotia
Wembley Arena - London, England
The Jubilee Auditorium - Calgary Alberta, Canada
The Shooting Star Casino - Mahnomen, MN
The Imperial Show Room - Toronto, Canada
The Portland Memorial Coliseum - Portland, OR
Geneva, Switzerland
Saint Trope` - France
The Arena - Cornerbrook, Newfoundland
Tecumseh Park - Chatham Ontario, Canada
The Rebecca Cohen Auditorium - Halifax, Nova Scotia
Opryland - Nashville, TN
The Grand Theater - Sudbury Ontario, Canada
Performing Arts Center - Northbay Ontario, Canada
The Bangor Maine State Fair
SECC - Glasgow, Scotland
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