Elvis sighting.

• Author: BRONIKOWSKI, LYNN
• Position: Elvis impersonator Charles King - Brief Article

CHARLES KING MAKES A LIVING AS THE KING

Charles King didn't even know who Elvis Presley was 12 years ago when -- fresh out of Estes Park High School -- he joined the Navy and was stationed as an aviation structural mechanic at the Naval Air Station in Memphis.

Today the Denver native and fourth-generation Coloradan makes his living as an Elvis impersonator, keeping alive the legacy of the king of rock 'n' roll, who was born 66 years ago this month.

King has played such high-profile gigs as a fund-raiser for Bill Clinton at the Colorado Governor's Mansion, the Colorado Avalanche's Christmas party, a private party for ZZ Top in McNichols Arena, and in Las Vegas. He holds the distinction of being the only Elvis impersonator to play at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, where Lucent Technologies hosted a party. In 1992, he took first place in the prestigious Elvis impersonators contest held annually at The Americana in Memphis.

"My entire family loves music. I grew up on classical music, Neil Diamond, and started musical comedy at age 4, playing in the musical George M with the Original Scene Theater troupe in Denver," said King, whose full name is Charles King Byrne -- King being his mother's maiden name. "Then when I got to Memphis, I started hearing about this Elvis."

He rented videos, watched Elvis' moves, fell for his sound, and launched what would become a career. When he returned to Denver after his Navy stint, he started playing Elvis at Packard's, the l950s-style nightclub in Aurora. Today his job as an Elvis impersonator is full-time, performing...