By TANIA PHILLIPS
Pic: The queen of kings – Jacqueline Feilich.
Is it the King, is it a queen – no, it’s Jacqueline
Elvis tribute artists face the challenge of recreating a legend. The challenge takes a twist when the tribute artist is a female.
Jacqueline Feilich has been an Elvis fan since she was three years old. Her passion became her career in 2006 with her first professional gig in Las Vegas.
Jacqueline became a fulltime Elvis tribute artist in 2007. She sealed the deal by becoming the only woman ever to be selected to compete in the Elvis Presley Enterprises’ endorsed Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest later the same year. The event was held in Elvis’ Mississippi birthplace Tupelo, the competition was fierce but Jacqueline made the semi-finals.
Jacqueline is an accomplished singer and songwriter who chooses to perform only Elvis songs. She doesn’t pretend to be a man; she wears the costumes as a woman and sings in her own voice. Jacqueline says she doesn’t want her performances to be cheesy.
“A tribute artist plays herself while paying homage to someone,” she says. “Elvis was complimented by the few tribute artists who were around when he was alive. He encouraged them to keep their own personality in the act. I’m taking his advice; I incorporate some Elvis classics with some modern musical twists to attract a whole new generation to the King.”
Jacqueline released Viva Las Vegas and her double A-sided single Edge of Reality and If I Can Dream in 2007. In 2010 she released I Got A Feelin’ In My Body. All tracks plus her debut album Comeback were released to iTunes worldwide in digital format and to the Australian music market on CD.
Her celebrated She is The King show has shaken and stirred the entertainment scene. Word of this unique experience spread quickly and a strong cult developed in Australia and the USA. Jacqueline says the first time she showed up as a female tribute artist dressed in a bright pink jumpsuit it caused a stir.
“Nobody in the US knew what to make of me,” she says. “They were probably surprised Aussies knew who Elvis was since he never toured outside America. Being a female Elvis tribute artist is contentious but I am welcome in the Elvis community.” Jacqueline presents She is The King for corporate audiences, on cruise ships, on stage shows and festivals.
In January 2010, Jacqueline played to a capacity crowd of 3500 at the New South Wales Parkes Elvis Festival. Her proudest achievements include playing live at Graceland Crossing in Memphis during Elvis Week in 2007, 2008, 2009 and again in 2012 in honour of the 35th anniversary of Elvis’ death. Last year Jacqueline was an official judge and feature performer at the inaugural Sydney Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest.
Jacqueline will perform at Cooly Rocks On for the second time this year. She says she loves the festival. “It’s fantastic, I love rock and roll, I think it’s great that Australia has something like this,” she says. “I love the way everyone dresses up and gets into it but most of all I love that Elvis is in it.”
See She is The King at Breezes at Twin Towns Services Club and at Cooly Rocks On before Jacqueline heads off to Canada for the Collingwood Elvis Festival, the largest Elvis Presley Festival in the world. Keep an eye on the small screen, Jacqueline is auditioning for Australia’s Got Talent and that she certainly has. See www.coolyrockson.com for details.
