An
avid vintage rock and blues enthusiast, Fred has been an Elvis fan since the
King's passing in 1977. "My grandfather worked in a big band and was a good friend of Bing Crosby," Fred recalls. "Bing had passed not long before Elvis. My grandparents were miffed at the relative lack of media coverage Bing received compared to Elvis (being Sinatra fans, my parents abstained from the discussion). My grandparents' disapproval coupled with the onset of my teen years made me curious -- who is this guy who's so much more popular than someone my family thought was the greatest singer ever? To this day, I don't own a single a Bing Crosby recording
other than "White Christmas."While Fred's love of Elvis' music has resulted in numerous book, LP and CD purchases as well as a trip to Graceland, it wasn't until Halloween 2002 that he donned the jumpsuit for the first time. Entering the employee costume contest, Fred surprised co-workers by winning first place with his rendition of "All Shook Up". In December, Fred enjoyed his professional outings by performing at two holiday parties.
"It's just a great feeling to put on the costume, sing and connect with other Elvis fans," Fred says. "I hope to do a lot more of this."