INDIANAPOLIS — Elvis Presley would have been 84 on Jan. 8, but his spirit lives on Indiana State Rep. Bruce Borders.
Rep. Borders says he started impersonating Elvis as a young kid while detassling corn during the summer.
“When I started doing Elvis out in the corn fields while I detassled corn, everybody would bribe me with pastry like Twinkies and Ho-Ho’s to sing more Elvis songs,” says Rep. Borders.
Rep. Borders says he was lucky enough to be at Market Square Arena on June 26, 1977 to see Elvis perform his final concert before his death.
“I got a ride with some friends of mine because my parents didn’t drive in the “big city” of Indianapolis. I snuck in my mom and dad’s movie camera and I have a couple rolls of movie film of his last concert,” says Rep. Borders, who also kept the ticket stub as a souvenir.
It wasn’t long after Elvis’ death on Aug. 16 1977, that Rep. Borders says he and a friend took a road trip to Memphis, Tennessee to Graceland. While there were there, they found out where Elvis’ father Vernon Presley lived, so they went to pay him a visit.
“I went over there and knocked on the door and, lo and behold, here comes Vernon Presley. A buddy of mine who was with me took photos of us together,” says Rep. Borders. Vernon Presley died on June 26, 1979, exactly two years to the day of Elvis’ final concert in Indianapolis.
Rep. Borders started performing as Elvis in the 1980’s, which led to guest appearances on “Late Night on David Letterman” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
In 1987, Borders was elected mayor of his hometown of Jasonville, Indiana, where he served until 1995. Borders was elected to the Indiana House of Representatives in 2004 and currently represents House District 45 which includes Greene, Daviess, Sullivan, Knox and Vigo Counties.
Rep. Borders says he may consider filing a resolution for Indiana to honor The King of Rock and Roll.
“I really do think we should do something honoring the fact that his last concert was here in Indiana,” says Rep. Borders.
Photos: Used with permission by State Rep. Bruce Borders / BruceBorders.com
