Only a handful of
Elvis Presley impressionists proved viable on the popularity charts:
Terry Stafford,
Ral Donner, and
Orion (aka
Jimmy Ellis), all of whom cultivated a sound-alike style that transcended mere influence and entered the realm of vocal impersonation. Sun Records' marketing of
Orion took the schtick one step further than
Donner and
Stafford did by implying that
Orion actually was
Elvis, who had (the story goes) faked his own death to escape the scrutiny of fame. It's unclear why
Elvis would go to such lengths only to re-emerge singing his old songs and looking exactly like his former self -- down to the sequined duds and pompadour hairstyle -- but wearing a Lone Ranger mask and using a different name. Nevertheless, that was the legend of
Orion, whose voice was so similar to
Elvis' that many wishful fans fully embraced the fanciful resurrection story.
Some Think He Might Be King Elvis is an anthology of
Orion's Sun recordings from 1972-1982 that includes a handful of previously unreleased cuts. During this period he graced the country charts nearly a dozen times with minor hits like "Rockabilly Rebel" and a cover of
Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," but only a few of
Orion's hits appear on the anthology. Most of the songs are
Orion's versions of classic rock & roll numbers like "Rockin' Little Angel" and "Peggy Sue," along with early-'80s ballads on which he sounds very much like
Elvis. The joy in
Orion's music, apart from indulging in the appealing fantasy that
Elvis didn't die, is the opportunity it affords to hear a good pseudo-
Elvis perform songs like
Bobby Mitchell's "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday" that sound like something the real
Elvis would have recorded.
Orion really does manage to recapture a little of the
Elvis magic, and he certainly rises to the top among the ranks of
Elvis impersonators who have made commercial recordings.
Elvis and
Orion enthusiasts wanting to dig even deeper into the
Jimmy Ellis experience can seek out Bear Family's four-disc
Orion box set,
Who Was That Masked Man?