Clearance Giddens

Clearance Giddens is an African American Elvis impersonator from Melfa, Virginia, who has been billed as the "Black Elvis". He has appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and the Geraldo Show, and in the film Honeymoon in Vegas.[1][2] In the early 1990s, he also sang on stage in a duet with Jimmy Buffett singing "Jailhouse Rock".[3] He is listed in the book I Am Elvis: A Guide to Elvis Impersonators.[4][5]

Clearance Giddens
Birth nameClearance Giddens
Also known asClarence Giddens, Black Elvis
BornVirginia, United States
GenresRock
Gospel
Occupation(s)Painter, singer, Elvis impersonator
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1988 – present

Personal background

Giddens is a house painter by trade and had worked as a painter for Crutchley Enterprises in Virginia for years.[6][7] Some sources say he comes from Melfa, Virginia, but he actually grew up in Painter, Virginia which is a small town in Accomack County.[8][9] He comes from a devoutly religious family. He grew up being raised by his parents, with his mother being an old fashioned type of God fearing Christian. His first guitar came from his mother.[10] After he left school and to help support his family, he found work in the local fields.[11]

When Giddens began his Elvis act, and there was opposition in his family, especially from his mother because of it being too worldly in her view.[12]

Career

During the course of his career, he has appeared on shows such as The Arsenio Hall Show, Hard Copy, Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight, the Geraldo Show, and Howard Stern.[13]

Early years

His early influences are Elvis Presley, James Brown, Roy C, country and gospel music.[14][15] As a child, he saw Presley on black & white television and with Presley moving and singing the way he did, Giddens couldn't believe what he saw. he had never seen a white guy move like that before.[16] [17] His mother was a strict Christian and Giddens recalled having to hide in the closet while listening to some of Presley's more racey lyrics.[18]

Before Giddens started his Elvis act, he was a member of a gospel group called the Gospel Specials who sang with artists such as Al Green and Solomon Burke.[19] He is also credited as guitarist as well lead vocalist on two tracks by a group called Gospel Expressions who released an album, Good Times Bad Times.[20] After the gospel group broke up, his girlfriend at the time who was an Elvis fan gave him some encouragement. She liked hearing Giddens sing "Love Me Tender".[21]

His Elvis impersonating career came about in 1988 when at a dinner, a friend suggested he try doing an Elvis act at a diner in Onancock. What came about as a result, was him turning into a kind of phenomenon.[22]

1990s

He started to get serious about it in the early 1990s and started out with a Philadelphia-based backing band called The Flamin' Caucasians. He started getting bookings in Virginia Beach and then an article about him in Spin Magazine brought him national attention.[23] In 1992, he appeared in the film Honeymoon in Vegas that starred James Caan, Nicolas Cage and Sarah Jessica Parker. He played the part of Black Elvis.[24] Giddens was surprised with his rise to fame.[25] Like another African American Elvis impersonator Robert Washington, Giddens did quite well in appearances. He played the Elvis Impersonator circuit along the East Coast and made a living from it.[26] At one stage, his backup band was called The White Trash Band.[27] In June 1995, Giddens appeared at the Viva Elvis weekend. Giddens took to the stage, beginning his show with "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On".[28]

Not long after Giddens's rise to fame he discovered he was about to be a father again and was left with the choice of going out on the road or being a father so he chose the latter.[29]

Reaction

During the early 1990s when Giddens appeared on the Geraldo Show there were some mixed reactions. One member of the audience who happened to be black, verbally criticized Giddens for betraying his race by imitating a white entertainer. He said to Giddens that it was very disrespectful to them, meaning African Americans that he wasn't representing them by being someone he couldn't be. A white woman in the audience yelled out that Giddens has her vote and commended his performance and as a Black Elvis, she liked him. She also mentioned that Elvis dealt with a lot of black people. A white Elvis impersonator Russ Howe shook the hand of Giddens and said what he was doing was beautiful which was met by applause from the audience.[30]

2000s

On March 29, 2008, he was booked to appear at Quizzo Bowl IV, held at the Blue Horizon on 1314 North Broad Street, Philadelphia.[31]

In December, 2014, Giddens and backing group, billed Black Elvis and Snowflake appeared at a Christmas Party and Toy Drive at Little Italy, Nassawadox, Virginia.[32]

As of 2018, Giddens was making appearances at the Do Drop Inn restaurant and lounge in Franktown, Virginia.[33]

Recent activity

In late 2018, Giddens was one of a group of Elvis impersonators that were featured in Apple's Group Facetime Service commercial.[34][35]

Discography
EPs and albums
Title Catalogue Year Notes #
Jump, Shout, Scream 1993 [36]
Can You Feel the Flavor? 2009 As Black Elvis[37]

Filmography
List
Title Role Director Year Notes #
Viva Elvis - Channel 4 1×75 1991 Elvis Special, presented by Jonathan Ross Himself 1991 [38][39]
Honeymoon in Vegas Black Elvis Andrew Bergman 1992 [40]
Homicide: Life on the Street [41]

Stage
List
Title Role Director Year Notes #
Seoul House Delivery driver 1991 [42]

References
  1. The Free Lance Star August 15, 1991 Page 3, Scene, Elvis is everywhere Especially in Memphis, where wannabes compete by Woody Baird
  2. The Enquirer January 24, 1993 No Ordinary Hunka-hunka Burning Impersonator As Black Elvis, Singer Clearance Giddens Has Appeared On Tv And In A Recent Feature Film. By Cheryl Squadrito
  3. Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Saturday, February 9, 1991 Page 17, People, Pages/Elvis By Any Name
  4. Cherokee County Herald April 17, 1991 Page 3, Picking hits is science to trivia task Ethel Anne DeVare
  5. Am Elvis: A Guide to Elvis Impersonators Edited by Marie Cahill I am Elvis: a guide to Elvis impersonators
  6. Daily Press June 10, 1994 Elvis Has Left The Image, Well, Not Exactly, But Black Elvis Is Eyeing Nashville by Sam McDonald
  7. Crutchley Enterprises Meet the staff, Clearance (Elvis) Giddens Archived 2015-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
  8. Spin August 1989 Volume Five Number Five Page 65, Black Elvis by Mark Mobley
  9. Library of Congress Thunder Castle, State Route 607 vicinity, Painter, Accomack County, VA
  10. ABC 12 News Now December 19, 2014 Eastern Shore icon Black Elvis has 'one more tour left'
    Clarence Giddens, who earned fame as Black Elvis, is back on stage and performing after earning fame two decades ago in movies and on television Jennifer Cording, Eastern Shore News     Archived 2015-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  11. Elvis Information Network Eastern Shore icon Black Elvis has 'one more tour left'
  12. The Free Lance Star, Thursday September 22, 1994 D2 from page D1 Elvis
  13. Blue Virginia Monday, September 28, 2009 From the "Too Fun Not to Mention" File
  14. The Baltimore Sun September 16, 1995 Black Elvis: That's The Way It Is By Dail Willis
  15. Blue Virginia Monday, September 28, 2009 From the "Too Fun Not to Mention" File
  16. Secrets of the Eastern Shore, July 18, 2015 - Characters / Meet Black Elvis, the Pride of Itty Bitty Painter on Virginia’s Eastern Shore - written by Jim Duffy
  17. delmarva now, Dec. 18, 2014 - Va. Shore icon Black Elvis has 'one more tour left' - Jennifer Cording
  18. Secrets of the Eastern Shore, July 18, 2015 - Characters / Meet Black Elvis, the Pride of Itty Bitty Painter on Virginia’s Eastern Shore - written by Jim Duffy
  19. Spin August 1989 Volume Five Number Five Page 65, Black Elvis by Mark Mobley
  20. Discogs Gospel Expressions – Good Times Bad Times
  21. Eastern Shore Post, October 23, 2018 - Do Drop Inn Celebrates 50 Years of Lifting Spirits By Stefanie Jackson
  22. The Free Lance Star September 22, 1994 Elvis Noir, The King borrowed from black musicians; now a black singer's borrowing back by Michael Zitz
  23. The Baltimore Sun September 16, 1995 Black Elvis: That's The Way It Is By Dail Willis
  24. New York Times Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Acting credits
  25. Elvis Information Network Eastern Shore icon Black Elvis has 'one more tour left'
  26. Wounds of Returning: Race, Memory, and Property on the Postslavery Plantation Jessica Adams 51 - 52
  27. Santa Cruz Sentinel February 10, 1991 Page 51, Whoah! That Isn't Elvis
  28. The Virginian-Pilot, Sunday, June 4, 1995 - THOUSANDS SIGHTED HONORING THE KING AT VIVA ELVIS WEEKEND - BY BILL REED, STAFF WRITER
  29. ABC 12 News Now December 19, 2014 Eastern Shore icon Black Elvis has 'one more tour left'
    Clarence Giddens, who earned fame as Black Elvis, is back on stage and performing after earning fame two decades ago in movies and on television Jennifer Cording, Eastern Shore News     Archived 2015-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  30. Race and the Subject of Masculinities Harry Stecopoulos, Michael Uebel Page 205, All the King's Men
  31. Johnny Goodtimes Quizzo Bowl IV…It’s On!
  32. ABC 12 News Now December 19, 2014 Eastern Shore icon Black Elvis has 'one more tour left'
    Clarence Giddens, who earned fame as Black Elvis, is back on stage and performing after earning fame two decades ago in movies and on television Jennifer Cording, Eastern Shore News     Archived 2015-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  33. Eastern Shore Post, October 23, 2018 - Do Drop Inn Celebrates 50 Years of Lifting Spirits By Stefanie Jackson
  34. Shore Daily News, Dec 4, 2018 - Two Eastern Shoremen Make the National Media
  35. Local Scoop - Black Elvis scooped by Mark Atkinson
  36. The Free Lance Star September 22, 1994 - Elvis Noir, The King borrowed from black musicians; now a black singer's borrowing back by Michael Zitz
  37. Spotify - Can You Feel the Flavor, Black Elvis
  38. Channel X Viva Elvis Archived 2015-10-01 at the Wayback Machine
  39. Youtube Viva Elvis (1991)- Part 4 of 7 #Channel 4 UK#
  40. TV Guide - Honeymoon In Vegas, Cast
  41. The Baltimore Sun September 16, 1995 Black Elvis: That's The Way It Is By Dail Willis
  42. Los Angeles Times May 17, 1991 'Seoul House': Rap Opera to Social Commentary :
    Stage: Set in a Korean-owned store in a black neighborhood, the multimedia piece has found itself mirroring recent news events. by Diane Haithman
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