At Bangkok bar, 'It's like Elvis never died'

• Story Highlights
• Manuel Toiyibee impersonates Elvis 6 nights a week at Bangkok nightclub
  
• He previously worked in California as a bass player for a Thai Elvis impersonator
  
• He has been playing Elvis circuit in Thailand since 1989

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) -- You'll find no Heartbreak Hotel in Bangkok, but the spirit of Elvis endures in this cosmopolitan Southeast Asian capital three decades after the passing of the king of rock and roll.
Thursday marks the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death at age 42. But for many fans here, as elsewhere, it's not a time to mourn but to sing and dance.
Actually, Elvis is commemorated six days a week at Radio City, a popular bar and music haunt in Patpong, the city's famous tourist and red-light district.
Manuel Toiyibee is one of Bangkok nightlife's most magnetic draws, channeling Elvis through familiar spins, gyrations and finger snaps, luring tourists and locals alike.
"How can I explain it? I just love the music," said Nittaya Vatchpapchkiet, 35, an ardent Elvis fan, after one of Manuel's shows. "It's real rock and roll, and I come to Radio City whenever I want to hear it."
For over 10 years, Monday through Saturday, Toiyibee has slipped into one of his 15 1970s Elvis costumes -- all tailor-made -- coiffed his thick sideburns and greased his pompadour hairstyle, slid on the iconic chunky gold sunglasses and hit the stage to a roaring crowd.
Toiyibee, who made his pilgrimage to Graceland only three years ago, recalled what a sensation Elvis was even in Thailand in his prime.
"We listened to Elvis all day long 40 years ago," said Toiyibee, who declined to give his age but who is at least a decade older than his hero was when he died. "Even in Thailand, it was amazing. The Thai people will never forget him."
"It's like Elvis never died," he said as he twisted one of the bejeweled rings lining his fingers. "He has something that's hard to explain."
"He's almost more famous now," he said, noting that his tunes can still be heard on local radio.
Toiyibee felt destiny calling when as a child he first saw Elvis shuffle and sway in the 1958 movie, "King Creole." He practiced his idol's hip swinging, lip trembles and vocals -- though his command of English was then limited -- and headed to Hawaii where he saw Elvis work an adoring crowd in 1973.
Seeing Presley perform in his waning years was not what he had anticipated.
"The whole show, he was hardly moving at all," Toiyibee said flatly. "It wasn't what I expected after seeing him in 'Jailhouse Rock' or 'Loving You,' where he danced and shook."
"But it didn't matter. I love Elvis anyway, no matter what."
Moving later to Long Beach, California -- a major center for Southeast Asians in the United States -- he worked as a bass player for a Thai Elvis impersonator, gradually absorbing the tricks of the trade.
Toiyibee headed back to Thailand in 1989 and began working the surprisingly busy Elvis impersonator circuit, bringing with him the advantage of being able to pronounce his hero's lyrics as a result of living in the U.S.
Thai fans and visiting tourists embrace the Elvis anniversaries, when revues are staged featuring a variety of male, female and sometimes child Elvises strutting their stuff.
Toiyibee meanwhile keeps Radio City's patrons all shook up night after night.
"Suspicious Minds" unfailingly fires up the crowd to its highest pitch, while Toiyibee also plays "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", his favorite ballad as a child.
"Manuel keeps the house rocking," Kevin Wood, Radio City manager and the Elvis show's master of ceremonies, said loudly as the band warmed up minutes before a recent show. "People from all over the world know this place because of Manuel. It's built up a reputation because he respects Elvis and his memory."
"I love the audience ... everybody goes wild," Toiyibee said after a recent performance. "It makes me feel so great. They come up on stage and dance with me. It makes me want to come to work every night."

Foto..

Attached Images

art.elvis.ap.jpg (20.0 KB, 6 views)