Clearance Giddens

Clearance Giddens
Birth name Clearance Giddens
Also known as Clarence Giddens, Black Elvis
Born Virginia, United States
Genres Rock
Gospel
Occupation(s) Painter, Singer, Elvis impersonator
Instruments Guitar
Years active 1988 - present

Clearance Giddens is an Elvis impersonator from Melfa, Virginia. He is also African American and has been billed as the "Black Elvis". He has appeared on the The Arsenio Hall Show and the Geraldo Show. He also appeared 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]

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

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.[13] 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.[14]

His early influences are Elvis Presley, James Brown, Roy C, country and gospel music.[15][16]

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.[17] 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.[18] 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.[19] Giddens was surprised with his rise to fame.[20] 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.[21] At one stage, his backup band was called The White Trash Band.[22] 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.[23]

On March 29, 2008, he was booked to appear at Quizzo Bowl IV, held at the Blue Horizon on 1314 North Broad Street, Philadelphia.[24]

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.[25]

Reaction

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 direspectful 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.[26]

Recent activity

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.[27]

Discography

Filmography

Stage

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
  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
  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. ↑ '"Spin August 1989 Volume Five Number Five Page 65, Black Elvis by Mark Mobley
  14. ↑ Discogs Gospel Expressions – Good Times Bad Times
  15. ↑ The Baltimore Sun September 16, 1995 Black Elvis: That's The Way It Is By Dail Willis
  16. ↑ Blue Virginia Monday, September 28, 2009 From the "Too Fun Not to Mention" File
  17. ↑ 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
  18. ↑ The Baltimore Sun September 16, 1995 Black Elvis: That's The Way It Is By Dail Willis
  19. ↑ New York Times Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Acting credits
  20. ↑ Elvis Information Network Eastern Shore icon Black Elvis has 'one more tour left'
  21. ↑ Wounds of Returning: Race, Memory, and Property on the Postslavery Plantation Jessica Adams 51 - 52
  22. ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel February 10, 1991 Page 51, Whoah! That Isn't Elvis
  23. ↑ 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
  24. ↑ Johnny Goodtimes Quizzo Bowl IV…It’s On!
  25. ↑ Blue Virginia Monday, September 28, 2009 From the "Too Fun Not to Mention" File
  26. ↑ Race and the Subject of Masculinities Harry Stecopoulos, Michael Uebel Page 205, All the King's Men
  27. ↑ 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
  28. ↑ 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
  29. ↑ Spotify Can You Feel the Flavor, Black Elvis
  30. ↑ Channel X Viva Elvis
  31. ↑ Youtube VIVA ELVIS (1991)- Part 4 of 7 #Channel 4 UK#
  32. ↑ Rotten Tomatoes Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), Cast
  33. ↑ The Baltimore Sun September 16, 1995 Black Elvis: That's The Way It Is By Dail Willis
  34. ↑ 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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