About ELVIS AARON PRESLEY JR
Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. is an international performer with platinum records, global acclaim, and a remarkable life story rooted in music, heritage, and enduring legacy. ...
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About
The Performer
Fairplay Country Music’s 2023 Entertainer of the Year, Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. is an internationally acclaimed recording and concert artist whose powerful voice, charismatic stage presence, and natural resemblance to “The King” have captivated audiences for decades. His ability to combine music, storytelling, and an authentic appreciation for Elvis Presley’s legacy has made him one of today’s most distinctive entertainers.
His recording career has earned 1 Multi-Platinum Record, 18 Platinum Records, 10 Gold Records, five #1 hits on the Nashville Top 40 Indie Chart, a #1 Gospel single, and a Video Music Award. In 2024, he was an Official Nominee in 13 Fairplay Country Music categories, including Entertainer of the Year and Best Male Voice, reflecting the continued respect of both audiences and the music industry.
Beyond the stage, Elvis Jr. has spent more than thirty-five years preserving the legacy of Elvis Presley. As founder and curator of The Memphis King Touring Museum, he oversees one of the world’s largest private collections of Elvis Presley memorabilia. The collection was exhibited for eighteen years as The Elvis Presley Museum in Niagara Falls, Canada, attracting visitors from around the world. It has also been featured at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)—Canada’s largest annual fair—Paramount Canada’s Wonderland, one of Canada’s premier theme parks, Memories Theatre in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, home of the celebrated Elvis & Friends Museum, and Dreamland Museum in Ohio. The collection later toured extensively as the acclaimed 53-foot mobile museum “The Private Collection of the King on Tour” and today continues that legacy as The Memphis King Touring Museum, bringing one of the world’s premier Elvis collections to audiences throughout North America.
Throughout his career, Elvis Jr. has worked with respected entertainment professionals, including John Stuart, creator of Legends in Concert, and the late Seymour Heller, Liberace’s longtime manager and a close friend of Colonel Tom Parker.
As both an award-winning performer and curator of one of the world’s most significant private Elvis Presley collections, Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. offers audiences a unique entertainment experience, celebrating not only the music of Elvis Presley but also the history and enduring legacy of one of the world’s greatest entertainers.
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The Story Behind the Name
Behind every performer is a story. For Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr., that story is as remarkable as the career itself.
According to family accounts, Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. was born on December 24, 1961, in Gary, Indiana. He is the son of legendary entertainer Elvis Presley and actress Angelique Pettyjohn, who appeared in the Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii.
At the height of Elvis Presley’s international fame, Colonel Tom Parker reportedly feared that news of a relationship, marriage, or child could create a Hollywood scandal capable of damaging Elvis’s rapidly expanding career. Under tremendous pressure to avoid public controversy, Angelique Pettyjohn chose to keep her pregnancy private. While she refused suggestions that she terminate the pregnancy, she agreed to give birth in secrecy and place her newborn son for adoption, shielding Elvis from intense public scrutiny during one of the most important periods of his career.
According to family history, Colonel Parker, himself an orphan who had been adopted by a circus family, searched for a suitable adoptive family. His search led him to a young Yugoslavian circus couple known professionally as The Vargas, then touring North America with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Unable to have children of their own, they welcomed the infant into their family with the understanding that his biological identity would remain confidential until he reached adulthood. According to family recollections, Angelique’s final request was both simple and unforgettable:
“Take special care of this boy; he belongs to Elvis.”
Two conditions accompanied the adoption: the identity of the child’s biological parents would remain confidential until he reached the age of twenty-one, and the adoptive family would never seek financial support or compensation from the Presley family. Both promises were faithfully honored.
With the adoption complete, the child—originally named Phillip Stanic—grew up immersed in the colorful world of the circus. Surrounded by performers, animals, and traveling shows, he developed an early love for the stage.
At just five years old, he made his first appearance as a circus clown under the guidance of renowned performers Blinko and Gene Randall. As he grew older, his interests expanded to animal training, and by the age of fifteen he had become one of the world’s youngest wild animal trainers.
Known for his gentle methods, he trained exotic cats without the use of whips, chairs, or cages. His animals appeared in national television commercials, including campaigns for Kit Kat chocolate bars and Cougar Lincoln-Mercury automobiles, and were featured in the films Sahara and Cat People.
At sixteen, another gift emerged—one that would ultimately define the course of his life. Phillip discovered he could sing. Balancing life between the circus and the stage, he performed in clubs and showcases at night while continuing to work with his animals during the day.
The Legacy
When Phillip reached the age of twenty-one, his adoptive parents honored the agreement they had faithfully kept for more than two decades and revealed the identity of his biological parents. The revelation forever changed the course of his life. Until then, he had known only the loving family who had raised him and the extraordinary life they shared beneath the circus tent. Suddenly, he was faced with a deeply personal truth that carried profound historical and emotional significance.
After considerable personal reflection, Phillip decided to publicly acknowledge the identity he had learned when he was twenty-one. On January 21, 1985, he petitioned a United States federal court for the legal right to assume the name Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. During the proceedings, documentation, sworn testimony, and supporting evidence from independent third parties were presented in accordance with the legal process. After reviewing the evidence—and with no objections filed during the hearing—the court granted the petition, legally recognizing Phillip Stanic as Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr.
Today, Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. continues to captivate audiences through concerts, theatrical productions, symphony performances, and special appearances while preserving one of the world’s largest private collections of Elvis Presley memorabilia as founder and curator of The Memphis King Touring Museum. Together, his performances and museum celebrate the music, history, and enduring legacy of one of the world’s greatest entertainers, ensuring that future generations continue to experience the remarkable life and influence of The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
Press
"Elvis Jr. has got a tremendous talent on his own...When we were at the Desert Inn Hotel in Las Vegas, the entertainment director said, "On the first time in with no publicity he outdrew every entertainer that had appeared at the Desert Inn three to one".
More Press
Press
Min-On Concert Association - Japan
"It has been a great pleasure for us to welcome you here again for your second performance tour which has successfully concluded in each city throughout Japan."
Dolores Fuller - Writer of 18 Elvis songs - Notarized Letter to Seymour Heller - manager of Liberace and Elvis, Jr.
"He is no imitator - he just naturally sounds a great deal like Elvis, Sr. He is an exciting entertainer with a charisma and style all his own. There is sheer magic in the way he establishes rapport with his audience."
Athlone News - Athlone, Cape Town, South Africa
"Cape Town audiences can look forward to a singing sensation with the arrival of Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. at the Baxter Concert Hall...He always thrills the audience with his visual and vocal characteristics of his father."
Liz Braun - The Toronto Sun
"Frankly, we're all shook up. This guy sings but exactly like Elvis the Pelvis himself."
Jake Woods - Agora
“The Meyer Theater was almost filled to capacity on a cold Saturday nite. People piled into the La-z Boy center to hear the classic tunes of the king of rock and roll. The ladies in the front row all reached to touch his hand…Elvis Jr. had scarves laid around his neck and he handed the scarves to the ladies in the audience who were almost fighting to get one. The son of Elvis rocked the Meyer Theater and brought another great show to MCCC as the crowd left in great spirits”.
David Selby - Lindsay Daily Post - Ontario, Canada
"Elvis Jr. keeps memory of the rock legend alive. People lined up outside in the rain, hours before the show started, to get front row seats."
Ian Starrett - News Letter - Belfast Northern Ireland
"Elvis Jnr's collection of memorabilia is believed by historians to be the best outside of Graceland...including his father's coveted 1955 Pink Cadillac and also a Stutz Blackhawk that once belonged to Dean Martin, a Las Vegas chum of Elvis."
Griffin Messer-Kruse - Toledo City Paper
“…the performer’s talent and ability to replicate his father’s music is undeniable. His concerts are a near-perfect recreation of a classic Elvis Presley show.”
Fox Detroit Staff
“Elvis Jr. Is back to the Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth by popular demand…the city of Frankenmuth is the most popular place to visit in the state attracting attracting 3 million visitors each year”.
Jane Harbidge - Evening Post - Bristol, England, UK
"His voice was on fine form - and so was his sense of humour. The audience of nearly a thousand fans at the city's Rainbow Club were delighted."
Kathy Horsky, Public Relations Manager with Boscov’s Department Store
“I think he’s awesome. I think he sounds a lot like Elvis Presley, Sr. And he’s a real people person”.
Ian Brown - The Globe and Mail - Toronto, Canada
"LIKE FATHER LIKE SON. The KING died but now it seems he may have left an heir apparent...He sounded uncannily like Elvis. The King's old magic was there."
Hans Van Willigenburg with Bobby Morris (Elvis' musical conductor) & Elvis Jr. - KRO Television Network (Netherlands)
"Elvis Jr. has got a tremendous talent on his own...When we were at the Desert Inn Hotel in Las Vegas, the entertainment director said, "On the first time in with no publicity he outdrew every entertainer that had appeared at the Desert Inn three to one".
Bill Mears - Las Vegas After Dark
"The Standing Room Only crowd applauds wildly as the Bobby Morris Orchestra begins playing "2001: A Space Odyssey"...An hour later, as he's taking his bows, you know you've just witnessed a true legend."
Alan Shackleton - Tribune-Focus - Ontario, Canada
"A group of screaming fans were satisfied as Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. evoked sounds and images of the King of Rock and Roll...The front of the stage was crowded with fans wishing to shake his hand or take home a sweaty scarf."
Bally's Las Vegas - Fun & Gaming
"Now, years after the King's untimely death, we are once again being treated to the inimitable talents of a unique performer. The heir and successor to the mantel of rock 'n' roll royalty - the son of the master - Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr."
Film Welfare League - Los Angeles, California
"Your performance at the Film Welfare League was electrifying and unequaled to anything the League has seen to date. The standing ovation was well deserved."
Influences
Elvis Presley