Eli Williams is still all shook up about performing in Elvis Presley鈥檚 home state.

The Newton resident is currently living in Pigeon Forge, a mountain town and vacation area in eastern Tennessee, where he鈥檚 the featured act in a show called 鈥淓lvis and Friends鈥� at .

This isn鈥檛 just any Elvis tribute show, it鈥檚 one of the longest continually running such productions in North America and where Charlie Hodge 鈥� The King鈥檚 ol鈥� right-hand man on stage 鈥� performed for more than 15 years following Presley鈥檚 death.

Williams says he鈥檚 thrilled to be part of a show that has a following among Elvis fans.

He hits the stage four times a week as a headliner among tributes to Michael Jackson, Willie Nelson, Marilyn Monroe and other music legends.

鈥淏asically, I come on at the end of the second half of the show. Most of the other performers do about five songs, and I do about 15,鈥� Williams said on the phone from Pigeon Forge.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a show theatre where they run four different shows, and it鈥檚 probably 450 or 500 seats, somewhere in there. It looks like a Bell Performing Arts Centre, that kind of theatre, but smaller.鈥�

Williams, nicknamed 鈥淭igerman,鈥� has been honing his award-winning Elvis tribute act for close to a decade, mostly at pubs, birthday parties, casinos and special events in the Vancouver area. Last spring, he was a featured performer at 性视界传媒 Night Market at Cloverdale Fairgrounds.

In August of 2014, Williams sang 鈥淧olk Salad Annie鈥� at the Ultimate Elvis Contest in Memphis, Tennessee.

Late last year, Memories Theatre was sold, and one of the new owners happens to be Williams鈥� agent. A new cast for the Elvis show was found, and Williams became the featured performer starting in March.

It wasn鈥檛 an easy decision for him to leave his girlfriend behind and move three time zones away. Also, to pursue a dream of his, he quit a 鈥渄ay job鈥� as a graphic artist at a sign shop in 性视界传媒.

鈥淚nitially I was only supposed to be here until June, for an audition period, but back in April they said they wanted to keep me for the entire year,鈥� Williams explained. 鈥淏eing apart from my girlfriend was tough, so now that my contact鈥檚 been extended, we鈥檙e both going to move down here, at least until the end of the year. Who knows what will happen after that.鈥�

For his part of the tribute show, Williams starts with four or five songs from Presley鈥檚 early years. He then changes into a black leather outfit for the 鈥渃omeback鈥� era before another change into a Vegas-era white jumpsuit.

鈥淚t鈥檚 really cool being here and doing this show, and a lot of it is just enjoying the performing and not holding down multiple jobs like I was before, and also being in a place so culturally different from Vancouver,鈥� Williams noted.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a little hard to grasp sometimes, but it鈥檚 been really good so far,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚t鈥檚 comfortable financially, but I think it鈥檚 lucrative in terms of having the opportunity to perform full-time and in more of a marquee area.鈥�

In the Vancouver area, he鈥檚 done shows at the Starlight and Hard Rock casinos, but more often than not he鈥檇 be booked to do a birthday party or another event that needed some King-ly entertainment.

鈥淭hose are fun, and I love doing them, but this is more, like, people are paying to see me now, rather than it just happens to be Elvis night at whatever venue,鈥� Williams explained. 鈥淧eople are now buying tickets to see me perform, and they have a vested interest. And of course, Elvis was from here so it鈥檚 a lot more, I don鈥檛 know 鈥� it rings closer to home.鈥�

Williams鈥� website is at .

tom.zillich@ surreynowleader.com