Long live The King | Elvises compete in Surfside Beach

SURFSIDE BEACH -- Hips were moving, shaking and gyrating during the third annual preliminary Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest at Legends In Concert Saturday.

From gospel to rock and roll, there were 14 Elvises taking on the persona of "The King" vying for a spot to compete in Memphis, Tenn., in August during the 2010 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist contest.

Vince King of Pearland, Texas, won the night with his take on 1970s Elvis and the power ballad "Hurt." He won second place in last year's contest.

King, a full-time Elvis tribute artist with a following of about 300 fans, said he is an admirer of Elvis' vocal talent.

"One of the greatest joys I have is when people bring their children who are 14, 13 and 16," King said. "They get to know Elvis and what the big deal is all about."

Aside from King, the two finalists were Paul Hunt of Schenectady, N.Y., and Gino Minopoli of Toronto.

Belting out "Shake, Rattle and Roll," Minopoli, 30, got the crowd clapping along. Clad in a blue jacket, his shaking leg and low down shimmying won over the ladies in the crowd. Minopoli, a full-time Elvis entertainer who drove about 16 hours for the contest, grabbed the microphone stand and bent it all the way down, crooning out the chorus.

Minopoli said he considers himself more a performer than an Elvis impersonator.

"You are emulating one of the greatest entertainers in the world," Minopoli said. "You have to eat, sleep and live as Elvis. Fans take Elvis seriously. They will criticize you if you don't get it right."

Other impersonators juggle the duties of playing Elvis with a full-time job.

Grand 14 Cinema General Manager Duane Farmer of Myrtle Beach was a first-time participant in the contest.

"I wanted to come here and see how I would do against other Elvises," said Farmer, 49.

He said he has been a fan of Elvis since he was a young boy.

"When I was little, my mother took me to the drive-in to see an Elvis feature: 'Live a Little, Love a Little.' I thought he was so cool. He got all the girls."

Farmer started imitating Elvis at 14 and has been doing it ever since. He mostly does Elvis of the '50s and '60s.

"I am working towards my first jump suit," jokes Farmer, wearing what he called the '68 Comeback Special.

Elvis' jumpsuit days are filled with gospel songs.

Among the men sporting the jumpsuit were Eric Schneider of Newnan, Ga. Schneider has a day job with U.S. Homeland Security and spends his nights as Elvis.

During the contest he joked about the contrast between his sequined jumpsuit and his day-to-day attire. As a plainclothes law enforcement officer, Schneider said he usually tries to stay inconspicuous.

"This wouldn't be considered very plain," said Schneider.

He got into being an Elvis tribute artist in 2006, after watching a tribute show in Alabama with an Elvis impersonator as the grand finale. But he calls himself a lifelong Elvis fan.

"My grandmother would listen to his records. She would encourage me to shake a leg and sing 'Hound Dog.' One of my earliest memories is of doing 'Hound Dog' in the living room."

As winner, King will head to Memphis in August. The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis is the highlight of Elvis Week activities, which last year attracted more than 70,000 fans from all over the world.

The winner will receive a $1,000 cash prize and be eligible to compete for the coveted title of Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist of the Year.

Shawn Klush, who was the featured Elvis on the Myrtle Beach Legends Stage from 1997 to 2003, was the first winner of the Elvis week contest its first year.