Ron Tutor Jr.

Donning a wig of glorious black hair and a black leather suit Ron Tutor, Jr., 53, of Tinley Park, waits backstage for his father, who is impersonating the '70s era Elvis, to announce that young Elvis will now take the stage.

"I'm a nervous wreck before I go on," he said of his role portraying earlier-career Elvis. "But I put the wig on and the costume and I start to feel like the character. The audience knows you're not Elvis, but they appreciate you keeping his memory alive."

And if the typical crowd of around 200 people is lucky, they'll even be treated to a pint-sized Elvis tribute artist in Tutor's 11-year-old daughter, who adds an extra degree of cuteness to the show.

It's truly a family affair when Tutor's wife, Sharon, joins the team as a back-up singer.

From the energetic, early Elvis performing songs, such as "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock" to the love ballads of later Elvis, such as "The Wonder of You" and "You are Always on my Mind," crowds can't help falling in love with the family of Elvises.

It all started 15 years ago when Tutor's father, Ron Tutor Sr., 77, of Oak Forest dressed up as Elvis for Halloween while working as a hair stylist.

Both Tutors are hair stylists and own Salon Studios in Orland Park.

A woman in the salon happened to work for the Miss Teen Illinois Pageant and liked what she saw in Tutor Sr.

She asked him if would consider performing in the pageant while the girls changed their outfits.

A native of Mississippi, Tutor Sr. still carries some of his Southern accent and even sounds like a dead ringer for Elvis.

His show in the pageant was a hit, and Tutor Sr. was offered more gigs. He soon enlisted the help of Tutor Jr. in preparing the songs during performances.

Many of their audience members are baby boomers who remember Elvis, but the Tutors are pleased that more and more younger people are coming to the shows.

Tutor Sr. said many remember Elvis as a good kid with good manners as one finds in the South.

"He stood humble and people loved that," he said.