Biography

For the past decade, Daniel Durston has studied both the person and the entertainer Elvis Presley was and still is.

Not only sharing a very similar upbringing from religion, music, family tragedies and lack of financial security, Daniel also shares much of the same ethnicity as Elvis Presley including his Native American blood descending from the surname Smith. All of which has helped Daniel understand and humanize the superstar to better connect to who he truly was.

Daniel had the honor of grasping just a bit more of what Elvis’ life was like with a visit to Tupelo, Mississippi encompassing the home in which Elvis was born, a stroll through Fairpark where the famous homecoming performance took place and even purchasing a guitar across the street at Tupelo Hardware, where Elvis got his first guitar.

In Memphis, Tennessee Daniel took the opportunity to absorb every bit of what the city had to offer in just 24 hours. From the surreal experience of walking through the very home Elvis spent the majority of his life, Graceland, to making his way over to Sun Studio where the true life event of “Million Dollar Quartet” had taken place. Singing “That’s All Right” on the very “x” Elvis stood, is one of Daniel’s most prized memories.

Daniel has had the highest honor of performing as Elvis Presley on some of the exact stages Elvis graced back in the 1950’s, most notably The Mosque, now known as The Altria Theater in Richmond, VA. where the famous photograph “The Kiss” was taken.

Taking the highest pride in portraying Elvis Presley on a professional level, each performance is garnered with a pre-show ritual of watching Elvis documentaries, listening to audio books and the teachings of Elvis historians to keep the early years of Elvis fresh in his portrayal. Each night he strives to present the person and the entertainer in the most genuine and authentic way possible, staying true to Elvis’ shy demeanor and his powerful, life changing stage presence.

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