There is only one Elvis tribute artist in history to have won five Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist awards at Graceland, the hallowed Memphis estate that remains the spiritual home of the King of Rock and Roll. That artist is Dwight Icenhower, a performer from Pomeroy, Ohio, who has spent three decades doing the near-impossible: making audiences forget, for the length of a show, that they are watching anyone other than Elvis Presley himself.
His voice has been mistaken for Elvis’s recordings. His stage presence has left lifelong Presley fans in tears. His mastery of every era of Elvis’s career, from the 1950s rockabilly rebel to the 1970s Las Vegas showman, is the product of a vocation that began at sixteen with a karaoke set at a local Ohio fair and has never stopped growing.
Born four years after Elvis Presley’s death in 1977, Icenhower grew up with the King through his mother, who played Elvis’s movies and Christmas albums while he was still a child. He aspired to be a high school band director and attended college briefly before his career as a tribute artist began to gain serious momentum.
Today he performs 150 to 200 nights a year across the United States, Europe, and Japan, has shared the stage with personal friends of Elvis including the Jordanaires and Joe Esposito, and is the subject of the documentary Dwight Icenhower: A Mile in My Shoes. In a field that is often underestimated, he stands in a category of his own.
Profile
| Stage/Brand Name | Dwight Icenhower, “The Cool Cat from Tennessee” |
| Birthplace | Pomeroy, Ohio, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Elvis Tribute Artist, Performer, Festival Producer |
Early Life
Dwight Icenhower was born in Pomeroy, Ohio, four years after Elvis Presley died in 1977. His mother introduced him to Elvis through movies and albums, particularly the Christmas recordings that were staples of his childhood home during the holiday season.
As a young man he was deeply involved in music more broadly, aspiring to become a high school band director and attending college with that goal before the pull of performing proved stronger. “I’ve always been involved in music,” he has said. “Mostly, my interests were to teach music.”
His eventual decision to commit fully to his tribute career, “Now while I’m young”, changed the trajectory of his life.
Education
Icenhower attended college with the aim of becoming a high school band director, a path he left when his tribute artist career began gaining serious commercial momentum.
His musical education has continued through decades of intensive performance and study of every aspect of Elvis Presley’s vocal technique, physical stage presence, and performance history.
He has described his career as requiring a level of preparation and commitment that rivals any formal conservatory training.
Career
Dwight Icenhower began performing Elvis at sixteen, singing karaoke at a local fair in Pomeroy, Ohio. The reaction was immediate, something in his voice, his presence, or both connected with the audience in a way that pointed clearly toward a professional direction. He devoted himself to mastering the full scope of Elvis’s career: the raw energy of the 1950s, the polished Hollywood recordings of the 1960s, and the operatic power of the 1970s Las Vegas era. Few tribute artists have taken on the challenge of all three periods; Icenhower commands each of them.
His competitive record is without parallel. He has won first place in over 75 tribute contests worldwide and is the only tribute artist in history to have won five Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist awards at Graceland, the annual competition sanctioned by Elvis Presley Enterprises and widely regarded as the highest accolade in the field. His consecutive wins in 2013, 2014, and 2015 set a record that has never been matched. These achievements gave him a global platform, taking his performances to England, the Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, and Mexico, as well as consistently high-profile US venues. He performs 150 to 200 nights per year, one of the most active touring schedules of any tribute artist in the world.
He has also worked as a festival producer, organising the “Shake, Rattle, and Soul” tribute festival at the 5,000-seat Robarts Arena in Sarasota, Florida, which ran for ten consecutive years and featured tributes to Rod Stewart, the Beatles, Queen, Elton John, and Elvis. His documentary Dwight Icenhower: A Mile in My Shoes brought his story to a wider audience. He has shared the stage with original Elvis musicians including the Jordanaires, the Sweet Inspirations, DJ Fontana, Charlie Hodge, Joe Esposito, Eddie Miles, and Duke Bardwell, a personal connection to the original Elvis world that few outside the inner circle can claim.
Awards & Nominations
- 5-time Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist, Graceland/Elvis Presley Enterprises, the only person ever to win this title five times
- 3 consecutive wins, 2013, 2014, 2015, an unprecedented record
- First place in over 75 tribute artist contests worldwide
Social Media
- Facebook: /dwighticenhower
- Instagram: @dwighticenhower
- Website: dwighticenhower.com
Personal Life
Dwight Icenhower is based in Florida. He is known among fans for his warmth and accessibility both on and off stage, qualities that contribute to the evangelical loyalty his global audience shows him. His most die-hard fans are concentrated in Florida, the Netherlands, Japan, Finland, Belgium, Sweden, and Ohio.
He has described his career as a “dream come true”, not just the performing, but the opportunity to keep the memory of Elvis alive for new generations.
Net Worth
Dwight Icenhower’s net worth is not publicly documented.
His income derives from performance fees for 150–200 shows annually, festival production revenues, merchandise, and international touring.
As one of the most in-demand Elvis tribute artists in the world, with a career spanning over three decades, his accumulated earnings represent a substantial self-built professional legacy.
Notable Works & Achievements
- 5-time Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist at Graceland (unmatched record)
- Over 75 first-place wins in tribute competitions worldwide
- Subject of documentary: Dwight Icenhower: A Mile in My Shoes
- Producer, Shake Rattle and Soul tribute festival, Robarts Arena, Sarasota (10 consecutive years)
- Performed with: DJ Fontana, Jordanaires, Sweet Inspirations, Charlie Hodge, Joe Esposito
- International touring: USA, England, Netherlands, Japan, Brazil, Spain, Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Finland, Mexico
- 150–200 performances per year
Conclusion
Dwight Icenhower’s five Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist titles at Graceland represent the highest achievement possible in his field, a recognition not merely of skill but of something closer to custodianship. What he does is technically demanding, emotionally complex, and culturally significant.
For audiences who loved Elvis, he offers the closest thing available to the experience of seeing the King live; for younger audiences discovering Presley through his performances, he is a living introduction to one of the most important artists in the history of popular music.
Three decades in, touring 150 to 200 nights a year, Dwight Icenhower shows no signs of slowing down. In the tribute world, there is no higher standard than the one he has set.