PERSONAL: With no musical training, ‘Scottish Elvis’ wows audiences at Australia's annual Elvis festival

Record ID: 1897681

  • Title: PERSONAL: With no musical training, ‘Scottish Elvis’ wows audiences at Australia's annual Elvis festival
  • Date: 10th January 2025
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST "SCOTTISH ELVIS" ROSS CUMMINGS, SAYING: "And when I looked around I saw Indian Elvis, I saw a Kiwi Elvis, I saw all these different guys from different countries that were being Elvis and I thought 'Ah, I'm gonna do Scottish Elvis, why not?' Presley is one of the great Scottish names and you know Elvis' bloodline did come from Scotland in the 1700's." VARIOUS OF CUMMINGS APPLYING GLUE TO FOREHEAD TO HELP WIG STICK, SAYING (English): “With this new wig it's longer (takes longer) than the last wig. The last wig wasn't as long as this. I bought that wig secondhand from Damian Mullins. So it was obviously set up for his head. This is a tedious, hard process." CUMMINGS TAKING OFF JERSEY TO START APPLYING MAKEUP TO FACE AND CHEST (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST "SCOTTISH ELVIS" ROSS CUMMINGS, SAYING: "They're (family, friends) all cool now, all the jokes are over. My, my kids love it. We have a great laugh, we all sing and dance at home, my kids are fantastic. My wife she's very understanding and patient and supports me in kind of whatever I want to do so I'm very lucky in that regard. And yeah, all the boys at work, all the slaggings (mockery) are over, they came to a couple of shows so they don't slag me anymore." CUMMINGS PUTTING ON WIG CUMMINGS ADJUSTING WIG (SOUNDBITE) (English) ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST "SCOTTISH ELVIS" ROSS CUMMINGS, SAYING: "But yeah, it's nerve-wracking, you want people to enjoy it and of course it's only human nature that you want people to I guess like you, or just enjoy your show and you know, so it's a bit nervous. You don't want to let anyone down, you don't want to embarrass yourself. It's hard enough putting on a wig and make up, you know, when you're not experienced at doing it."
  • Embargoed: 24th January 2025 08:52
  • Keywords: Australia Elvis Elvis Presley Elvis Tribute Artist Parkes Parkes Elvis Festival Ross Cummings Scotland Scottish Elvis
  • Location: PARKES, AUSTRALIA
  • City: PARKES, AUSTRALIA
  • Country: Australia
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Music
  • Reuters ID: LVA004220510012025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: With no musical training, ‘Scottish Elvis’ wowed audiences during numerous performances at the iconic Parkes Elvis Festival on Friday (January 10).
    Hailing from Greenock in Scotland, 40-year-old Ross Cummings was never a big fan of Elvis Presley, until he came to his first Parkes Elvis Festival in 2017.
    On that fateful trip, Cummings, a builder who runs his own businesses and now lives in Sydney with his wife and three children, fell in love with Elvis Presley.
    “The whole train journey back to Sydney I was basically watching Elvis YouTube clips and yeah from then I was just hooked, loved Elvis ever since then," Cummings told Reuters as he prepared for his performances.
    After finding out that Elvis’ bloodline goes back to 1700s Scotland and that Glasgow's Prestwick Airport has a plaque in honour of Elvis stopping there on his way to Germany with the army, Cummings says he had no choice but to create and wear tartan jumpsuits in memory of the King of Rock n Roll.
    “When I looked around I saw Indian Elvis, I saw a Kiwi Elvis, I saw all these different guys from different countries that were being Elvis and I thought 'Ah, I'm gonna do Scottish Elvis why not?' Presley is one of the great Scottish names,” said Cummings.
    And Scottish Elvis was born.
    Performing at his third Parkes Elvis Festival in 2025, Cummings says the hardest part is putting on his wig with glue and double-sided tape to help it stick to his scalp. And the second hardest part, the makeup.
    But Cummings adds that his workmates and friends have stopped the jokes about his Elvis Tribute Artist status.
    “All the boys at work, all the slaggings are over, they came to a couple of shows so they don't slag me anymore," said Cummings.
    With his voice and playful persona Cummings has gained many female fans during his attendance at the Parkes festival, with fans stopping him for photos as soon as he steps off stage.
    “I found him ultra-charismatic, and very friendly and very different. And he's very sexy and yeah there's just something about him,” said fan Marisa Hawkins from Adelaide, South Australia.
    For his part, Cummings says he still feels nervous before a performance but he loves to see people enjoying themselves.
    "Whether it's good, bad or indifferent I enjoy doing it… Why are you performing? You're not performing in the mirror, you're performing for people, so you want them to be happy and enjoying it," he said.
    The Parkes Elvis Festival runs for five days, coinciding with Elvis Presley’s birthday on January 8 and concludes on Sunday (January 12).
    (Production: Stefica Nicol Bikes)
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