Member for Riverina Michael McCormack has attended the Parkes Elvis Festival every year since 2019 in his own custom-made costume. Photo: Michael McCormack.
Elvis Presley – The King – is a cultural icon.
Nearly 50 years after his death, the world is still fascinated with his mix of soul, gospel music and of course rock and roll. What you may not know is the Riverina has an Elvis super-fan of its own – none other than Member for Riverina Michael McCormack.
“I grew up on Elvis; my mother was a big, big, big fan and that love for him passed on to me,” Mr McCormack said.
“I remember growing up, our house would either have Elvis or Kamahl blaring. So the love for The King was instilled in me from a very young age, and at the end of the day who doesn’t love Elvis?
“People may say that they don’t know any of his music or they don’t like him, but as soon as he starts playing, you can’t help but sing along.”
As a self-proclaimed megafan, Mr McCormack is never shy of hitting the stage in his bright blue Elvis outfit to perform.
“When you have to sing it yourself, you form a lot more respect for those people who do get up on stage and perform. I think whenever I hit the stage, the crowd become more thankful for proper tribute artists and the real thing as well,” Mr McCormack joked.
“I actually sang (Can’t Help Falling in Love) at the National Party Conference in Tamworth (in 2023), and my daughter, who I walked down the aisle to the original song at her wedding, recorded me singing it and clipped it over her wedding video.
“She said, ‘I don’t think I’ll have memories of the actual walk down without listening to your voice.'”
Mr McCormack grew up listening to Elvis with his mother. Photo: Michael McCormack.
As with every Elvis fan, one event that gets pencilled into Mr McCormack’s calendar every year is the Parkes Elvis Festival.
Mr McCormack has attended the festival every year since 2017, believing it to be one of the country’s most unique events.
“I went in 2017 and ’18 in a rented suit, but I went in my own outfit for the first time in 2019 when I was deputy prime minister,” he said.
“My wife often reminds me that nothing she’s ever worn costs as much. Anyway, in 2019, as the deputy prime minister, I got up on stage in that outfit and sang Suspicious Minds with a tribute artist from America.
“The tribute artist made a joke and said, ‘I can’t believe I just sang Elvis with the Australian equivalent of the vice-president in front of 11,000 people.
“It goes to show, that Elvis is such a cultural phenomenon that even though he never performed outside the US, he speaks to so many different people in so many different parts of the world.
“To have an event like that in Parkes, which only has 12,000-odd people, draws 25,000 tourists. It really is quite special.
“This generation has the likes of Taylor Swift, who is undeniably a megastar, but Elvis was on another level.”
Loading ...
