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Jamie Aaron Kelley performed his first Elvis impersonation on stage when he was 11 months old. He wore a specially made jump suit that snapped open in the back so his mother could change his diapers.

“I just kind of waddled on and waddled off and that was it,” Kelley said. “They (his parents) figured it would be a cute thing to do once or twice. They had no idea what they were starting.”

Since then, Kelley, who lives in Boone, Iowa, has appeared in Memphis for the past 19 years. In addition to his shows at the Grand Casino, he was the star attraction at the annual Save the Shell concert at Overton Park Shell Wednesday night. He has headlined all three Shell concerts.

He recently released a CD, Unfinished Business, featuring The Jordanaires, Boots Randolph and D. J. Fontana.

Kelley, 22, began singing Elvis songs professionally at age 3 with his father, who was an Elvis impersonator. “I memorized the ‘77 version of Are You Lonesome Tonight, where he’s messing up the words and messing around just for fun. I knew that and some of the other ones when I was 3 or 4 years old.”

Elvis is his main idol. “My two favorites throughout my life, but especially then, were Elvis and Superman because they looked like each other. Elvis in ‘68 would have made a great Superman.”

Kelley was nicknamed “Elvis” in high school. “They made fun of me until they found out what I make.

“In 1999 I set a world record. I sang every song Elvis ever recorded - roughly 790 songs - from memory. It took me 13 days, about six hours a day.”

Kelley’s speaking voice is amazingly like Elvis’s. “I’ve been doing it so long it’s just kind of there. It’s not something I can change. I can try to turn it off, but it’s not natural.”

His mannerisms also are similar to Elvis. “I bite my cuticles. It’s a bad habit. He bit his nails. Nails are too tough.”

During the interview, Kelley was dressed as the 1950s Elvis, but he didn’t wear vintage clothes; he wore clothing Elvis probably would have picked out if he were alive today. Kelley wore a pair of black slip-on shoes, gray socks with a design on them, black slacks and a gray shirt. “This pattern reminds me of a pattern that Elvis had on one of his shirts. I was like, `Hey, I like that.’”

He also wears vintage clothes and numerous outfits, including jumpsuits, his grandmother makes for him.

“My hair style will change from day to day. I’ll be in a ’70s mood and I’ll do my hair that way.”

He likes peanut butter and banana sandwiches (”They’re the best breakfast food,”) but for the most part his taste in food is different from the King’s. Kelley doesn’t like spicy food. And he likes his steaks medium rare. “Elvis was like, `I’m not ordering a pet. Burn it.’”

Why Elvis? “He was the only star who had everything. He had a look, a feel, a sound, charisma. I don’t know anybody else who had that stuff.

“He was the greatest cultural funnel ever. He took everything and just galvanized it.”

Kelley feels he has a responsibility as an Elvis impersonator. “There are people who go to concerts who know nothing about Elvis. So, they go to a concert thinking, `Oh, yeah, this is all a big freak show.’ And they go see a guy who is a big freak show and they go home thinking. `Yep, I was right. I don’t need to see another of these things.’ They’ve just been ruined because of that performer.

“I take my shows so seriously. I want to give the most positive but truthful image I can give.”

Kelley described his new CD as “an album of songs that Elvis didn’t do, but would sound good in that kind of vein.”

The album spans 1956 through 1969. Songs include Charlie Rich’s I Don’t See Me in Your Eyes and Pat Boone’s Don’t Forbid Me.

Kelley told Ray Walker, The Jordanaires bass player, what type album he wanted to make. “I didn’t want to record it the way they record most albums today. Most albums today you start with a click track and everybody puts a part in. I wanted to do it the old way. Everybody in the room. He said, `It’s not gonna be cheap.’ I said, `I know it.’ It wasn’t.”

When people tell him, `Do your own thing,’ Kelley responds, “Elvis was the biggest in the world. I don’t care where you go, the shadow is there. If you’re going to be under anybody’s shadow, there’s no better person in the business.

“But when the day comes and I’m doing shows of my own and somebody yells out, `Hound Dog!’, I’m gonna do it. I would not hesitate.”

Jamie Aaron Kelley performs three one-hour shows beginning at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays through Aug. 24 on the floor at the Grand Casino in Robinsonville, Miss. No cover charge. Call: 1-800-WIN-4-WIN.

Michael Donahue can be reached at 529-2797.