The Beating Goes On

While some people find joy in being another person, I have found it to be a gilded cage.  Performers at large are easy prey for those with vampire personalities.  By vampire personalities, I am referencing those who feed off the talents of others while exploiting them for their own personal gain.

Yes, there are perks to being in a top impersonation show.  You make a good living for spending a short amount of time on stage.  You also get to bask in the wake of the real celebrity's fame.

Now, let's talk about the down side.   If you impersonate a character such as "Cher," it takes you over two hours to get into make-up, costume and wig.  Your make-up, costume and wig have a high dollar initial cost and a constant maintenance cost.  You have to diet and exercise all the time.  Since you are speaking and singing like someone else, your own voice gets jacked to the point of ruining it.  People look past you and only see another person.  You can sometimes lose yourself and your own talents.  You make other people a lot of money.  Those other people will usually play games with your head as a means of control.

Even with all of the down side to consider, it is still a much better way to earn a living than working four or five hour shifts in a lounge band.  Well, maybe not creatively speaking.  But, physically and financially speaking.

Looking back over the past twenty-something years of donning wigs, platform shoes and fake tattoos, I can honestly say I would have changed the way I did a few things.  Mostly, I would have found a way to create a better environment for my fellow impersonators so they would not have to come out the other side of their career with teeth marks on their necks.

If I sound bitter, please understand that I am both grateful and angry.  I'm grateful for the opportunity to have a better job than most.  I guess you'll have to read my blog to find out about the angry part.  I'll be filling you in on the roller coaster rides, the Nazi hotel owner, the nice producers, the not-so-nice producers, the crazy performers, the wanna-be performers, the amazingly talented performers, the divas, the audiences, the fans and more.  I'll recount stories, lament, vent and explore the age-old question, "To Cher or not to Cher."