About ELVIS AARON PRESLEY JR
The Performer
Fairplay Country Music’s 2023 Entertainer of the Year, Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. is an internationally acclaimed recording and concert artist whose powerful voice, charismatic stage presence, and natural resemblance to “The King” have captivated audiences for decades. His ability to combine music, storytelling, and an authentic appreciation for Elvis Presley’s legacy has made him one of today’s most distinctive entertainers.
His recording career has earned 1 Multi-Platinum Record, 18 Platinum Records, 10 Gold Records, five #1 hits on the Nashville Top 40 Indie Chart, a #1 Gospel single, and a Video Music Award. In 2024, he was an Official Nominee in 13 Fairplay Country Music categories, including Entertainer of the Year and Best Male Voice, reflecting the continued respect of both audiences and the music industry.
Beyond the stage, Elvis Jr. has spent more than thirty-five years preserving the legacy of Elvis Presley. As founder and curator of The Memphis King Touring Museum, he oversees one of the world’s largest private collections of Elvis Presley memorabilia. The collection was exhibited for eighteen years as The Elvis Presley Museum in Niagara Falls, Canada, attracting visitors from around the world. It has also been featured at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE)—Canada’s largest annual fair—Paramount Canada’s Wonderland, one of Canada’s premier theme parks, Memories Theatre in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, home of the celebrated Elvis & Friends Museum, and Dreamland Museum in Ohio. The collection later toured extensively as the acclaimed 53-foot mobile museum “The Private Collection of the King on Tour” and today continues that legacy as The Memphis King Touring Museum, bringing one of the world’s premier Elvis collections to audiences throughout North America.
Throughout his career, Elvis Jr. has worked with respected entertainment professionals, including John Stuart, creator of Legends in Concert, and the late Seymour Heller, Liberace’s longtime manager and a close friend of Colonel Tom Parker.
As both an award-winning performer and curator of one of the world’s most significant private Elvis Presley collections, Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. offers audiences a unique entertainment experience, celebrating not only the music of Elvis Presley but also the history and enduring legacy of one of the world’s greatest entertainers.
________________________________________
The Story Behind the Name
Behind every performer is a story. For Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr., that story is as remarkable as the career itself.
According to family accounts, Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. was born on December 24, 1961, in Gary, Indiana. He is the son of legendary entertainer Elvis Presley and actress Angelique Pettyjohn, who appeared in the Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii.
At the height of Elvis Presley’s international fame, Colonel Tom Parker reportedly feared that news of a relationship, marriage, or child could create a Hollywood scandal capable of damaging Elvis’s rapidly expanding career. Under tremendous pressure to avoid public controversy, Angelique Pettyjohn chose to keep her pregnancy private. While she refused suggestions that she terminate the pregnancy, she agreed to give birth in secrecy and place her newborn son for adoption, shielding Elvis from intense public scrutiny during one of the most important periods of his career.
According to family history, Colonel Parker, himself an orphan who had been adopted by a circus family, searched for a suitable adoptive family. His search led him to a young Yugoslavian circus couple known professionally as The Vargas, then touring North America with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Unable to have children of their own, they welcomed the infant into their family with the understanding that his biological identity would remain confidential until he reached adulthood. According to family recollections, Angelique’s final request was both simple and unforgettable:
“Take special care of this boy; he belongs to Elvis.”
Two conditions accompanied the adoption: the identity of the child’s biological parents would remain confidential until he reached the age of twenty-one, and the adoptive family would never seek financial support or compensation from the Presley family. Both promises were faithfully honored.
With the adoption complete, the child—originally named Phillip Stanic—grew up immersed in the colorful world of the circus. Surrounded by performers, animals, and traveling shows, he developed an early love for the stage.
At just five years old, he made his first appearance as a circus clown under the guidance of renowned performers Blinko and Gene Randall. As he grew older, his interests expanded to animal training, and by the age of fifteen he had become one of the world’s youngest wild animal trainers.
Known for his gentle methods, he trained exotic cats without the use of whips, chairs, or cages. His animals appeared in national television commercials, including campaigns for Kit Kat chocolate bars and Cougar Lincoln-Mercury automobiles, and were featured in the films Sahara and Cat People.
At sixteen, another gift emerged—one that would ultimately define the course of his life. Phillip discovered he could sing. Balancing life between the circus and the stage, he performed in clubs and showcases at night while continuing to work with his animals during the day.
The Legacy
When Phillip reached the age of twenty-one, his adoptive parents honored the agreement they had faithfully kept for more than two decades and revealed the identity of his biological parents. The revelation forever changed the course of his life. Until then, he had known only the loving family who had raised him and the extraordinary life they shared beneath the circus tent. Suddenly, he was faced with a deeply personal truth that carried profound historical and emotional significance.
After considerable personal reflection, Phillip decided to publicly acknowledge the identity he had learned when he was twenty-one. On January 21, 1985, he petitioned a United States federal court for the legal right to assume the name Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. During the proceedings, documentation, sworn testimony, and supporting evidence from independent third parties were presented in accordance with the legal process. After reviewing the evidence—and with no objections filed during the hearing—the court granted the petition, legally recognizing Phillip Stanic as Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr.
Today, Elvis Aaron Presley, Jr. continues to captivate audiences through concerts, theatrical productions, symphony performances, and special appearances while preserving one of the world’s largest private collections of Elvis Presley memorabilia as founder and curator of The Memphis King Touring Museum. Together, his performances and museum celebrate the music, history, and enduring legacy of one of the world’s greatest entertainers, ensuring that future generations continue to experience the remarkable life and influence of The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.