The company that recovered the rights to the estate of iconic singer Elvis Presley demanded that the imitators of the late artist stop performing express marriages in the US city of Las Vegasbefore the avalanche of tourists who turn to them to carry out their marriage.
Authentic Brands Group (ABG), the firm that repossessed the rights to Elvis Presley’s estate in 2013, sent out dozens of requests last month that met strong resistance from impersonators, chapel owners and even the mayor of Las Vegas.
Every year, Thousands of tourists visiting Las Vegas turn to Elvis Presley impersonators for their express marriagesuniting the lovers of a day or a lifetime in “chapels”.
But that didn’t move the King’s Rights Society, which has required dozens of Elvis-themed chapels to cease operations or catch up on their obligations.
“Elvis Presley was for a long time domiciled in Las Vegas and his name became synonymous with marriage in Las Vegas,” Jason Whaley, president of the city’s Chamber of Marriages, which represents the prosperous industry, told AFP.
“The Las Vegas Marriage Chamber shares the concerns of many chapels and imitators whose very survival is at stake, as many of them are still struggling financially to recover from the hardships caused by the Covid-related closures,” Whaley explained.
ABG, which also controls the rights to Marilyn Monroe and Mohammed Aliaffirmed in a statement to local media that although he has “no intention of closing the chapels that offer Elvis performances”, it is his “responsibility to preserve his heritage in Las Vegas”.
Elvis-themed weddings or weddings performed by Elvis impersonators have been a lucrative activity in the city since the 1970s.
A formula that allows a couple to be joined by Elvis in the “Viva Las Vegas” chapel, aboard a 1964 pink Cadillac convertible, can cost up to $1,600.
According to the Las Vegas Marriage Chamber, the industry grosses about $2.5 billion annually.
Harry Shahoian, one of the many Las Vegas-based Elvis impersonators, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he officiated “22 ceremonies all day Sunday.”
