Honoring The King × A Portrait Of An Elvis Tribute Artist By David Cohea and Barb Oates, ReMIND Magazine More than any other, it is the Elvis tribute artist (or ETA) who keeps the Elvis Presley flame burning for his fans, preening rockabilly pompadours, suiting up in flashy jumpsuits and warbling notes with a yearning sneer. At the time of the King’s passing in 1977, there were about 170 performers of Elvis tributes; today there are an estimated 400,000, and they are found across the globe. (There are even a few female ETAs.) Some have turned their tributes into lucrative careers — a top-tier Elvis tribute artist can command a considerable fee for a performance.