‘The King’ is gone, but not forgotten
Musicians mark anniversary of Elvis’ death with tribute
BY KAREN E. BOWES
Staff Writer

KAREN BOWES A life-size cardboard cut-out of Elvis Presley in a gold suit greeted visitors at Espresso Joe’s coffee shop on West Front Street, Keyport, on Sunday.

KEYPORT — Keyport has a new king.

Twenty-eight years after his death, Elvis Presley fans continue to pay tribute to the man they call “the King.”

At Espresso Joe’s coffee shop on West Front Street, musicians and fans came together on Sunday to mark the anniversary of the legend’s demise.

“He changed music,” said Shaun Cooney, lead singer of The Blue Suede Bombers. “In the early ’50s, he mixed gospel with R&B, which a lot of people didn’t do. It was very segregated. You didn’t mix the two.”

KAREN BOWES Elvis’ favorite sandwich was on the menu during a tribute concert at Espresso Joe’s coffee shop.

Cooney’s band played only Elvis tunes on Sunday, delighting the crowd with many of the legend’s early hits.

“Normally, we play as an original band,” said upright bassist Tim Finan. “We did this because we really like Elvis and we thought it was a cool thing to do.”

The band considers itself a rockabilly trio, a mix of hillbilly and ’50s-style rock and roll.

KAREN BOWES Doug Lane (L) and Jon Caspi (R) played Elvis tunes at Espresso Joe’s coffee shop in Keyport in honor of the 28th anniversary of the legend’s death.

“It’s a very grassroots playing style,” said guitarist Bill Gleason. “Elvis, he’s a little bit of both rockabilly and rock ’n’ roll.”

The Blue Suede Bombers made the trip from North Jersey, but were followed by hometown musician Jon Caspi.

“Why wouldn’t I love Elvis? He’s got it all,” Caspi said. “He can sing. He can dance. He’s the ‘King.’ When he hit the scene, nobody had ever seen anything like that before. That’s why the women went crazy.”

Wearing an Elvis medallion and ring, Caspi, along with guitarist Doug Lane, played a mix of Presley’s early and late hits.

“I grew up listening to the new resurgence of rockabilly,” said Lane, who accompanies Caspi in an original band called Phon-Z.

In between songs, Caspi quizzed the audience on their Elvis trivia.

“What Elvis song inspired a line of shampoo products?” he asked. The answer: “Teddy Bear.”

Another bit of trivia: Elvis’ middle name, Aron, is spelled as Aaron on his grave.

“That’s part of the speculation why he’s still alive,” Caspi said.

Caspi said he became an Elvis fan in college, collecting clippings from tabloids like The Weekly World News.

“We had an Elvis shrine in our dorm room, stuff like, ‘Elvis lives on Mars,’ ”Caspi said.

Of course, there are those who believe he never left Earth.

“Do you think he’s really dead?” asked Cooney.