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Kevin Doyle - Biography

"If there is such a thing as method acting in singing roles then Doyle has almost perfected it." - The Examiner Is there such a thing as being born to play Elvis? Kevin Doyle first learned of Elvis' music at age five, listening in his mother's car to a cassette of one of the King's landmark live performances in New York's Madison Square Garden. 'I was always aware of the impact that particularly the Madison Square Garden concert (recorded in 1972) had on me,' Kevin recalls. Fast forward to March of this year: Kevin found himself on stage in front of three of the musicians who provided the backing for the King at that very concert in New York. Drummer Ronnie Tutt, bassist Jerry Scheff and pianist/arranger Glen D. Hardin joined Kevin and his 'Way it Was' Orchestra for two concerts in the Red Cow Hotel, Dublin. These three musicians were key players in the TCB, or 'Taking Care of Business Band', who performed with Elvis from 1969 to 1977. It was a dream come true for Kevin, who relished this chance to actually walk in the King's shoes.

A native of Lucan on Dublin's west side, Kevin runs the family firm, K. Doyle greengrocers in Ballyfermot, a long standing business in this part of Dublin. His musical career began in the late 1980s playing drums in a local soul band, many of whose members still play in 'The Way it Was' Orchestra, as featured in 'The Elvis Presley Story.'.

Throughout the 1990s, the band went through lineup and name changes and at one point found itself without a lead singer. Encouraged by his bandmates' support, Kevin found himself called upon to take some of the singing duties and stepped out from behind the drumkit to take centre stage as full-time singer.

'I thought all I would have to do was sing the songs,' Kevin explains. 'When you're the lead singer, you're not just singing the song, you're the link between the audience and the band. As every gig came, I would learn a little bit more about being a frontman.'

"…faithful performance of Kevin Doyle as Elvis, whose voice - both in speech and song - matched the King's without ever becoming caricature." - The Irish Times

That learning curve was put to good use when the band reinvented itself as an Elvis tribute show in 1999. By this time Kevin had been attending the Bel Canto School of Singing under the tutelage of Frank Merriman. In almost four years performing as Elvis, Kevin and the band have played to audiences throughout Ireland, from Cork to Donegal and from Dublin to Ballina, in some of the country's largest theatres and arenas.

In 2002, the band embarked on an ambitious project to document the life of Elvis Presley in a theatre show. Kevin called on his extensive knowledge of the King to co-write and direct the show, titled 'The Elvis Presley Story', which ran initially for two weeks in Dublin's Tivoli Theatre before enjoying runs in the Olympia, Ambassador and Gaiety Theatres. The story opened up the entire gamut of the king's musical repertoire and had Kevin and the band exploring a diverse range of music spanning Presley's entire career.

It was through developing this show that the seeds were sown for this latest project, ELVIS PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE. Kevin will be joined onstage by the very musicians he grew up listening to; Elvis' vocal harmony group, The Jordanaires and his renowned rhythm section, the TCB Band. It is said that the only way to really get to know someone is to walk a mile in their shows - this latest venture promises give Kevin a new dimension to his performance while delivering something special and unique to the audience.

Kevin Onstage with Glen D. Hardin and Jerry Scheff

Useful Links:

http://www.elvisthewayitwas.com - The official website for Kevin and his band

http://www.theelvispresleystory.com - This also links to The Way it Was site