TV's Stars In Their Eyes has demonstrated that "Tribute" Artists and Bands have a huge following. Surprisingly, there are a number of Christians now working in the field. George Luke spoke to Roy Orbison, Tom Jones, Elvis Presley and Belinda Carlisle... kind of.

Danny Owen

Danny, who's actually Jewish, (through his mother) spent most of his youth in a spiritually confused state. It started at 15, when he was healed by a spiritualist. "I started going to seances and spiritualist meetings from then on," he says. "I bought books on all various forms of the occult, believing it was all very great, marvellous, wonderful and good, as they always tell you it is in those books, and I was 35 when I realised my life was totally messed up. I was in a right state because I hadn't become a star; I'd been drinking heavily and taking prescription drugs like Valium for depression.

"I've always been what I term a working artist, in that I've always had to work. You read about these pop stars who take six months off, go to a Caribbean Island and work on an album for two years, etc. etc. I always had to work for a living. I had the odd TV thing, records released and all that, but it never became regular enough to make me a star. I just got really depressed with that. It came to a head when I was about 35, and I cried out to my Jewish God, 'Help me!' and He presented me with Jesus."

Imitating Elvis was something Danny discovered he could do very early on in his career. "It's just something I've always done within my stage show," he says. "I was like a singer/impressionist, and Elvis was one of the main ones. I grew up with his music; I was born in 1950, so the early rock & roll was a big influence on my life."

So what exactly was it about Elvis that made him so popular - to the point that 20 years after his death, people still claim to see him working at their local Asda?

"I think he was just an incredibly charismatic person and an incredible performer. I suppose in a way - but not in a show business way - if you look at Princess Di, you could ask why people adulated her; why they all wanted to put flowers there - it was because she touched people. She touched their lives. I think with Elvis, love or hate him; his music has touched people's lives over the years. He's influenced music to a very large extent. With most people, there'll be at least one Elvis song of which they could say, 'Oh yes, I remember that one playing when I was courting my wife,' or something. "An evening of what I call my Elvis Inspirational Concert goes like this: I go out first and do about 45 minutes as me, sharing my testimony and singing gospel and secular songs. There's a 20-minute break, then Elvis' theme music comes on, and there's about an hour and a half of Elvis. I put on the full white Elvis suit, give a synopsis of his life: the fact that at the age of nine he gave his heart to the Lord and became a born again Christian; he was baptised in the Holy Spirit, attended a Pentecostal church as a kid with his parents, and wanted to be a gospel singer/evangelist, but it didn't work out for him. The rest is history."

Danny's presentation of a side of Elvis' life, which is usually ignored, or at best glossed over, has gone down well with fans. "On the first leg of the tour, which I did during the early part of the year, I think the total was about 35 people who made commitments to the Lord," he says. "There were backsliders coming through, saying: 'I want to put myself back in line with God,' and loads and loads of questions. A lot of ministers afterwards were saying: 'Mrs. Smith's husband, who's never been to church before, came to the concert and is now coming on a regular basis. He hasn't made a commitment yet, but he now realises there's something more to Christianity.' Sometimes you get people who'll come in their Elvis T-shirts, satin Jackets and badges, and say, 'Wow - I didn't know we were accepted,' or 'I didn't know God would like us, because everyone thinks we're weird for liking Elvis.'"

But it's also had its critics. "Even aside from doing Elvis, I've had that right from the moment I became a committed Christian," he says. "You get these very hyper-spiritual, head-in-the-clouds sort of people who say: 'You should only sing the Lord's music' But Sir Cliff once said to me - and that's not to namedrop - he said: 'Until the Lord tells you to do something and to get out and start singing just for him, you keep where he wants you.' He quoted what John Scott said to him, which is that placed in his position, he could reach people that he (Scott) would never reach. And that's what happened to me. I find it sad in a way, because I generally find that the type of people who make criticisms like that are the sort of people who've never led anyone to the Lord in their lives. They just live a very closeted Christian life, very holier-than-thou. They don't think it's right for anyone to do anything that's slightly what they would consider worldly. When I did the Cannon & Ball tour in Ireland, we actually had people from Ian Paisley's church picketing outside, trying to stop the concert."

Elaine Rennie

Danny's travels - both as Elvis and as himself - have also taken him to Poland, Portugal, Canada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Holland, Germany, and many other places. Given his Elvis link, however, there's one important place he has yet to visit. "I haven't been to Graceland," he says. "I would like to, because of all the memorabilia, i love going to places like Planet Hollywood, because I like to see what people wore in Star Wars', and things like that. I think it would fascinate me to see Elvis' possessions, and some of his clothing."

Elaine Rennie Is Belinda Carlisle
Many of the Christian musicians who've made it as tribute acts received their first major break in that area through the popular TV show, 'Stars In Their Eyes'. One such artist is singer/songwriter Elaine Rennie, the former nursery nurse from Newcastle, whose Belinda Carlisle imitation was a hit with thousands of viewers.

During her nursery nursing days, Elaine would entertain the kids in her care with her guitar. She was also the drummer in her local church band - for which she also played guitar and led worship - until a promotion at work led to her moving to another area and church. A brief spell busking at a street festival led to some interesting work offers, one of which was to sing two nights a week at the Tuxedo Royale - a floating nightclub in Newcastle. This she has been doing for over a year - every Friday and Saturday. "People had been saying for years that I should try to go on 'Stars In Their Eyes' as Belinda Carlisle," says Elaine, "so I sent them a tape. I got short listed and picked out of 125,000 people. "I do about 70 covers, but then I've written over a thousand of my own songs. I do Christian church songs - a big variety. I write songs every day - I dream them, actually. That's my main thing at the moment; writing songs. I carry a Dictaphone around with me everywhere I go, because I get songs in my head."

A series of traumatic events led to Elaine becoming a Christian in November 1988. "I'd been kind of suicidal for a couple of years," she recalls. "My parents had split up, I'd finished with this guy, I was going through college and having loads of homework, so I was feeling low; I was nearly 18 then.

"I cut my wrists, and in the car on the way to the hospital, I called out: 'God and Jesus, don't let me die and I'll give you my life.' I'd never heard the phrase 'born-again Christian' before; I just prayed that. But at the same time, someone else had been praying with his mum. He'd never met me; he'd been woken up from his sleep with an urge to pray an intercessory prayer for me. Half a year later, at London City Mission, he met me and couldn't believe it. He told me his testimony. He was praying and in his dream he saw evil all around. He couldn't get near, and then he saw Jesus' hand come in and set me free. I became a Christian just like that. I prayed in the car; I didn't know how to become a Christian, but it just happened. After that, I met some Christians, and they led me through the sinner's prayer, and it just happened from there. I got baptised in the Holy Spirit in about six months.

"My sadness left instantly. I'd always been a rebel; I was addicted to gambling machines, and I even played with ouija boards and dabbled in the occult. I just didn't know the way - but once I found it, all the darkness left instantly. And then God brought the music into my life. For the past year and a half, singing has been my job. I left the nursery nursing, and this has been my work."

Since her TV appearance, her fee per gig has more than doubled. Other amazing doors of opportunity have opened - both in the Christian and non-Christian arenas - including some interesting developments in Norway. "There are record companies I'm meeting there -and they're Christians," she says. "It's through God that these doors have opened - more so than 'Stars In Their Eyes'."

"My main thing is for revival," says Elaine. "God showed me how a million people a day could become believers through the use of music; we could take the young generation, attract them, and then they can learn music skills and I can pass the mantle on; help them get into the charts as well.

"God showed me that in the fourth year, I'd be number 1 in the charts - that was four years ago. He said I'd sing in the streets - which I did - then pubs, the clubs and the radio. I'd forgotten that he'd told me all that, but 'Stars In Their Eyes' was in that time frame. He said the fourth year is the main thing - and that's coming up soon - and He showed me what to do when it happens; what to do with money, where to give it for his kingdom, and to pass the mantle on to other musicians coming. He showed me many other things that have come true."