American Artist ~ Steve Connolly

So how does a guy with a business restoring art and painting church ceilings become one of the most electrifying entertainers in Las Vegas and perhaps the most sought-after and accomplished Elvis stylist in the country? Equally fascinating is the question of how a guy steeped in the musical style of Led Zeppelin, who fronted a successful East Coast heavy metal band, has gone on to write music that captures all of the melodic integrity of the Americana movement while injecting a traditionalist country sound with rockabilly pizazz? Anyone who has seen Steve scribble a sketch on a scarf bought one of his original paintings or a print, or seen one of his interpretive Elvis portraits can easily see him painting the basilica of East Coast churches.

It all started with a passion for creativity and a love of music, eventually leading Steve to combine his talents into a unique and captivating Elvis tribute show.

But if you were one of the lucky ones to catch Steve’s signature Elvis Entertainment show in Bally’s Jubilee theatre in 1999/2000 (“Love Him Tender: Spirit of the King”) and his transformation of the Blue Note Cabaret into a celebration of Elvis Presley’s style and music (in the naughty musical comedy “Tease”) or if you just recently saw him over the last eight years at the Four Queens Hotel & Casino main room you could still be asking how a guy from back East decides to impersonate the greatest performer of our time. 

Steve might say something like this. Growing up in a musically diverse household, Steve was exposed to everything from classical art to heavy metal, which shaped his eclectic style and influences today.

Elvis Presley was a performer whose music can still top the charts today in country, pop, and in Europe.
“You can’t help falling in love” with Elvis’s music, and that’s exactly what happened to Steve when he first heard it as a child.

But it wasn’t just the music that captured Steve’s attention — it was Elvis’s charisma and larger-than-life stage presence that inspired him to become a performer himself. “If my mission is to entertain audiences as completely as possible, why not recreate a complete experience of Elvis Presley’s performance so that audiences experience not just the music of Elvis Presley but grasp the real “Spirit of the King” as if he were performing today, Right here, right now!

To accomplish this goal, Steve decided to distinguish himself from all of the Elvis impersonators and establish himself as an impressionist. Rather than simply imitating Elvis’s look and sound, Steve aimed to capture his essence and spirit through his performances, making it a truly authentic and immersive experience for his audiences. Doing an impression, and not an impersonation,