A little bit of look-alike means a lot to one Preston Hollow neighbor

Kay Shannon leads a double life as a professional Priscilla Presley tribute artist.

She has been proposed to countless times. And said yes to most.

She’s been part of even more weddings.

“Whatever happened to Kay Shannon? You won’t believe what she’s doing now,” Shannon muses with a laugh as she looks over the many photos that scatter her dining room table, each a photo with a different Elvis.

Transforming into the wife of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll doesn’t take much for Kay. With her appearance already resembling the iconic Donna on a regular day, she simply adds false lashes, tugs on a wig and dons a Priscilla-inspired dress.

This alternative career has taken her to places she never would’ve imagined visiting. But it all started with her deep-seated love for Elvis, who was emblematic of the ‘60s. His legacy has been lauded for years and Shannon was one of many who had a case of Elvis fever.

“As a young person, I loved Elvis. Everyone did,” Shannon says.

On March 3, 1974, Elvis Presley played at Houston’s Astrodome. Over 44,175 stood with anticipation while another thousand were lined outside. Shannon went alone, sneaking through to the press area, where she could have easily touched the King when he passed by in a red Jeep. She only paid $1 for that memorable night.

“He sang almost every genre of music and sometimes put it all together in one song,” Shannon says.

The fascination with Elvis began with her brother, a self-proclaimed “Elvis Presley-holic.” For one of his birthdays, Shannon found an Elvis impersonator, David Allen, to entertain him. She later went to one of Allen’s tribute shows, and attendees couldn’t help but stare and notice Shannon’s resemblance to Priscilla Presley.

“I thought, ‘This could be interesting,’” Shannon says. “‘This might be an opportunity.’”

It wasn’t something she had ever considered before, but the uncanny comparison couldn’t be ignored. When Chuy’s hosted a special event where guests could dress up as Elvis or Priscilla for a complimentary dinner, Shannon saw it as a low-stakes challenge.

“It was very well received,” Shannon says. “I thought, ‘Let me see what I can do with this.’ I contacted some people I already knew in the business to see if they needed a judge in Australia or Brazil. And sure enough, they said, ‘Yeah, come on.’ They wanted Priscilla.”

From there, she was booking herself at Elvis-themed events and even started her own company, déjà vu Tributes, to manage other tribute artists.

She has judged Elvis events in Norway, Brazil, Australia, Hawaii and California.

Her main client, Bill Cherry, is the country’s best Elvis Presley as voted on by Time in 2010 and by the Elvis Presley estate in 2009. Cherry would often dance around his childhood bedroom to Elvis Presley hits. Now, he does the same just professionally and on stages, sometimes next to Shannon for a duo stage presence. Cherry and Shannon met only a few years ago, but their reincarnate love feels like forever.

“A lot of fans still love Priscilla because that was the only woman I was ever married to,” Cherry jokes. “She holds a special place in a lot of fans’ hearts and Kay does a great job. She’s full of ideas and enthusiasm.”

Other than an unofficial Priscilla contest in Australia, Shannon is one of the only Priscilla look-alikes in the country and the only one in the world that travels internationally.

Being one of the only Priscilla tribute artists creates a spotlight on her at the events. Imagine almost every Elvis bending on their knee to propose when she walks into the room. That’s what she experiences almost every time.

“It’s happened too many times, I can’t keep track,” she says with a chuckle.

“I was just sitting in the audience [at one show] and the host came over to me and he asked me which [Elvis] I like best. I just told him I love all my husbands equally,” Shannon says.

An Elvis Presley tribute festival simply goes as follows: men strut out onto the stage in their best Elvis Presley get-up and perform hit songs while doing iconic dance moves. Each man pays homage to different eras: from movies in the ‘50s, to the Comeback Tour look of ‘68 and even Hawaii Elvis.

It’s an art form in itself to nail down. Not just the look, but the intonation, the moves, the style. There was only one Elvis Presley, but there’s a bevy of other artists who carry his torch.

Despite the unconventional turn her life has taken, Shannon finds joy in each event she emcees and judges whether it’s on cruises, at weddings or on panels. And beyond the colorful collection of scarves and souvenirs she collects, Shannon holds one memory on a pedestal: meeting Priscilla Presley herself.

“The first thing she said was, ‘I like your hair,’” Shannon recalls with a smile. “I think she knows that Elvis meant a lot to a lot of people and appreciates the fact that these men dedicate their lives to perfecting these moves.”

Priscilla asked Shannon about her work and what else she does for a living. The two seemed to have a short but mutual bond, Shannon says. Afterward, Priscilla personally endorsed Shannon, a rare occurrence for tribute artists.

Now, the Preston Hollow neighbor is co-producing and emceeing The Lone Star King Festival’s sixth annual Elvis Presley tribute event. It’s held in Grapevine on Memorial Day weekend and  10 official Elvis Presley impersonators will headline the event.

With the rise of Elvis Presley films such as Elvis starring Austin Butler and Priscilla starring Cailee Spaeny, many younger audiences are attending tribute shows. It’s clear Elvis fever isn’t going away any time soon and no cure is needed.

“They’re all Elvis fans,” she says about the tribute world. “But they all form kind of an Elvis family. Elvis still brings people together, no matter where you go.”