Scot Bruce returns to Yuma for Elvis tribute concert IN TRIBUTE TO THE KING, in support of children
More than four decades after his passing, people who loved the songs of Elvis Presley can thank artists like Scot Bruce for helping enjoy his music to this day.
The California musician came to Yuma for the first time in 2003 to perform a concert in tribute to the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. But he didn’t do it just for Presley’s fans.
He did it to help the Yuma Council for CASA, a group that raises money for clothing, school supplies and other needs of children removed by the courts from abusive homes.
“There are so many worthy causes out there,” Bruce said by phone recently from his home in Palm Springs. “But one of my wife’s best friends in Yuma (Liz Jones) ... was active with CASA, and she was aware of what I do, and she thought it would be fun to do a benefit concert. At that point we thought it was going to be a one-shot deal. But it was successful. It infused money into this organization, and we did it again and again.
“I told the organizer, ‘I’ll keep coming back as long as you want to do it.’”
Bruce will be back on Friday for another performance of his tribute concert, “Shake, Rattle & Roll.” Doors at the Yuma Civic Center, 1440 W. Desert Hills Drive, open at 6:30 p.m., with the show starting at 7.
Bearing a resemblance to the young Elvis, Bruce swivels his hips like the King and belts out songs of the 1950s and ‘60s that established Elvis and helped establish rock ‘n’ roll as a genre – songs like “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Don’t Be Cruel” and “Heartbreak Hotel.”
He’s backed up by three band members playing vintage instruments: Travis Daggett, on electric guitar and vocals; Shawn Nourse, drums, and Russell Scott, doghouse bass and vocals.
“Our show is a high-octane show,” Bruce said. “I play with a great group of musicians who care about the quality and authenticity (of the music) as much as I do.”
If you’re counting on seeing a rendition of Elvis in a white jumpsuit in his later years, that’s not what Bruce and his band are about.
“First and foremost, it’s about the music,” Bruce said. “Elvis tribute shows seem to have taken on a life of their own . ... We just, first and foremost, try to shift the focus to why Elvis was so important in the first place, which was the music.”
“We’re just passionate about the early era (because) it was just such an important moment in time.”
Presley’s music influenced so many artists of his era and who followed, Bruce said.
“All roads lead back to Elvis,” he said. “John Lennon was quoted as saying that if there were no Elvis, there would be no Beatles.”
Between songs, Bruce steps out of the Elvis persona to offer his audiences a narrative of Presley’s life, of his music and of the influence the King had on music.
“I try to create an illusion and take people on a journey. I kind of act as a tour guide. I talk about Elvis in the third person.”
A native of the Northwest, where he began his career as a radio personality and drummer, Bruce moved to Los Angeles in 1990 in search of opportunities in music and acting. Struggling financially, he started doing a part-time ‘50s-era Elvis performance to survive, that turned into a full-time gig.
“I would never presume to say I have it down or have it mastered,” he said. “I consider what I do to be a work in progress. There was only one Elvis, and he was extraordinary.”
“I love what I do, and I want to keep doing what I do,” he added. “I never expected this would be a full-time career but I’m very grateful.”
Bruce also has appeared in the Elvis role in music videos with Faith Hill and Sheryl Crow, has appeared in recurring roles in the soap operas “Days of Our Lives” and “The Bold and the Beautiful,” and in theatrical productions and in television commercials.
Today, says Bruce, he and the other band members tour domestically and internationally, but also perform independently.
People who attend the concert are invited to dress in ‘50s attire, says Karen Arnold, a member of the Yuma Council for CASA. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes and to winners of a dance contest held as part of the concert. There will also be a silent auction for gift baskets.
Tickets for Friday’s concert can be purchased at the door, or in advance at the civic center or online at www.yumashowtickets.com
Proceeds from the event go to provide for the needs of children removed from abusive situations and placed in foster homes, Arnold said.
“When the kids are taken out of the homes, they’re taken out with nothing except for what’s on their backs,” she said. “We take care of lots of things they can’t pay for or don’t have money for.”
Bruce, whose wife formerly lived in Yuma, has returned to perform each year since the inaugural concert in 2003.
“It feels good to give something back and help others with this thing I do. Ultimately it’s Elvis who is helping. The fact that others can benefit from this music we do, that makes it even more beautiful.
“If you were to ask me to sum up the evening, I would say ‘fun’ would be that word. We’re just going to have some fun.”