ANTHONY Petrucci doesn’t wear Elvis Presley like a costume.
He lives the music, and this month he’s bringing his celebrated tribute to regional Victoria as part of his 2025 tour.
Petrucci will slick up the hair at Swan Hill Town Hall on Saturday, August 16.
For Petrucci, it was never just about the jumpsuit, the hair, or the hips. From the moment he first heard Elvis as a child, something clicked, and never let go.
“From a young age, I gravitated to him and his music and his style of performing, and his vocal sound and ability,” Petrucci said.
“I was hooked and captivated almost instantaneously.
“I can’t remember a period in my life when I wasn’t either watching or listening to Elvis or reading about him… there was no doubt about it that I wanted to sing and perform his music live and to an audience that appreciates it.”
Raised in a tight-knit Italian family, music was always part of Petrucci’s world.
His Italian immigrant parents played everything from traditional Italian ballads to 1950s rock and roll, and his older siblings exposed him to decades of music before his time.
That foundation, Petrucci said, made Elvis not only accessible, but inevitable.
“I’m the youngest of three, and the age gap was pretty significant,” he said.
“So I got used to watching and listening to content from as early as the 1940s and 1950s.
“Whether it was Elvis or other content from that time, it was just something I was exposed to young, and I was immediately drawn to it.”
Petrucci’s journey from bedroom ballads to the bright lights began at age 20, when he saw a commercial for StarStruck, a Channel Nine tribute singing competition.
“I auditioned as Elvis and made it through the heats and ended up winning,” he said.
“That led to performing at Legends in Concert in Las Vegas, one of the longest-running tribute shows in the world. That really started my career.”
But don’t call him an impersonator. For Petrucci, the tribute is not about imitation, it’s about interpretation.
“I don’t try and become Elvis on stage,” he said.
“I’m not mimicking or impersonating him.
“It’s a tribute – it’s me just doing what I love: singing his music and performing in his style. It really resonates with me and always has.
“It’s not something I forced; it just came naturally.”
And though he borrows from Elvis’s iconic look, Petrucci is firm about keeping his own identity on stage.
“I still retain my image to a degree,” he said.
“The image I gravitated toward was Elvis’, the same way he was influenced by James Dean, Marlon Brando, and Tony Curtis.
“He moulded an image, packaged it perfectly, and when I saw that, I connected with it deeply.”
As for his favorite Elvis song? That’s one question Petrucci has never been able to answer.
“For 20 years, I haven’t had a consistent answer,” he said.
“Elvis’s gift was his ability to cover so many genres – rock and roll, gospel, country, rhythm and blues.
“It depends on my mood. But I’ve always gravitated toward his ballads and love songs. They speak to me.”
This year, Petrucci is taking that connection on the road to regional Australia. For him, these shows are not just part of a tour; they’re a priority.
“Performing in regional areas is absolutely important, if not more important,” he said.
“Major cities get so many events, but regional towns can miss out.
“Rather than them coming to us, we go to them.
“I don’t think twice about driving hours to bring a show to an audience that might not get that experience otherwise.”
And for Swan Hill audiences, he promises a night of pure musical energy.
“Hopefully they look forward to hearing great music, and a show that brings that music to life,” Petrucci said.
“Listening to a song on Spotify or your phone is totally different from experiencing it live, with a band, with the energy of the audience in the room.
“That electricity… that’s what makes it special.
“I hope they get as big a kick out of it as I do.”
The show begins at 7.30pm. Tickets range from $45-$60.
Book online through the town hall website or in-person at the booking office.
