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* butch dicus - the king of hearts *
"I saw Elvis Presley in Hope,
Arkansas in the 1950's and really
didn't care for him for over 30
years but after seeing Butch Dicus,
I got a different outlook on the
King of Rock and Roll" - Bill
Johnson, Arkadelphia Arkansas 2008
"One night in 1973 the family all
gathered around the TV set to
watch Elvis' 'Aloha from Hawaii'
saw how the audience reacted to
his style of music and stage went
and bought the 8-track of the
exact show.  For three years
Butch practiced in front of a
life-size mirror in my bedroom.  
In 1976 Butch finally decided to
enter a high school talent show
and thought if he  was going to
do this, he was going to do it
correctly.  After talking his  
mother into coloring his hair
black, he  entered the talent
show, performing "Polk Salad
Annie" and "Let It Be Me" and won
first prize.  Butch sent an 8x10
picture of myself performing to
3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard and
three weeks later he received an
autographed poster of Elvis from
Graceland. Well, that's when it
all began.

After enlisting into the United
States Air Force, the act
followed Butch from Little Rock
to Germany to New Mexico to
England (where Butch  actually
won another talent contest and
received a guest appearance on
Sky-TV's Star Search.  After
arriving in California for
Butch's  last duty station, he  
sang "Blue Christmas" at a
Christmas party.  When Butch had
the opportunity of deploying a
group of individuals to Nellis
Air Force Base, Nevada, they
found out he was arriving a
little later in the month and
arranged with a singing group at
the Palace Station Hotel and
Casino to surprise Butch with an
appearance on stage.

After retirement in 1994, the
Elvis impersonation was put on
day Lisa asked Butch  about this
thing he used to do that she
heard so much about.  After a
dare to go to Bobbisox in Little
Rock during their annual "Elvis
LipSync Contest", Butch told the
owner he did not lip sync but he
said to enter he had to do that.  
So, Butch went,  Butch performed
and won first prize.  That was
August 2000 and the rest is
history.  From eight shows in
2000 to 100 in 2004, the fun has
only just begun.  And without the
After retirement in 1994, the
outstanding support of his family
(Lisa especially), the dream
Butch  thought about in 1973,
would never have come true.       
  
Originally from Little Rock,
Arkansas.  Born on April 10, 1960
(same birthday shared by another
famous Presley; Vernon) and
graduated high school in 1978.  
Enlisted in the United States Air
Force in June 1978 and retired
October 1994 (yes, your math is
correct:  Butch retired after 16
1/2 years because of Uncle Billy
Clinton).  Son of a truck driver
and grandson of a preacher,
experienced things in life only
read in history books to include
Desert Shield/Storm, Just Cause,
Grenada; just to name a few.      
   
Butch used to call his show "The
Heart of Elvis" but because of
the legal usage of Elvis' name
during impersonators' shows,
Butch decided to change the name
though the show and its content
has not changed.  Butch spends
the majority of his venues
performing for the "golden"
audiences and has the opportunity
to take his show around Arkansas
for festivals, corporate events
and fundraisers.  Butch, even
though not fond of many of the
contests in the United States,
has had the opportunity to go and
compete in many contests to
include the Elvis Extravaganza
Contest on August 16, 2005 (which
he won) and became a finalist in
the Images of the King Contest
held in Memphis in 2004.  Butch
has received many accolades for
his work with community
activities which include two keys
to the city of Jacksonville and a
personal letter from then
Governor Frank White.