Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Elvis Presley may have died in 1977, but even nearly 50 years after his death, the singer remains a huge draw, and someone who still drives music lovers into stores looking for his recordings.
"Elvis sells and sells on a steady basis," said Joe Iglinski, owner of Williamsville-based Hi-Fi Hits Records. "We get people in here, everyday, looking for his music."
With Jan. 8 marking what would have been Presley's 91st birthday, the impact that Elvis has had as a cultural icon is beyond doubt.
For two local Elvis impersonators, it has provided them with a lifetime of experiences.
Almost as a lark, John Lang went to a 1992 Buffalo Bills home game dressed as Elvis.
Why Elvis? Lang said it was nod to his father, a big Presley fan.
Some 34 years later, Lang still goes to Bills' games - both home and away - in his signature Elvis attire. Lang has gained national attention and has become a visual centerpiece for the Bills Mafia.
"Honestly, I had no idea it would turn into what it has become," Lang said.
Rare is a Bills' home game where Lang is not captured on camera.
"It really has taken on a life of its own," Lang said.
Depew native Terry Buchwald began impersonating Presley in 1990 and 36 years later he has become the local gold standard for Elvis wannabes.
Buchwald attributes the love many have for Presley as a "safe harbor" moment.
"Like so many things, it does take them back," Buchwald said.
Buchwald grew up in a house where his mother was a die hard Presley fan and, even his older brother saw Elvis in concert in 1977 at the former Niagara Falls Convention Center in one of the singer's final tours.
Buchwald covers Presley's entire career from his early days recording for Sun Records to his final tours in the 1970s.
In addition, he has released five CDs and sold more than 50,000 copies with each release dotted with covers of Presley songs.
"Never in a million years did I think I would carve out a career as Elvis," Buchwald said. "But, it does show just how powerful he was and still is."
Top-10 Elvis Presley songs (as rated by Rolling Stone magazine):
1.) Suspicious Minds (1969)
2.) If I Can Dream (1968)
3.) In The Getto (1969)
4.) Jailhouse Rock (1957)
5.) Can't Help Falling In Love (1961)
6.) Love Me Tender (1958)
7.) Heartbreak Hotel (1956)
8.) An American Trilogy (1972)
9.) Kentucky Rain (1969)
10.) Mystery Train (1956)