Elvis Has Left the Building!

Not so fast! There has been a recent Elvis sighting in the Scenic 98 Coastal area, and we know where you can find him. Meet Jason Braly, originally from Athens, Alabama. He has an interesting story and career that eventually led him to Fairhope, where he is an artist, an actor, a voice-over specialist, and on occasion, an Elvis Impersonator. 

Growing up in Athens, Jason has always been artistic. As a child, his mom thought his drawings were more detailed than most kids his age and believed he was destined to be an artist. When he was a bit older, he enjoyed being in school plays but never had any formal training. In high school, his teachers took their class to Montgomery to a Shakespeare play. It made a big impression; it was the first time he thought, “I can do this.” 

He didn’t consider acting seriously, but a few of his high school friends suggested they try out for the Senior Class play. He got the lead and was hooked. “I played sports but wasn’t very good,” he says, “but I got lots of laughs in the play and found something I was good at. I found a place where I shined.” 

He attended the University of North Alabama in Florence, majoring in Art, and in his sophomore year, Jason’s fraternity brothers suggested they audition for Grease. He won the role of Kenicki and sang “Greased Lightning” to great acclaim. That was the hook that convinced him that acting would be a major part of his life. 

Jason met Michelle in art class, and they began dating in college. They were visiting her home in Booneville, Mississippi, a small town close to Memphis with little to do for entertainment, when Michelle asked her mom, “What should we do for fun?” She suggested going to Graceland, so they did. There, Jason went into the recording booth and sang Don’t Be Cruel. “Everyone who heard it was amazed, and I knew I was on to something.” 

Later on, the fraternity was doing a 50’s show and asked Jason if he would sing Elvis. He agreed and sang “Blue Suede Shoes,” and it was a hit. A few days later, he got a call from a lady who had heard him and wanted him to sing Elvis for her mother’s 86th birthday. “And that’s when my Elvis character began.” 

“I decided to double major in art and theater. I knew this would be a path I would pursue, but I didn’t know where it would take me.” After graduation, he and a friend headed to Los Angeles to try their hand at acting. He was leaving behind Michelle, which was hard, and he asked her to marry him 30 days after moving to LA. She said yes and moved to Los Angeles to be with Jason. 

He pursued acting for four years and got his big break as an understudy in a Steve Martin play, Picasso, at the Lapine Agile. He learned four roles and played three. Elvis was one of the roles along with Freddy, the Bartender, and Picasso. “Elvis got me into all the acting unions,” says Jason, including the Screen Actors Guild, the Theater Union, and the American Federation of Television and Radio Arts.

After four years in Los Angeles, Jason was burned out, and he and Michelle moved to Nashville. There he earned his Master's in Education and began teaching art to elementary students. Three years later, they moved to Athens, where he taught both elementary school and college courses at Athens State University. 

In 2012, Jason retired from teaching after 15 years to focus on his art. He and Michelle moved to the Fairhope area where they live today. He specializes in mixed media collages and welded reclaimed metal sculptures. In 2017, he won Best in Show from the Eastern Shore Art Center for one of his sculptures. 

“Having an ear for voices has been good for my career,” he says. He recently built a voice-over studio at his home. He says he’s done all kinds of voices throughout his life. “It’s a whole other world. What changed and inspired me to pursue voice-over again is the new technology that is available.” He is pursuing books on tape and other voice-over work. 

In the old days, you had to go to a  recording studio.  The equipment was expensive, and you had to travel to record. “You can do everything at home with a good laptop and a few hundred dollars.” There is a website for voice-over work called Voices.com, where you can see what opportunities are available. He says that a standard American accent is his most difficult voice to master. 

Recently, Michelle saw an ad on Facebook for the play Four Old Broads at Theater 98. Jason auditioned and won the role of a retired fifty-something Elvis impersonator. “I hadn’t performed in a play in 23 years,” he said, “I had to do it.” Playing Elvis made him think he should do Elvis again. “After I sang Elvis for the birthday mom in North Alabama years ago, I’ve gotten calls ever since.” 

When they lived in LA, Jason had an Elvis agent. It all started in 1990, and he performed at receptions and birthday parties. He performed Elvis with bands a few times, but mostly it was with background music. Jason says the background music has gotten so much better. He even got the part of Elvis in an interactive video game called Fox Hunt. 

Michelle and Jason had the idea to have Elvis show up for special occasions and surprise the honoree. Michelle operates Driving Daisies, a driving service for seniors in the Scenic 98 Coastal area. A lady Michelle knows had a friend visiting, and she wanted to welcome her with a big surprise. 

With Elvis in the back seat and the host in the front, they picked up her friend, and Elvis said, “Hey baby, do you want a ride?” “I sure do!” she replied. Jason asked if she had any requests, and after singing a few Elvis songs, crooned I Can’t Help Falling in Love just as they arrived at the Wash House for dinner. Both of the women were crying. “We had to get the tissues out. It was a treat for them and a treat for us!”

Thus the “Elvis Gram” was born. The seeds were planted years ago in Palm Springs, California, when a wealthy gentleman hired Jason to impersonate Elvis while they rode through the city, stopping at bars and singing. “It was really fun,” says Jason. Then, there was a tribute to Elvis and Col. Parker in Palm Springs. “They had non-stop Elvis impersonators all day.” “It’s electrifying when you are behind a character. You don’t feel like yourself. I like being behind a microphone. It’s magical and so much fun.” 

If this sounds like something you and your friends would enjoy, and who wouldn’t, you can book a ride with Elvis by contacting Driving Daisies. Check out Jason’s artwork at JasonBraly.com. Jason is also available for voice-over work and recently teamed up with Allan Walls for real estate marketing videos. Jason Braly and Allan Walls Photography are both represented by Swann Burrus III (615) 973-5186.

What could be more fun than being serenaded by the King himself? Go, Jason!

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