So you want to be a true-blue ETA fan? What exactly does it take to be a fan? Persistence, dedication and the drive to see them on the road to success! You have to stand by, encourage, admire and support your entertainer. It is almost imperative to be at every possible show, if not, you feel that youre not doing your best. Its sometimes hard to be an avid ETA fan, trust me!  THE ONE AND ONLY ETA FAN APPLICATION: Are you willing to go to great lengths to support your ETA? Ready to stand up and defend, endorse, or travel over hot coals for him? If so, then please answer the following questions. What distance will you travel to be there for his performance? Is it 10 miles, 50 miles, 100 miles or just about anywhere you can? If called on to help out at a show, will you be there with bells and whistles on, succumbing only after great deliberations, or will you hide and chose just to watch the show? In an Internet battle (or otherwise), will you stand up and shout who is the best-and let no one else dare stand in your way, or will you mention a few times who you would chose, or do you just let them all rattle on and embarrass themselves? At a performance do you always have to sit in the front row, or would you rather mix with the crowd, or maybe you would rather be standing in the back out of sight? Does the entertainer know you by name, face or doesnt he have a clue who you are? Are you willing to hand him scarves, water and dab his brow when needed? Do you wear his shirt, or some other memorabilia that shows you are his #1 fan? Do you yell, holler, clap and shout after each and every song? The OBVIOUS answers Just about anywhere you can. Be there with bells and whistles on. Stand up and shout who is the best-and let no one else dare stand in your way. Certainly you have to sit in the front row sheesh! Of course he knows you by name! Yes Of course! Its a given If you have answered all these questions correct, then you are the one they want. They need you. You are ACCEPTED! Have no doubt about it, if not for the crazy and not so crazy fans like us, they wouldnt know what to do... really! We are one of their best critics, best supporters, and to us they do very little wrong. We know their mom, dad, and siblings, along with birthdays, dogs names, favorite foods, clothes, songs, and almost every possible thing about these guys. We hand out flyers, phone radio stations, and encourage friends, family and neighbors to attend shows and functions. We think about every possible angle to promote endorse, and back our favorites. Youre always the first one to be taking pictures, at every possible spot in the room, at every angle and in every direction! You always carry at least 4 rolls of film to every show! Sometimes it is a hard job (although fun) and many of us work constantly at it, it becomes one of our daily routines. Whenever on-line, we put their names in search engines to see who else is putting up Web-sites, or info on our guy. We join chat rooms, and egroups- so we get new information everyday! We become friends with other fans, we start fan clubs, we work constantly at supporting him! Your asking What do we get in return? We feel that we are contributing to Elvis legacy, by supporting those that sing his music. That is usually the first thing, the thing that gets it all going Then normally what happens is that we learn more about this certain performer, we get to know him and admire him for what he is doing. Soon a friendship forms, and now you are not only helping because of Elvis, but because you truly enjoy the person who portrays the legend! Its not uncommon for them to sing you your favorite song during a performance, or to hand you a scarf, and youre certainly always guaranteed a hug! You like it that they know your name and make a fuss about you being there It makes us feel special! All in all, the Tribute Artist fan, A.K.A known as roadies, groupies, or just great fans- are there for the performer. Like one of our children, dont ever put them down in front of us, hurt them, or speak ill because if you do, we become like a mother bear, going to great lengths to make you aware of what you just did! We protect our friends and dare anyone to do or say anything against them! For all you ETAs that are reading this, this is a true account of our ETA behavior. If your one of the lucky guys that have a fan following enjoy, encourage and appreciate those that scream your name, wear your shirt, take countless pictures or need to buy another CD of you singing. Sure we may have started enjoying you because of your Elvis image and great voice but in the end, it's you that we go to see as often as we can! So dont forget your manners, make sure to show us your appreciation ...and remember to give us one of those all-knowing sly smiles when your singing our favorite song Picture: Mario and fans at Graceland Crossing. Do you know any of these fans?