Meet Steve Cates, Duke Employee, Elvis Tribute Artists

Steve Cates has found a way to be king for more than a day.

Cates, a clinic service coordinator for LIVE FOR LIFE®, Duke's employee wellness program, is also an Elvis Presley tribute artist. He performs at the university and travels the state and country imitating the King of Rock 'n' Roll.

He got his big break on Halloween several years ago at Duke University Hospital.

"I went through on Halloween dressed in a $32 Elvis suit," Cates said, laughing. "I just decided to do a few songs. Doctors and nurses were dancing. It was really neat to see the reaction. I ended up doing 60 little concerts in the hospital with a guitar."

Cates, who has worked at Duke for 18 years, was soon performing his Elvis tribute during the Duke Farmers Market, where he will appear again this spring. Yes, Cates has visited Graceland. No, he does not lip sync.

A graduate of Duke Professional Development Institute's office staff development program, Cates has volunteered his musical talents during the Farmers Market and Health Arts Network events. He also served as disc jockey during the Employee Appreciation Week Fun Run.

When he's not singing, Cates is greeting employees at the LIVE FOR LIFE clinic in Duke South. He enrolls faculty and staff in Duke Fitness Clubs and sets chair massage appointments. He said he loves his job because it allows him to use his creative outlets at Duke. "It's a very good fit for me," he said.

Cates recently performed during a Valentine's Day dinner at ImmanuelBaptistChurch in Durham. The sanctuary was split in half with tables bedecked in red roses. Guests wore red outfits and dined on barbecue and banana pudding as golden oldies filled the sanctuary.

Dressed in a white jumpsuit trimmed in gold, Cates moved between the tables with a microphone and sang a dozen songs, including Jailhouse Rock. His hair was dyed black, but the long sideburns were real. He handed out Hawaiian leis and kisses for the ladies.

"With women, I sing a lot of ballads," said Cates, who is 42. "If it's a birthday party for a man, we do a lot more of the faster songs."

The Elvis tributes have grown into more than a hobby. They led Cates to his fiancee, Trish Osborne, whom he met during an Elvis tribute contest in Las Vegas. She is now his tribute business manager.

Cates and Osborne will have a special event of their own. "We're getting married on May 1st," Cates said, "!Elvis' wedding day."