An Elvis impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates or copies the look and sound of American rock singer Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators, commonly known as Elvis tribute artists (ETAs), work all over the world as entertainers, and such tribute acts remain in great demand due to the iconic status of Elvis Presley. In addition, there were several radio stations that exclusively feature Elvis impersonator material. Some of these impersonators go to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, on the anniversary of Presley's death to pay tribute to the beloved artist.

While some impersonators perform a wide variety of Presley's discography, his songs from the 1950s and 1970s remain fan favorites.

Contrary to popular belief, Elvis impersonators have existed since the mid-1950s, just after Elvis Presley himself began his career. The first known Elvis impersonator was a young man named Carl 'Cheesie' Nelson from Texarkana, Arkansas, who in 1954 built up a local following on WLAC radio with his renditions of "That's All Right, Mama" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Nelson even performed alongside Presley when they first met, also in 1954. The friendship between Nelson and Presley is documented in the book "Elvis in Texas".

The second known impersonator was a 16-year-old boy named Jim Smith. In 1956, shortly after Elvis began to rise in popularity, Smith began jumping on stage and imitating Elvis. Smith's physical resemblance to Elvis and his mannerisms happened to catch the attention of Canadian DJ Norm Pringle of Victoria, British Columbia, who had been playing "That's All Right, Mama" and "Heartbreak Hotel" on the radio. Smith was featured several times on Pringle's regular TV show, though Smith only lip synced to the music, since he could not actually sing or play the guitar at that time.

Many other Elvis impersonators appeared while Elvis was still alive, evolving mainly out of small town talent competitions which took their influences from major music artists of that time. Some of his contemporaries included Rick Saucedo of Chicago and Johnny Harra, a Kansas City native who started in 1958 and moved his show to Texas in 1977.

Dave Ehlert from Waukegan, Illinois began performing as Elvis in 1967, 10 years before Elvis died. Ehlert performed throughout the Chicago Metro Area until Elvis's death, then traveled the country with his act. He was on hand for the first anniversary of Elvis' death at the Prince William County Fair in Manassas, Virginia on August 16, 1978 and has continuously performed his Elvis tribute act for almost 50 years, including performances in Las Vegas and (beginning in 1993 and lasting for several decades) headlining an Elvis tribute show in Branson, Missouri.

Only after Elvis' death on August 16, 1977, did impersonating Elvis start to become popular in the mainstream. The large growth in Elvis impersonators seems tightly linked with his ever-growing iconic status.

American protest singer Phil Ochs appeared in concert in March 1970 at Carnegie Hall wearing a 1950s Elvis-style gold lamé suit, made for him by Presley's costumer Nudie Cohn. His performance may be considered the first significant Elvis impersonation. Jeremy Spencer of British blues-rock band Fleetwood Mac became known for his high-energy Elvis tribute performances during his tenure with the band. Spencer would perform as Elvis (often in a gold lamé suit) as the main part of a mini-set in which he also did other impersonations of figures such as Buddy Holly and slide guitarist Elmore James.