Former members of The Imperials, Male Backing Vocals
Sherman Andrus, Terry Blackwood, Joe Moscheo, and  Jim Murray

Elvis loved gospel music, particularly male gospel harmony,  was not only a major part of his gospel recordings, but also an element in the sound of much of his pop, rock, and country work. The Imperials first worked with Elvis doing some of the backing vocals in the 1966 sessions for his How Great Thou Art album, which won Elvis his first Grammy Award, Best Sacred Performance for 1967. The Imperials worked on a regular basis with Elvis on stage and in the recording studio from 1969 until the latter half of 1971, beginning with his triumphant 1969 Las Vegas engagement. A major highlight of their collaboration with him was the 1971 recording (1972 release) of He Touched Me, an album that earned Elvis his second Grammy Award, Best Inspirational Performance for 1972.

Gospel legend and former Statesmen Quartet member Jake Hess founded The Imperials in 1964, putting together what he would call a "super group" in the gospel music industry. By the late sixties, they had a new look and sound. a bit on the "mod" side, which drew criticism from some circles. But the group  prevailed. They sold a lot of records, enjoyed a long series of major TV guest spots, toured with country singer Jimmy Dean and appeared regularly on his weekly TV show, and the group had regular bookings in Las Vegas, Reno and Lake Tahoe. And, of course, there was the special association with Elvis Presley. Over the years, the group in its various membership incarnations has released over forty albums with fourteen of their songs hitting number one, and they have racked up twelve Grammy Awards and 13 of the gospel field's Dove Awards. They were the first Christian group to perform on a Grammy Awards telecast. Their catalogue of songs is one of the most enduring in all of gospel music, many of them landmark recordings that raised the standards for the gospel music industry at large. Like Elvis' other male back-up groups, The Jordanaires and The Stamps, The Imperials' current and former members are 1998 inductees into Gospel Music Association's Hall of Fame.

As with so many enduring groups,, there have been personnel changes in The Imperials over the years. Terry Blackwood, Joe Moscheo and Jim Murray were all members of The Imperials during the group's tenure with Elvis. Sherman Andrus knew Elvis, but joined the group shortly after they left Elvis' show cast. All four have gone on to individual careers in gospel music and business, but they are reunited for our tour. Other members during the Elvis years at one time or another included Jake Hess, Roger Wiles, and Armond Morales. Morales now heads up The Imperials organization and tours constantly with the current members.

Tours of Elvis- The Concert have alternated between The Stamps and former members of The Imperials as backing male vocalists, based upon scheduling needs and other factors.

Millie Kirkham, Soprano Backing Vocals

Millie Kirkham's association with Elvis Presley began with a 1957 recording session, one that yielded, among other classics. Blue Christmas, which features some of the most unique vocal background work she and the Jordanaires ever did with the superstar. Throughout the next twenty years Kirkham's strong, clear soprano could be heard on many of Elvis' pop, rock, gospel and country recordings such as The Wonder of You, Surrender, How Great Thou Art, Polk Salad Annie, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Don't, Just Pretend, Devil in Disguise, C. C. Rider, and many others. She also sang with Elvis on movie soundtracks and appeared with him on stage in Las Vegas. Kirkham has long been a fixture in the music community in Nashville. Her credits include numerous radio and television appearances, collaborations with the Jordanaires and the Anita Kerr Singers, and recording sessions in Nashville, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Among the many artists she recorded with are Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Burl Ives, Johnny Cash, Brenda Lee, Willie Nelson, Pete Fountain, Bob Dylan, Perry Como, Carl Perkins, Rosemary Clooney, Little Richard, Reba McIntire, Brook Benton, Tammy Wynette, Vic Damone, Paul Anka, George Jones, Patti Page, Les Paul & Mary Ford, Eddy Arnold, Loretta Lynn and, of course, Elvis Presley.

Jerry Scheff grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, started playing tuba in grammar school and, by seventh grade, got into playing string bass. His musical bent toward jazz and R&B. By age fifteen he was playing in clubs in his new hometown of Sacramento and back in San Francisco. As a high school senior Scheff joined the U.S. Navy and wound up in the Navy's school of music in Washington, D.C. taking a nine-month course studying theory and harmony and getting to play with some great musicians. After the course ended he stayed on to teach, moonlighting as a player in jazz clubs, then the Navy transferred him to San Diego. Some time after his service discharge Scheff moved to Los Angeles and played regularly at a club called The Sands in Watts, where a teen-aged Billy Preston often appeared doing James Brown covers. Oddly enough, bass player Scheff began his work in the L.A. recording session scene playing valve trombone. The first hit record Scheff played bass on was an album by the group The Association, including the singles Along Comes Mary and Cherish. On Mary, Scheff made a bass mistake that got left in, so the thrill of hearing his work on a radio hit was counterbalanced by his cringing every time he heard the mistake. However, a couple of years later, it was gratifying to hear an "elevator music" cover of it that had the bass player copying Scheffs part, bad note and all. A special career highlight was playing on The Doors' album LA Woman.

 Over the years Scheff recorded with Bobby Sherman, Tiny Tim, Johnny Mathis, Nancy Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Bobby Vinton, The Everly Brothers, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Dionne Warwick, Barbra Streisand, Linda Rondstat, Judy Collins and many others. By the late sixties he crossed paths with guitarist James Burton, who remembered Scheffs work and called him when putting together the band for Elvis in 1969. Scheff worked with Elvis from 1969 to 1973 and 1975 to 1977, on stage and on a number of recordings. Reflecting on those years, Scheff says "Elvis had a big impact on my career. It was like going to school." Today, he continues to work as a session musician with a wide array of artists. A passion in recent years has been song writing. Although much of his career has been working with rock and pop greats, he still enjoys sitting in to play a little jazz every once in a while, as he says "to keep the cobwebs clear." Both of Scheffs sons, Darin and Jason, are musicians. Jason Scheff took over Pete Cetera's spot in the band Chicago.
 

Copyright � 2005 Irish Elvis Presley Fan Club. All rights reserved.
Elvis, Elvis Presley and Graceland are trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises