Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash tribute artist Robert Shaw grew up in Memphis.
No, not that Memphis.
Shaw, 31, was raised in Memphis, Ind., about 10 miles north of Louisville, Ky. (population 400).
"It's a very southern part of Indiana," Shaw says.
On Friday, Shaw, a mainstay at Tucson's Gaslight Theatre, will host the Arizona Daily Star Battle of the Bands for the fourth year in a row.
"It's really cool to see the fresh energy," Shaw says. "All those kids are excited; they're happy to be there. This is a big deal for them. For a lot of them, it's probably the biggest thing they've done so far."
Shaw knows the thrill of rock stardom. As an actor, he's played rock stars on stage for years.
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"My background is in musical theater, and if there was anything '50s, Elvis or rock 'n' roll, they always gave it to me because I could sing and had dark hair," he says.
Shaw's just returned from a stint in Chicago, acting in "Million Dollar Quartet," a musical directed by famed playwright and theater director Eric Schaeffer.
The show, which is headed to Broadway in April, is based on the legendary jam session of Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Cash and Carl Perkins.
While Shaw won't be following "Million Dollar Quartet" to New York, he will keep on rockin' here in Tucson.
Shaw is reuniting with the Lonely Street Band, his backing band with a rotating cast, to perform "Heartbreak Hotel: A Salute to Young Elvis," for the first time in three years.
The show features a young Presley belting out hits from the mid-1950s through the early '60s, including the King's first recordings at Sun Records in Memphis, Tenn. ("That's All Right Mama"). It also covers his chart-topping years at RCA ("Don't Be Cruel") and even highlights hits from his first movies ("Jailhouse Rock").
Shaw and his band also have scheduled a couple of tributes to the late Johnny Cash, who would have turned 78 on Feb. 26. Look for Shaw to perform such Man in Black classics as "Folsom Prison Blues," "Ring of Fire" and "Ghost Riders in the Sky," among others.
"Heartbreak Hotel: A Salute to Young Elvis"
• When; 7 p.m. March 2.
• Where: Community Performing Arts Center, 1250 W. Continental Road, Green Valley.
• When: 7:30 p.m. March 5.
Where: DesertView Performing Arts Center, 38759 S. MountainView Blvd., SaddleBrooke.
"Man in Black: The Legend of Johnny Cash"
• When: 7 p.m. March 4.
• Where: Community Performing Arts Center, 1250 W. Continental Road, Green Valley.
• When: 7:30 p.m. March 7.
Where: DesertView Performing Arts Center, 38759 S. MountainView Blvd., SaddleBrooke.
