Canberra Elvis impersonator Garry Buckley has no time for people who make fun of the King, send him up for commercial purposes, or focus only on the last few years of his life.
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The 48-year-old says it's not just a question of biting the hand that feeds, it's about respect.
''Yes, at the end, Elvis got large and he did go downhill,'' Buckley said. ''But he never lost that voice, or the personality. You portray him for what he was - a great entertainer and a very generous man who gave a lot, and often very quietly.''
Mr Buckley, who features in the video screening as part of the Elvis at 21 exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, fell into the role about 14 years ago when he was on the committee of a local Elvis fan club.
''I was contacted by the Master Plumbers' Association, which wanted to borrow one of my suits so somebody could wear it for an event they were staging,'' he recalls.
''I said yes and then, a short time later, they rang again and said they couldn't get anyone to wear the suit and would I do the gig? When I said I didn't have a wig they said they'd buy me a wig, and they also lined up the limousine that had been used in the movie The Dish [filmed in Parkes].
''I was told there wouldn't be many people there, which was good as I had never done this before.
''When the car pulled up, there were 700 people waiting. I learnt to get in character real fast.''
Usually a regular at the Parkes Elvis Festival, which celebrates its 22nd anniversary this weekend, Mr Buckley has had to miss the latest event due to other commitments, but in 2007, he took out the award for best Elvis lookalike.
''Parkes has done a lot for Elvis in Australia,'' he said, ''and Elvis has put Parkes on the map.''
While there is a tongue-in-cheek element about some aspects of the event, it treats the King with respect and goes from strength to strength as a result. ''Parkes is great for Elvis fans, it is great for music fans, and it is also a great weekend away,'' he said.
''If you go to Parkes, you'll see every kind of Elvis you can imagine.''
This year's official guest is Cynthia Pepper, Elvis' co-star in 1964's Kissin' Cousins. Other festival highlights include a street parade, a gospel service, and a renewal of vows ceremony.
Mr Buckley said he had been honoured to participate in the National Portrait Gallery video. He takes his work seriously and studied singing for 18 months to nail the King's unique style.
''I hadn't sung before,'' he said. ''Doing Elvis, the character, is easy. Being Elvis, the singer, is very hard.''
Asked if he had a ''philosophy of Elvis'', he said integrity was the key.
''People ask for photos [with you],'' he said. ''They want to talk to you and share their memories of Elvis. You've got to respect that.''
