Igor and the Red Elvises - Paperback

by Marla J. Selvidge (Author)

The book "Igor and the Red Elvises" is a conversation with a founder of the Red Elvises, Igor Yusov. Born in Germany, raised in the Ukraine, and schooled in Moscow, Igor came to the United States after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He played his guitar and sang on the streets in California, while helping other Russians find their way to the United States. His musical roots reach back to the band "Limpopo" in Moscow which he carried across the pond with him. After tremendous success as a Russian cultural band, Igor had a dream that he should begin playing Rock and Roll and sing in English. Elvis came to him and gave him the name of the "Red Elvises." The music that was born out of this transformation is tremendous. The Red Elvises have been described as rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, avante' guard, and so much more. Igor brings to the stage a mixture of central European ethnic music and melts it together with sounds he has heard from all over the world. Your first concert will send you flying into the air, because you will want to dance. Dressed in outrageous costumes, Igor and the Red Elvises, encourage their audiences to be just as outrageous. And they are It is the best party in town. The book takes the reader on a journey of the good and bad times of Igor Yusov. It begins with his early life in Odessa as a child, and continues through his military experience, to the dorms in Moscow, on a Peace Walk in his home country, and then coming to the United States. His lyrics mimic many great Russian poets and prose writers. In a way, he has tried to bring his own culture to English speaking people. Come with us on the journey that will certainly take you into outer space, or at least, to Thailand

Author Biography

Marla J. Selvidge, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita at the University of Central Missouri. She founded the Center for Religious Studies in 1990 and directed its growth, developing scores of courses, as well as, academic and public programs. She specialized in feminist and peace studies. Having published numerous academic texts and articles, her first novel was completed in 2013, "Demimonde. The Other Story." In 2014 she published her ground-breaking book "For the Love of Elvis." Hailing from Roseville, Michigan, she has spent most of her career in Higher Education. Her Ph.D. is from Saint Louis University and the M.A. was awarded at Wheaton Graduate School. She resides with her husband and long-time friend, Thomas C. Hemling, Ph.D., a Chemist, and two beloved canines, Prince Charlie and Princess Twinkers, in a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. Together for over thirty years, they have traveled to at least sixty countries and plan to keep on traveling. "I can't thank Tom enough for supporting me on this very unusual project." For correspondence with Dr. Marla you can email her at selvidge@ucmo.edu