Bio
Tony La Torre is a former American child actor and current Elvis impersonator best known to television audiences for his role as Harvey Lacey, Jr. on the police procedural television series Cagney & Lacey, from 1982-1988.
La Torre has been professionally recreating Elvis' performances for years. However, Elvis has held a life-long fascination for Tony, ever since he attended an Elvis concert in Las Vegas at the tender age of five.
It was then that his father took Tony to the Las Vegas Hilton where young Tony had the thrill of his life standing on stage and talking to the King of Rock and Roll himself.
According to Tony, Elvis was very kind and patient with the little "concert-crasher" and, after chatting with him for a few minutes, signed Tony's program and had him escorted back to where his father was sitting. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience; one Tony's family still talks about to this day.
As Tony has continued to perform, his repertoire of Elvis music – and moves – has expanded as well. Originally starting with Elvis' material from the early 1970's, Tony has now reached a point where he can perform all of the Elvis "eras," from the 1950's to the early 1970's.
Tony's show, "The Heart of a Legend", has taken him around the country, where he has performed at well-known venues including the "World Famous" Elvis-A-Rama Museum, the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino, the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, and B.B. King's House of Blues.
"The Heart of a Legend" has also been a hit at corporate events as well. Past clients have included well-known companies such as Kaufman & Broad and Universal Studios, as well as internationally known organisations such as Amway.
The show is known as "The Heart of a Legend" to reflect Tony's desire to portray Elvis in as respectful and accurate manner as possible. As Tony puts it, "Even though he had many personal problems, and was messed up for most of his life, Elvis was still one of the kindest, generous people who ever lived. He is remembered as much for that as he is for his one-of-a-kind voice and on-stage moves."
In addition to performing live, Tony has also made numerous television and film appearances. First as a child actor, appearing on shows such as Cagney and Lacey, Taxi, and Highway to Heaven, among others.
As Elvis, Tony has appeared on Access Hollywood, Babylon 5, Leaving L.A., the BBC series Rock Shrines, has been featured in the news many times, as well as in several commercials.
La Torre currently lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he is a regularly featured performer at private and corporate events, as well as at weddings and casino shows.