Hoodini
2007-03-09 20:30:25 UTC
Green was Milwaukee's consummate showman
Known for Elvis tributes, singer is dead at 50
By AMY RABIDEAU SILVERS
March 8, 2007
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=575246
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Some heads undoubtedly turned at Schuster's Restaurant at 429 E. Wells
St. as Tom Green, dressed as Elvis Presley, and Santa Claus, played by
Ron Blum, stopped in for a late lunch in November 1989. The two were
actually posing for a greeting card
Multimedia
Audio slideshow: Tom Green's performances and appearances
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=575134
Milwaukee's own Tom Green - who first became known for his Elvis
tributes - has died.
Green, whose given name was Thomas M. Greenblatt, died of cancer March
1. He was 50.
Rumors of Green's death had circulated for days among fellow musicians
and fans.
Green, who began performing his Elvis show years before the singer's
death, was among Milwaukee's best-known entertainers. He long
performed at Summerfest, festivals, clubs, fund-raisers and other
gigs. Although he still did occasional Elvis tributes, he regularly
performed other music for many years, including songs by Robert
Palmer, Elton John, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen. He also sang in
Milwaukee's Bel Canto Chorus and was chosen to sing backup for Luciano
Pavarotti when the famous Italian tenor was singing in Chicago.
People may have come to his early shows because they were Elvis fans,
but they came back as Tom Green fans.
"Tom is such a Milwaukee treasure, an unbelievable performer who has
touched a lot of people's lives," said Mike Wojciechowski, vice
president of business development for the Milwaukee Admirals. "We've
had Tom on many, many times to sing the national anthem."
Wojciechowski's best memory, though, was a personal one after he was
drafted to sing at a friend's wedding.
Green decided to help, coaching his non-singer friend for four hours.
"Then he showed up on the wedding day and went right into the choir
loft and sat by me," Wojciechowski said.
"You can do it," Green said.
"And I knew that if I couldn't, he would have taken over and belted it
out," he said. "He sang, 'Ave Maria,' and 'Memories' at my dad's
funeral, too."
In interviews over the years, Green talked about growing up on
Milwaukee's north side and his early fascination with Elvis Presley.
The youngest of four children, he started imitating Elvis when he was
only 4, listening as his older brother and sisters played their records.
Then he saw the King on television.
"I was floored," Green later said. "I couldn't believe someone could
be so cool."
By the early 1970s, Green stood out at Washington High School, with
his slicked-back hair and his shirt collars up.
Once in a civics class, the teacher began describing the styles of the
1950s.
"And he stopped in mid-lecture and said, 'Well, they looked just like
Tom Green back there,' " he recalled. "I must've turned every shade of
purple."
Fate put Green in front of a microphone for the first time in 1974.
Then a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was also a
bartender at Olympic Lanes on the south side. His brother, Bud, said
he should sing during an open-mic time.
"I didn't think I could sing," Green said. "My brother said, 'Just
sing like you do at home.' So, I went up and sang, 'Blue Suede Shoes'
and 'All Shook Up' and the crowd loved it."
Soon Green had a three-piece combo called "The Best of Everything" and
was performing his trademark "The Tom Green Show" at Olympic Lanes
five nights a week.
The news of Elvis Presley's death in 1977 hit Green hard.
"I had a show that night, and there were TV cameras there," he said.
"The place was packed."
He went onstage, talking about how sad he was at Presley's death. Then
he sang "Don't Be Cruel" and left.
Green went to Memphis to try to attend the funeral.
He first decided not to do his show anymore, saying he did not want to
be part of the commercialization following Presley's death. The sudden
rash of bad impersonators changed his mind.
"I decided to call my show 'A Dedication to Elvis,' " he said. "I
wanted to present him in the manner to which he should be remembered."
Green considered himself a cover artist rather than an impersonator.
Green's voice was similar to Presley's, but after his first years as
an entertainer he didn't try to sound like Presley or to imitate him
on stage.
"Tom did have a pretty good instrument," said Dave Tianen, Journal
Sentinel pop music critic, of Green's voice. Green also performed with
the Jordanaires, the backup group that earlier did vocals for Presley.
"Tom had a phenomenal concert here Jan. 6," said Tim Brady of Serb
Hall. "It was his annual Elvis Birthday Bash here. He had 670 people
in the house. It's his gig, but he brought other Elvis impersonators
in, too."
Green was already booked at Serb Hall for an August date and again
next January.
"He was the first," said Joe LuDan, a friend and fan, of Green's role
as an Elvis performer here. "The city loses a good friend and a great
entertainer and vocalist."
Thanks to his father, Green came to admire classical singers, too. In
1987, he decided to stop doing Elvis and try other music. In 1988, he
won a spot as an unpaid member of the Bel Canto Chorus.
The next year, he resumed his show, saying that the Bel Canto had
"rejuvenated my spirit for performing."
Green came to merge some of those musical influences. He sang
classical numbers during his show, then doing the same Italian arias
as Elvis might have done them.
Green also won his share of WAMIs, the Wisconsin Area Music Industry
Awards.
And Green never again sang on the anniversary of the King's death.
"For me and a lot of other Elvis fans, that is another day that the
music died," he would say.
Known for Elvis tributes, singer is dead at 50
By AMY RABIDEAU SILVERS
March 8, 2007
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=575246
Loading Image...
Loading Image...
Some heads undoubtedly turned at Schuster's Restaurant at 429 E. Wells
St. as Tom Green, dressed as Elvis Presley, and Santa Claus, played by
Ron Blum, stopped in for a late lunch in November 1989. The two were
actually posing for a greeting card
Multimedia
Audio slideshow: Tom Green's performances and appearances
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=575134
Milwaukee's own Tom Green - who first became known for his Elvis
tributes - has died.
Green, whose given name was Thomas M. Greenblatt, died of cancer March
1. He was 50.
Rumors of Green's death had circulated for days among fellow musicians
and fans.
Green, who began performing his Elvis show years before the singer's
death, was among Milwaukee's best-known entertainers. He long
performed at Summerfest, festivals, clubs, fund-raisers and other
gigs. Although he still did occasional Elvis tributes, he regularly
performed other music for many years, including songs by Robert
Palmer, Elton John, Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen. He also sang in
Milwaukee's Bel Canto Chorus and was chosen to sing backup for Luciano
Pavarotti when the famous Italian tenor was singing in Chicago.
People may have come to his early shows because they were Elvis fans,
but they came back as Tom Green fans.
"Tom is such a Milwaukee treasure, an unbelievable performer who has
touched a lot of people's lives," said Mike Wojciechowski, vice
president of business development for the Milwaukee Admirals. "We've
had Tom on many, many times to sing the national anthem."
Wojciechowski's best memory, though, was a personal one after he was
drafted to sing at a friend's wedding.
Green decided to help, coaching his non-singer friend for four hours.
"Then he showed up on the wedding day and went right into the choir
loft and sat by me," Wojciechowski said.
"You can do it," Green said.
"And I knew that if I couldn't, he would have taken over and belted it
out," he said. "He sang, 'Ave Maria,' and 'Memories' at my dad's
funeral, too."
In interviews over the years, Green talked about growing up on
Milwaukee's north side and his early fascination with Elvis Presley.
The youngest of four children, he started imitating Elvis when he was
only 4, listening as his older brother and sisters played their records.
Then he saw the King on television.
"I was floored," Green later said. "I couldn't believe someone could
be so cool."
By the early 1970s, Green stood out at Washington High School, with
his slicked-back hair and his shirt collars up.
Once in a civics class, the teacher began describing the styles of the
1950s.
"And he stopped in mid-lecture and said, 'Well, they looked just like
Tom Green back there,' " he recalled. "I must've turned every shade of
purple."
Fate put Green in front of a microphone for the first time in 1974.
Then a student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was also a
bartender at Olympic Lanes on the south side. His brother, Bud, said
he should sing during an open-mic time.
"I didn't think I could sing," Green said. "My brother said, 'Just
sing like you do at home.' So, I went up and sang, 'Blue Suede Shoes'
and 'All Shook Up' and the crowd loved it."
Soon Green had a three-piece combo called "The Best of Everything" and
was performing his trademark "The Tom Green Show" at Olympic Lanes
five nights a week.
The news of Elvis Presley's death in 1977 hit Green hard.
"I had a show that night, and there were TV cameras there," he said.
"The place was packed."
He went onstage, talking about how sad he was at Presley's death. Then
he sang "Don't Be Cruel" and left.
Green went to Memphis to try to attend the funeral.
He first decided not to do his show anymore, saying he did not want to
be part of the commercialization following Presley's death. The sudden
rash of bad impersonators changed his mind.
"I decided to call my show 'A Dedication to Elvis,' " he said. "I
wanted to present him in the manner to which he should be remembered."
Green considered himself a cover artist rather than an impersonator.
Green's voice was similar to Presley's, but after his first years as
an entertainer he didn't try to sound like Presley or to imitate him
on stage.
"Tom did have a pretty good instrument," said Dave Tianen, Journal
Sentinel pop music critic, of Green's voice. Green also performed with
the Jordanaires, the backup group that earlier did vocals for Presley.
"Tom had a phenomenal concert here Jan. 6," said Tim Brady of Serb
Hall. "It was his annual Elvis Birthday Bash here. He had 670 people
in the house. It's his gig, but he brought other Elvis impersonators
in, too."
Green was already booked at Serb Hall for an August date and again
next January.
"He was the first," said Joe LuDan, a friend and fan, of Green's role
as an Elvis performer here. "The city loses a good friend and a great
entertainer and vocalist."
Thanks to his father, Green came to admire classical singers, too. In
1987, he decided to stop doing Elvis and try other music. In 1988, he
won a spot as an unpaid member of the Bel Canto Chorus.
The next year, he resumed his show, saying that the Bel Canto had
"rejuvenated my spirit for performing."
Green came to merge some of those musical influences. He sang
classical numbers during his show, then doing the same Italian arias
as Elvis might have done them.
Green also won his share of WAMIs, the Wisconsin Area Music Industry
Awards.
And Green never again sang on the anniversary of the King's death.
"For me and a lot of other Elvis fans, that is another day that the
music died," he would say.
--
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