Hot, hot, hot! Tribute artists fan the flames at the Peak

Ryan Pelton returns to Penn’s Peak at 8 p.m. Dec. 8 with “An Elvis Christmas Show.”

An international, award-winning Elvis tribute artist, actor and singer/songwriter, Pelton often refers to himself as the “Forrest Gump” of the ETA world, and claims to have been blessed with an extraordinary amount of dumb luck.

In 1998, he was dared by his mother to enter a local Elvis contest in Columbus, Ohio. He didn’t grow up in an “Elvis” household and knew little about the King of rock ’n’ roll, except for the fact that adults in public often said he looked like a “young Elvis” growing up.

Despite only having one week to prepare, he entered the contest and against all odds, he won.

“I remember having to write the lyrics on my hand because I wasn’t familiar with any of the songs. And keep in mind, I had never sang before in my life before that first contest.”

Pelton decided to pursue the entertainment world, saying, “I don’t want to be 90 years old one day and look back saying, ‘what if?’”

Over the next decade, Pelton honed his craft, becoming an international, award-winning Elvis tribute artist. In 2001, he was declared the “World Champion” when he won the Worldwide Images of the King Contest in Memphis, Tennessee.

He has performed all over the world, from casinos to fairs, theaters to festivals, production shows to professional sports arenas.

Entertaining audiences in the tens of thousands, there can be no doubt that Pelton is the rarest kind of performer — living up to his billing time and time again.

Blue Brothers Revue

Dan Aykroyd, Judy Belushi and musical director Paul Shaffer present The Official Blues Brothers Revue, coming to Penn’s Peak at 8 p.m. Nov. 10.

This live concert show combines the comedy and hits from the original movie and pays homage to Chicago’s rich history of blues, gospel and soul music.

Hear all of The Blues Brothers classics such as “Soul Man,” “Rubber Biscuit,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” “Rawhide” and “Gimme Some Lovin’.”

Jake, Elwood and the band hit the right balance of humor, music and mayhem.

Upbeat and uplifting, The Official Blues Brothers Revue is fun for all ages. Featuring Wayne Catania as Jake and Kieron Lafferty as Elwood.

Catania is an established and respected musician, actor and creative writer with a career spanning four decades.

In the late 1970s, Catania’s resemblance to the late, great John Belushi opened the door to showcasing his own formidable acting and musical talents onstage and on-screen.

His charismatic and animated physical style were instrumental in forming a persona that now complemented his achievements on the live music stage.

All of this has culminated in the opportunity to be cast as Jake Blues in the Classic Blues Brothers Stage Show — a part that Wayne is very specifically qualified for and passionate about and which is, in reality, the pinnacle of his life’s work.

Originally from Toronto, Lafferty was influenced by the great acts that played at his father’s nightclub, The Electric Circus. Legends like Sam & Dave, Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Doors were the wellspring of his youth.

Following the footsteps of his mentors, he began a career as a musician, playing in the Toronto blues/rock circuit where he gained a solid reputation for his soulful vocals and melodic harmonica lines.

Venturing into musical theater in 1998, Kieron joined the cast of the award-winning Las Vegas show “Legends in Concert” as Elwood Blues.

The Blues Brothers act evolved beyond the Las Vegas show rooms, and together with his stage partner, Catania, they starred in the Blues Brothers Revival, a musical written by Victor Pisano and staged in Chicago in 2004.

Since that time, their Blues Brothers act has toured extensively across the U.S., Canada and Australia.

Tickets are available online at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant and Bar.

For more information on Penn’s Peak, go to www.pennspeak.com or call 866-605-7325.