Elvis has never left the building in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS -- Elvis Presley has been dead for 40 years, but the King's legacy is alive and well in Las Vegas.

Bob Castro, left, and Jim Westover prepare to compete in the Images of the King: Las Vegas tribute artist contest July 15 in Las Vegas.John Locher ~ Associated Press

Elvis impersonators remain a staple of Las Vegas kitsch, performing at casino venues, wedding chapels and street stages while decked out in garish jumpsuits, sunglasses and sideburn wigs.

Eddie Powers, right, performs as Elvis Presley during a wedding for Wil and Sarah Wilson on Aug. 1 in Las Vegas. Powers works full time as an Presley tribute artist performing at weddings and leading Elvis-themed tours around Las Vegas.John Locher ~ Associated Press

At a recent Elvis convention, performers came from as far as Japan and Australia to compete in a tribute-artist contest that paid $15,000 in prize money.

Elvis Presley tribute artist Ben Portsmouth meets with fans after a show July 15 in Las Vegas. Like other musical performers, tribute artists will meet with fans after the show and sell merchandise.John Locher ~ Associated Press

Elvis performer Tyler James recalls going to Graceland for the first time when he was 5 years old -- and immediately becoming hooked.

Dwight Icenhower, right, applies makeup to Ben Portsmouth at the Images of the King: Las Vegas festival July 15 in Las Vegas.John Locher ~ Associated Press

"I told my mom then I wanted my own show in Vegas as Elvis," he said.

Tyler James performs on Fremont Street on July 31 in Las Vegas. James performs two times a week on a stage along the pedestrian mall in downtown Las Vegas.John Locher ~ Associated Press

James now has a regular show two nights a week on an outdoor stage in downtown Las Vegas.

Fans stand in front of the stage after a concert by professional Elvis Presley tribute artists during the Images of the King: Las Vegas festival July 15 in Las Vegas. "In my opinion, they want to see an illusion of the man and his music," said Terri Futreal, a producer of the festival.John Locher ~ Associated Press

Elvis played hundreds of shows here, year after year -- with more sell-out crowds in Las Vegas than anywhere else. Sin City and the King became so deeply intertwined, fans across the country have continued to make the pilgrimage even after his death. They travel to Vegas to indulge in the many Elvis tribute shows, impersonators and nostalgic memories from his heyday.

Dan Barrella of Staten Island, New York, waits backstage during the Images of the King: Las Vegas tribute artist contest July 15 in Las Vegas.John Locher ~ Associated Press

Presley rose from poverty in Tupelo, Mississippi, to become an international music and movie star in the 1950s and 1960s. His life ended at age 42, when he was found dead Aug. 16, 1977, at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. By then, his career had slowed and he struggled with obesity and substance abuse.

Eddie Powers prepares to perform a wedding at the Shalimar Wedding Chapel on Aug. 1 in Las Vegas.John Locher ~ Associated Press

But to Sin City, he'll always be the handsome, hip-swinging, lip-curling crooner who gave the town its "Viva Las Vegas" anthem.

In the modern-day entertainment capital, his influence has waned in recent years. But Presley remains a larger-than-life pop culture icon in Las Vegas' history.

To this day, the term "Elvis impersonator" is synonymous with Las Vegas -- a term the performers dislike. They prefer to be called "Elvis tribute artists."

Follow Sally Ho at http://twitter.com/_sallyho