Zug's Elvis impersonator fails to impress the Appenzell dairymen

Thomas Meyenberg from Baar plays the "King of Rock 'n' Roll" in the new Appenzeller cheese commercial. But his first song doesn't sound at all like Elvis.

Marilyn Monroe failed, and so did Charlie Chaplin and even Sherlock Holmes: they all tried to find the secret of Appenzell cheese from the three secretive Alpine dairymen (Sennen) sitting on their bench - in vain. Even the lascivious swing of Elvis Presley's hips elicited only a weary folding of arms from the three.

Behind the glamorous appearance – the shiny shoes, styled hair, the glittering suit - is Thomas Meyenberg from Baar, alias Tommy King, a long-time Elvis impersonator and, as he emphasises, a great fan of Appenzeller cheese. When he was asked by the responsible advertising agency whether he wanted to play Elvis in the new Appenzeller cheese advertisement, the answer was therefore quickly clear to him. Last September, he travelled to Eastern Switzerland for a day of filming. "It was exciting and fun, but it was also quite time-consuming," he recalls.

He wasn’t supposed to get the Elvis suit dirty
A particular challenge was the steep slope from the restaurant where the actors were made up and dressed to the filming location. "A beautiful setting," Thomas Meyenberg recalls. But: "I had to be careful not to fall over and to get the white costume and the ankle boots dirty." In addition, filming had to be interrupted several times because of gusts of wind. "But my hairstyle more or less held," he added, but admits with a grin: "It certainly looked better at the beginning, though."

How the Zug Elvis impersonator tried to discover the secret of Appenzell cheese: Youtube video on : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOWPf3E9U1Q&t=6s
Thomas Meyenberg alias Tommy King    Picture: PD
Tom Meyenberg with his first own song "Lebenselexier" Youtube video: https://youtu.be/Vw1MMhj6knE

The "King of Rock 'n' Roll" has accompanied Thomas Meyenberg all his life. Even as a six-year-old he sang Elvis songs in front of his school class. Today, he performs as an Elvis impersonator at company parties, birthdays, trade fair openings and weddings, and he even made it to the semi-finals at the annual World Championship of Elvis Impersonators in Memphis (US) In 2017. He also set a world record in 2019 by recognising 21 Elvis songs in one minute - six more than the previous record.

From Elvis impersonator to pop singer
But Thomas Meyenberg can do more than just Elvis. He is on tour in Switzerland and Germany as the magician ‘Rasmus’, and released his first own song: "Lebenselixier". at the end of March. But the song doesn't sound at all like Elvis Presley. On the contrary: it is a flawless hit song. "It’s always been my goal to make my own music," he says. And he grew up with pop music, he has always liked it.

Is this the end of Tommy King? "Not at all," he replies. "Elvis is my passion. I can't just turn that off." And, despite countless appearances as an Elvis impersonator, he never gets bored. Elvis' repertoire is far too varied, he says, ranging from rock 'n' roll to blues and country to Schlager. "Every performance is something new, every venue and every audience is different. Winning people over every time is the biggest challenge, but at the same time the most fun."