P.J. Proby

P.J. Proby (born James Marcus Smith, November 6, 1938) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor, who has portrayed Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison in musical theater productions and had a recording career in his own right. The stage name P.J. Proby was suggested to him by his friend Sharon Sheeley,[1] who had had a boyfriend of the same name at high school. Proby recorded the singles "Hold Me", "Somewhere" and "Maria"[2] (the later two songs are from the Broadway musical West Side Story). In 2008, Proby celebrated his 70th birthday and EMI released the Best of the EMI Years 1961–1972. Proby continues to write and record music on his own independent record label Select Records and performs across the UK on various Sixties themed concerts.