Elvis Tribute Artist Eddie O'Rourke presents A Tribute to The King

My association with Hofner Guitars began while I was touring with RCA’s Norman Luboff Choir. The group produced many popular recordings in the fifties, sixties and seventies. Norman scored music for a number of motion pictures including: James Dean’s “Giant”, “Island In The Sun” and “The Miracle.” And provided background arrangements for a number of pop vocalists like Harry Belefonte, Doris Day and Rosemary Clooney.

I was very young and new to the music scene and things like endorsement contracts. It was around this time that I became friends with Les Paul, the “father of the electric guitar.” So, when the Hofner people approached me about promoting their instruments, I asked Les for his advice. Back in the early fifties, Les Paul had negotiated one of the greatest endorsement deals of all time with Gibson Guitars. He also counseled Chet Atkins when the Gretsch folks flirted with him for an endorsement. I visited with Les Paul at his studio/home in Mahwah, New Jersey and kicked around several ideas over a few beers. Les leaned back in his seat and offered…”If you can’t get the money you want…get as many guitars, amps, sets of strings…whatever they’re willing to offer. And limit the length of the endorsement, so they have to renegotiate in a few years.” Armed with my new found info, I went back to Hofner’s American distributor, Sorkin Music in Long Island, New York. We settled on a cash amount plus a truck-load of guitars, “Premier Amps”, cartons of Hofner Guitar Strings and accessories. I would use the various instruments on stage while performing with the luboff Choir. In addition, while on tour, I would contact local Hofner dealers and set up in-store demonstrations. Norman and I sat for a bunch of publicity shots out in Hollywood and were featured in catalogues and posters worldwide, along with “Beatle” Paul McCartney and other personalities of the day. As part of the deal, I even managed a customized guitar for Norman’s son Peter. Needless to say, it was Paul McCartney playing that violin shaped bass, that put Hofner Guitars on the map here in the USA. Paul was their prime endorser, but I was very happy with my deal.

There’s even an Elvis connection to the Hofner association. Presley was stationed in Germany while in the Army and brought back a few European guitars, including a “Framus”…a competitor of Hofner. Elvis, no doubt, got to play a variety of German guitars in his time. As an ode to his stint in Bad Nauheim, Germany, I still use some of those Hofner Guitars in my Elvis Tribute Show

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