Decked out in a replica of Elvis' aloha rhinestone-studded jumpsuit and trademark sunglasses, Spargo regaled a crowd of 50 with more than a dozen songs, including Love Me Tender, Viva Las Vegas, Can't Help Falling in Love and Amazing Grace.
Ethel DeFazio of Youngtown sang and clapped along as Spargo belted out Little Sister, which hit No. 5 on the Billboard chart in 1961. She counts herself as a lifelong Elvis fan.
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"I've got every one of his LPs, movies and tapes he ever made," said DeFazio, 64. "When he was on the Ed Sullivan Show and Milton Berle Show, I watched them all. I had all his 45s."
DeFazio said she fell hard for the king of rock 'n' roll after she heard him sing Heartbreak Hotel when she was 13
"I started shaking and my mom said, 'Knock it off,' " she recalled.
Her friend Peggy Gibbs of Peoria was equally smitten when she heard Elvis sing Blue Suede Shoes.
"The first time I heard him, I just melted off the couch and onto the floor," said Gibbs, 82. "For people my age, he was the life then."
Spargo, who goes by the stage name Freddy-G, gave the free tribute performance 30 years after Elvis' death in August 1977. Had Elvis lived, he would be 72.
All six of Interfaith's centers were invited to Thursday's performance. Interfaith is a non-profit organization that provides adult care.
Spargo wowed the crowd with his renditions of songs such as All Shook Up, prompting several people to get out of their seats and dance.
Spargo even followed Elvis' tradition of handing out scarves during a concert. Two lucky audience members each got a purple scarf.
The Phoenix resident said he has performed professionally for two years, playing at gigs that include bar mitzvahs, birthday parties, casinos and community events. At age 48, he is six years older than Elvis when he died.
Spargo, an Elvis fan since 1973 and an airbrush artist, said he seriously pursued becoming an impersonator after a trip on a cruise ship. Upon urging from his parents and girlfriend, he sang an Elvis tune and was besieged by other passengers the next day asking where he performed.
Wednesday's performance was no different, with audience members rushing up to the stage to shake his hand following the event.
"This is what it's all about," Spargo said. "Making new friends."
