He started singing into his hairbrush in front of the mirror when he was a little kid.
At 10 years old he could sing Elvis’ Suspicious Minds verbatim.
As everyone knows imitation is the greatest compliment and so he just kept taking on different characters right into adulthood.
Now Robert Larrabee does more than 30 impersonations and about half of those musical icons will make an appearance during An Evening with The Legends show that takes place at the Prince George Legion May 5 and 6.
“During parties I started to sing for people,” Larrabee said, who started his career as a landscaper.
A friend told him he couldn’t keep landscaping when he had such a great singing voice.
“So I kept getting pushed to do these jams. Back in those days in Edmonton there were these afternoon jam sessions with a band and you could play an instrument or you could sing. At first I was very apprehensive but then I started to sing.”
The feedback was very positive and that changed the direction of his career. It was music all the way.
He started with his Elvis impersonation and opened his shows with Roy Orbison. He had a couple of other impersonators he added to the roster and enjoyed a lucrative career touring the world with his show for decades.
Now, 37 years later, it's gotten a little simpler with a one-man show and it depends on the audience who makes an appearance on stage.
“When you see a younger crowd they want to be whipped up so I add some younger characters but if there’s an older crowd they just want to hear some good music,” Larabee said. “For me it’s a walk down nostalgia lane. I just love people and when you get a group together you know you're going to have a good time.”
Tickets are $35 at the Legion or online at www.robertlarrabee.org.
