There’s a secret world out there where fake is real and real is fake and everybody’s okay with it! It’s the world of professional lookalikes. Dead ringers, Impressionists and Tribute Artists are all the rage. It’s a bizarre, yet wonderful world.

It’s like an alternate universe, where instead of striving to be yourself, you can reap greater reward by striving to become someone else. There’s a very good living to be made by telling their jokes, singing their songs and posing for photos with their fans.

There is nothing worse than a bad imitation, and nothing better than a great one! One of the best is Julie C. Myers. Julie’s job is being Stevie Nicks. She’s good. REAL good. Looks just like her, sings just like her.

Only Stevie looks more like Stevie than Julie C. Myers. And Julie sounds like her, too!

Julie didn’t choose this path, it chose her. She’d already had several careers including professional dancer. Then, over the past few years, she started to hear it more and more, “Hey, you look like Stevie!” At the grocery store, in the mall, at the airport it was a repetitive chorus of, “Are you Stevie?” She finally gave into it. Did a few shows, recorded a few songs and then, like a white winged dove, it just took off! Ooh, baby. Ooh. Said ooh!

Agents called, booked her into theaters, showrooms, performing arts centers, talked of tours and recordings and appearances. I know all this because my wife is her backup singer, musical director and has become one of her closest friends.

My wife, Mary. IMHO, she’s pretty darn cute and EXTREMELY talented!

She’s seen this world from the inside out. She’s seen the audiences file in. She’s seen the thrill they experience as the curtain rises. She’s felt them give into the illusion and willingly buy in to the emotion, the connection and the adulation.

At the end there’s always a meet-and-greet where many fans wait in a long line for a photo opportunity with someone who looks like one of their favorite stars! The illusion is complete. Julie is better than Stevie in the respect that she is accessible, approachable, tangible.

In return, Julie is extremely respectful of both Stevie and her fans. The benefit is mutual. Fans experience the fantasy of meeting a legend and the “legends” experiences the fantasy of being one!

So the next time you’re thinking of who you’d really like to be, maybe all you need to do is to be somebody else. Because sometimes, that’s Growing Bolder!

Here’s Julie’s story.

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And maybe best of all, here’s a clip I shot on my phone from a recent show so you can get a taste of just how “real” she is for yourself! (Note: My wife is the gorgeous redhead!)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEugjkJJnP4?rel=0]

Here’s a great shot of Julie and Joy (Christine McVie). I’ll share Joy’s story here one day as well. She didn’t really know who Christine was, and now, she’s one of the most entertaining and most accurate Christine’s in the country!!!

Two of the best at what they do!