For nearly three decades, Corey Melton has built his career around one simple idea: great entertainment should make an audience feel something. A vocalist, actor, dancer, and impressionist from St. Louis, Missouri, Melton has developed his craft, performing across the United States and internationally while bringing some of music’s most recognizable performers to life.
Best known for his acclaimed work as a Michael Jackson tribute artist, Melton has also performed as Prince, Bruno Mars, Elvis Presley, as well as Sammy Davis Jr. through tribute shows, live music, acting, television, commercials, and private events.
Early on Melton was drawn to the world of entertainment. Melton’s connection to performance began when he was young, having been fascinated by Michael Jackson as a child. He began studying Jackson’s dancing and stage presence at age eight. Over the years, he devoted himself to learning the iconic singer’s movements, facial expressions, body language, and performance technique.
“As a kid growing up when you idolize somebody you find yourself trying to imitate that person. For me, like most kids, the person I idolized was Michael Jackson,” he recalled. “And as a kid you don’t go around just singing ‘Bad’ or ‘Thriller’ in your own kid voice, you walk around the house trying to sing it in a way that sounds like Michael Jackson’s voice, and as I was doing that, I started to realize that I naturally sounded like Michael Jackson.”
He also realized he wanted to perform professionally.
“While in the 7th grade at the age of about 11 or 12, our school took a bus trip to the movie theater to see ‘Malcolm X.’ This was a big key moment in my life, because Denzel Washington played the part so well that even though I didn’t even know too much about Malcolm X, it was hard to decipher if Denzel was playing Malcolm X or did Malcolm play Denzel,” says Melton with amazement. “That made me want to be an impersonator. Call it what you want, but when an actor does the lead role in a biopic, he becomes an impersonator of the person he’s portraying.”
While still in high school, Melton won two consecutive talent shows, helping launch his professional path. He later auditioned for KPLR Channel 11’s Team 11, a St. Louis entertainment group modeled in part after the popular Mickey Mouse Club format. Team 11 performed at major community events and even participated in a presidential inauguration. The group also appeared at events including the St. Louis Cardinals’ Winter Warm-Up, giving Melton an opportunity to gain valuable experience performing before large audiences.
“I saw some impersonators who to me were doing it professionally and some impersonators who to me weren’t doing it professionally,” he says. “The impersonators who were doing it professionally seemed like they were at a higher skill level and I wanted to see where my skills could take me as I developed them more. I needed to work hard, become an expert and be ready for professional opportunities that were out there.”
His ambitions soon expanded beyond St. Louis. Melton traveled to Atlanta to work with music producers on a recording project, collaborating with industry veterans and songwriters including Arnold Hennings and Patrick “J.Que” Smith. Smith was among the writers associated with Usher’s hit song “Yeah!”
During the early 2000s, he fronted several cover bands that performed at casinos, weddings, parties and other events. He also competed in the St. Louis Idol contest, a competition connected to the American Idol phenomenon, where he finished as runner-up.
But it was his work as Michael Jackson that would take his career to another level.
In 2010 and 2011, Melton performed nightly as Michael Jackson at the Stratosphere in Las Vegas. Rather than simply recreating the singer’s appearance, Melton built his tribute around the full performance experience.
That work led to a long relationship with Legends in Concert, the internationally recognized live tribute show. Over the years, Melton has performed as both Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars for the production, appearing in locations that include Las Vegas, Hawaii, Canada, New Jersey, Connecticut, Ohio, Atlantic City, and Branson, Missouri.
“When I put on all the makeup and all the clothing and accessories that come with the Michael Jackson impersonation I start to feel a certain way, just like I did as a kid, and I mix that with my adult desire of success, and understanding of the work it takes to obtain it, and there you have my reasons of why I chose to do impersonations,” he explains. “I understand what it takes, I want to transfer the feeling to others and I have a desire to succeed at it.”
One of the distinctive elements of Melton’s Michael Jackson tribute is his ability to portray different periods of the superstar’s career. His performances can be customized around Jackson’s various eras, including the “Bad,” “Dangerous” and “HIStory” periods. Depending on the event, productions can incorporate dancers, lighting, special effects, musicians, background performers and other theatrical elements.
Beside tribute performances, Melton has also maintained a career as an actor. His credits include television commercials, film work ,and an appearance on the television series “Hawaii Five-0.”
Today, Melton continues to work as a professional vocalist and entertainer. He performs at weddings, private parties, corporate events, celebrations, concerts and other special occasions.
Melton continues to make entertainment the center of his professional life.
For more information on Corey Melton, visit https://www.instagram.com/coreymeltontalent/