A Maltese former beer delivery driver who moved to the UK four years ago has won a top Elvis Presley lookalike competition in the United States.
Gordon Elvis, as he now calls himself, was crowned “Image of the King World Champion” in Memphis after winning a series of contests to find the UK’s best tribute act, the Birmingham Mail reported.
As part of the prize, the singer, who now lives in Bilston, got to visit the singer’s Graceland estate.
“The place was crowded because it was the anniversary of his death, but it was a very emotional visit,” he told the newspaper.
Gordon moved from Malta four years ago and is now focussed on show business.
His repertoire includes more than 350 songs and he has 35 different Elvis outfits, ranging from 1950s leather to sparkling sequin jumpsuits.
He began singing Elvis songs when he was a toddler and now wows rock ‘n’ rollers worldwide with his tribute act.
He said: “The work is very different in Malta – it’s a small island so my act would only really be for the tourists. I did karaoke and people were encouraging me.
“A guy in a karaoke bar said I should impersonate Elvis for a living and I thought, why not?
“So in 2009 I decided to come to the UK. I competed in a contest in Porthcawl and won it. I then decided to stay and see how it went.”
“My mum and dad are big Elvis fans. I grew up listening to Elvis.
He came third in the European Elvis Championship 2012, third in the Images Of The King Contest 2011 and second in the Elvis World Cup 2010.
But his latest success is the most prestigious and Gordon hopes it will lead to a lucrative career with theatre shows, cruise bookings and other high-profile appearances.
“Hopefully, it is just the start of things for me,” he added.