Elvis impersonator says Vegas gig will be 'iconic'

Gordon Hendricks is preparing to perform as Elvis Presley in Las Vegas, which he said had "always been my dream."

The Elvis impersonator from Stoke-on-Trent is part of a five-day tribute in July to the singer's historic Las Vegas Hilton hotel residency.

"This is walking in the footsteps of the man himself, looking out on what he would have looked out on," said Mr Hendricks, who is "nervous" at the prospect.

He won the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Act contest in Memphis in 2017, and has been in the business for more than 20 years.

He said he got to be part of the summer tribute show at the Westgate Resort in Las Vegas after performing on a cruise ship, something he was initially not keen to do.

But he discovered the promoter for that also had the contract for the Las Vegas show.

Mr Hendricks asked if he could be considered, and after watching his show, the promoter said yes.

"It's the iconic concert of my life, the most special for me," said Mr Hendricks, who thought winning the world championships in 2017 would be the pinnacle of his career.

The event at the Westgate Resort and Casino - formerly the Las Vegas Hilton - features world-class Elvis tribute artists and six headline concerts.

"You get changed in Elvis' dressing room, there's an original bed backstage he used to lie on," he said of his upcoming performance on 9 July.

The most nerve-wracking moment will be walking out to the stage, he added, concerned he might "freeze", but knowing this "surreal experience" will be over in a flash.

Before that, on Thursday he is at Crewe's Lyceum Theatre, and after appearing in Las Vegas, he will then be performing in Stoke-on-Trent on 25 and 26 July, as part of the city's 100th birthday celebrations.

"I'll be coming back from Vegas and then going to do the Mitchell Arts Centre, which is incredible really," he laughed.

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