Pennsylvania man wins Elvis contest
Saturday, 18, Aug 2007 09:31
A Pennsylvanian 38-year-old has won the 'Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist' in Memphis, Tennessee to wrap up a week of celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the King's death.
Shawn Klush, from Pittston in Pennsylvania, performed Viva Las Vegas and You Gave Me A Mountain among other songs to convince the judges that he was the best Elvis impersonator of all.
He said his win was "unbelievable" and added it could not have occurred "in a better place" than Memphis, Elvis' own home town.
He and 75,000 other fans have been gathering in Memphis for the past week to celebrate the life of their idol, who died on April 16th 1977 from a heart attack after battling weight problems and an addiction to prescription drugs.
Unlike all the other fans, however, he will be enjoying a $5,000 (£2,500) cash prize and a further prize of the same amount to spend on memorabilia in Graceland's numerous tourist stores.
He already has the jumpsuit, of course.