Long live the King: N.B. tribute artist to honour Elvis' 90th birthday with special performance

Elvis Presley would have turned 90 on Wednesday, and though it has been nearly five decades since his death, his music and influence continue to inspire fans around the world.

Among those is two-time world champion tribute artist Thane Dunn of Moncton, N.B., who has dedicated his career to honouring the king of rock ‘n’ roll.

“In 2009, I won the world's biggest Elvis contest. I quit my full-time job and started doing this and never looked back,” he says.

Dunn says the thing he loves most about Elvis is his ability to make people happy over the years.

“The world's not the boy it used to be anymore, and Elvis brings joy to people's lives,” he says.

“To this day, Elvis is like that good recipe that gets handed down from generation to generation.”

Dunn says his passion for performing as Elvis comes from a deep respect for the king’s talent and charisma.

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“Elvis was such a class act that all these years after he's still one of the most amazing entertainers to have ever lived, and he's getting more popular all the time,” he says.

“Elvis had the ability to make you feel as if you knew him somehow, which I don't think any other entertainer has been able to recreate.”

Dunn and the Cadillac Kings will celebrate Elvis’ 90th birthday with a special show in Halifax Saturday night.

“We're doing everything from ‘Return to Sender’ to ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ to ‘Suspicious Minds’, ‘My Way,’ all the songs that you want to hear,” he says.

Dunn credits his success to Elvis fans for their unwavering kindness and support.

“Elvis fans are so kind and so nice, and they will give you the shirt off their back,” he says.

“And I cut my teeth here in the Maritimes, and it's beautiful to be coming back to Halifax, a place that has been so supportive of us. But they like what we do and that really led me on to bigger and better things.”

Tickets to the Elvis Birthday Experience at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium are still available online.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Alana Pickrell.