What it's like being Elvis

Right up until his death in 1977, the King of Rock 'n' Roll captivated audiences all over the world.

But one man is as close to The King as it's possible to get.

Shawn Klush is the world's leading Elvis tribute act. Day in and day out, the Pennsylvanian performs to audiences all over the world as the Blue Suede Shoes singer.

When we called Shawn to speak to him about his upcoming world tour, we had Suspicious Minds. Would the professional Elvis tribute act be a living embodiment of The King? Or would he be just a normal man with a distinctly unusual job?

Getting straight down to business, we broke the ice with some basic questions. "How old am I? Old enough to know better . . ." Shawn laughs in the trademark Tennessee drawl that Elvis was known for.

But speaking from his home in Pennsylvania, more than 800 miles away from Elvis' Graceland, it was clear to us that Shawn lives and breathes his role.

He says: "I've been performing as Elvis for 27 years. We've been everywhere, from South America, Australia, Vegas as well the UK.

"I've been told that I'm so close to Elvis in the way that I am. I'm not acting – this is just me. When I'm on stage I'm just performing and I feel like myself."

The title of 'best Elvis tribute act' was not one that Shawn bestowed upon himself. Born and raised in the small coal-mining town of Pittson, Pennsylvania, by parents who were both Elvis fans, Shawn always loved music.

He began performing as Elvis in the famous Poconos region followed by a tour of Canada where he entered and won a $5,000 prize in Montreal's Worldwide Elvis Competition.

This achievement caught the attention of the award-winning Las Vegas production Legends in Concert and Shawn was soon snapped up to star in the show.

His career went from strength to strength and he was soon touring the US in various Elvis productions, regularly performing alongside some of Elvis's closest friends and musicians including The Sweet Inspirations, The Jordanaires and Charlie Hodge.

Shawn's reputation as Elvis later saw him win various competitions and awards worldwide for his performances, including World's Best Elvis on BBC prime time television in 2007 and the official Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist contest in Memphis.

Now embarking on a world tour that will see him visit South America, Australasia as well as the UK, Shawn is living the life of a true rock star.

We were curious as to whether Shawn is susceptible to the knicker-flinging and screaming Elvis mania that his idol was.

"Fortunately I am and I'm proud of it. If people didn't then I wouldn't have a job. I dig it.

"Even if I'm in the street or in the mall, people recognise me. I could be wearing a shirt and jeans and people would say 'hey, there's Elvis in a shirt and jeans!'

"I'm grateful for the attention. Those people have kept me afloat for the last 27 years.

"I've had it all. You name it, and I'll have got it. People drive past my house, just to see where I live and what I get up to. I don't think they mean any harm by it. I just make sure when I check in a hotel that I tell front desk not to let anyone know what room I'm in!"

Shawn's a family man at heart with two children. Even though he's only a tribute, Shawn has become a rock star in his own right, inheriting some of the passionate fans of Presley before him. He even has a fan club of his own and isn't immune from the gossip and negative feedback that comes with being a celebrity.

"I have a son who's 15 and a daughter who's 10. I keep them as far away from the business as possible. I don't think a 10-year-old or a 15-year-old need any of the problems of a rock star or to hear stories about what their dad is up to. If they want to pursue music I'm all for that but I don't get them involved with my job."

We asked whether Shawn knew Elvis' own family, former wife Priscilla and daughter Lisa Marie.

"Priscilla and Lisa are acquaintances and they're gracious and humble. They are OK with what I do. I've met many of Elvis's friends and those he worked with too and they tell me how much I'm like him."

His schedule means that Shawn is Elvis all year round, rarely getting time to just relax and be himself.

"When we're on the road, we don't really get time to see much of the places we fly in to. We play a show and don't get to be tourists.

"My children are back at school now so I help them when I'm at home, and I work out when I can. I like to ride motorbikes and get out on my Harley if I get time. I like to box and do karate too.

"If I wasn't doing this job I don't know what I'd be doing. I really liked the idea of going into the medical field but we didn't have enough money for me to go off to college to study."

With crowds around the globe lapping up everything 'The King' has to offer, Shawn doesn't need to look any further than the stage for job satisfaction.

"We get great crowds in the UK. Sometimes they can be relaxed and sometimes they're jumping all over the place. We have people with young kids and we have older people, it's such a mix. And it's widespread, people everywhere love Elvis."

Shawn doesn't rely only on people's love for The King to maintain his success.

"One minute you're on top of the world and five minutes later you're mud.

"My dad told me that you can give people their money back, you can take back their ticket but you can never give them back their time. You have to give the audience what they came to see, and that's a great show."

We still weren't sure if we'd got a look into the life of the real Shawn or whether after 27 years he was anything other than the man we'd met. But before we had time to pry further, Elvis left the building.