Elvis will be in the building at the New Theatre on Sunday thanks to Lee Memphis King, who is doing his bit to keep the legend alive. Katherine MacAlister talks to the top Elvis impersonator about keeping it real.

Aged five years old, little Roy Evans turned on the TV and tuned into a man who would alter his life for ever.

Because there on screen was Elvis Presley singing his heart out and from that moment on, Roy was totally and utterly hooked.

“I just loved his music – his voice, his charisma. I just loved everything he did and everything about him,“ he remembers.

Roy was always good at imitating people and began trying to pin down the Elvis sound, perfecting it in his bedroom in Manchester. Over the years he fine tuned his act but never considered making a career of it and instead went into sales.

But then Roy entered a competition in Canada, as Lee Memphis King, and won it, making him the unofficial Elvis world champion. And the rest is history because he was then approached by a promoter and the show Elvis – The Legend Continues was born. Three years down the line Lee Memphis King is still on the road, bringing Elvis back for just one night at a time to his adoring fans. And he never tires of it.

“Elvis did two shows a night, six days a week, I do half that,” the 46-year-old says. “So I want to show Elvis at his peak, not towards the end, which is why I’ll retire at 50.”

Lee is also keen to keep Elvis as pure as possible and is positively scathing about Elvis tribute acts, which he feels besmirch Elvis’s good name.

“They are nothing more than pub singers. And when I come on stage people are expecting some fat bloke with bad hair to come and sing karaoke, and I don’t blame them because that’s what you usually get. So it takes about half an hour for them to realise that’s not what they are going to get.

“And I’m not saying I’m the bees knees but I do put my heart and soul into my show. It’s the best I can do.”

And what about the female fans. Do they forget he’s not the real Elvis sometimes? “Yes, it’s bit strange that. I don’t really understand it. Because when I come off stage I leave Elvis right there.

“When I’m singing I try to think about what mindset Elvis would have had, but I turn back into me immediately afterwards, otherwise it would be a bit weird going around Tesco’s wouldn’t it?” he smiles.

“But really I’m just an actor imitating the world’s first proper megastar.

“And his fan base will never die. But I’m not even a thousandth as famous as him and back in the day it must have been crazy.

“So I try to do my best for him and have custom made wigs and outfits made by his original costume-makers, so it takes about half an hour to get ready.

“And I’m used to being on the road now. It’s a good life.”

As Elvis would have said “uh-huh.”

Elvis On Tour is coming to the New Theatre on Sunday. Box office on 0844 8471588.