Bus conductor spent £10,000 redundancy payout on becoming an Elvis impersonator

A former bus inspector who always had Elvis Presley on his mind has used his £10,000 redundancy money to become a full-time tribute act.

David Black, 52, ditched his life behind the bus wheel for singing lessons and skin-tight costumes after being offered voluntary redundancy.

David, from Colchester, Essex, was let go by the travel company Arriva amid the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021.

But David decided to use his redundancy cheque to fulfil his dream of becoming an Elvis impersonator.

David said: ‘I’ve wanted to be a performer since the age of 10. I wanted the Dave Black show in the theatres. I never lost that passion for the stage.

‘During Covid-19 I suffered with my mental health. Now I’m 100% living my dream.’

David’s wife, Lynn, is, fortunately, a fan of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll too.

David as Elvis Presley (Picture: David Black / SWNS)

‘I really had to believe in myself,’ David added, ‘I couldn’t sing so needed singing lessons.

‘When you lay out a lot of money like that you’ve got to make sure you’re going to get it back.’

His shopping list included a year of singing lessons in 2021 so David could drop his Essex accent and embrace Elvis’ throaty southern baritone.

He also spent thousands on custom-made pleather suits worth £1,700 each.

This, of course, included the Memphis singer’s white bell-bottomed jumpsuit embellished with a bald eagle made from red, blue and gold studs.

David threw on the jumpsuit, which Elvis wore as he crooned in Honolulu in 1973, during a flash performance in London’s Liverpool Street to raise money for Cancer Research last month.

To David, he couldn’t help but fall in love with Elvis – the singer was, after all, often greeted by people shrieking and fainting at the mere sight of him.

David’s favourite track is The Wonder of You, Elvis’ 1970 cover of Ray Peterson’s 1959 classic.

David said he was inspired by other Elvis entertainers in Las Vegas (Picture: David Black / SWNS)

The former bus inspector walked from his job during the coronavirus pandemic (Picture: David Black / SWNS)

‘It’s me,’ David said of the song where Elvis sang about his adoration for someone whose smile alone is enough to make life worth living.

‘When I was a kid I used to go onstage and won talent contests for impersonations. You never lose that stage presence.’

But embodying the singer who defined the memories of anyone who grew up in the 1950s wasn’t just for school talent shows.

After being inspired by other Elvis imitators in Las Vegas, David started to moonlight as a performer on his days off in 2018.

He even began booking gigs – but the pandemic threw a spanner into his plans as venues were forced to shutter their doors.

‘I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, I thought they were pulling my leg with this biblical plague that had come from nowhere,’ David said.

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‘It really messed me up mentally. It affected me badly but I never gave up.

‘I grabbed my mic and sang at home and entertained people online.

‘I decided to take redundancy then – I’d worked on the buses for 20 years and I had to believe in myself.’

David even appeared on We Are England, the BBC One show that explores issues Brits care about, yesterday.

His episode saw him seek out a major contract and perform in front of 200 agents and holiday park bookers.

‘I will carry on doing this for however long I’m on this planet,’ David said.

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‘I will carry on doing this for however long I’m on this planet.’