In a tale that could make even The King himself crack a smile, 12-year-old Cooper Worthington from Yorkshire is set to swap his schoolbooks for blue suede shoes as he takes the stage at Graceland—yes, that Graceland—on the anniversary of Elvis Presley’s passing.
Cooper, Britain’s youngest performing Elvis impersonator, has been invited to perform at the legendary Memphis estate, marking a significant milestone in his budding career.
His journey into the world of rock ‘n’ roll royalty began not with Elvis, but with Freddie Mercury. After watching an old interview where Mercury expressed his admiration for Presley, Cooper’s curiosity was piqued. A few YouTube videos later, and he was hooked.
“We thought we would reach out to America because Cooper is the UK’s youngest working performing Elvis tribute at the moment,” said his mum. They sent over a collection of videos and social media content, and Elvis Presley Enterprises replied with a contract offer that will see the young man head to Graceland for two performing slots.
Cooper couldn’t believe it when he was told. “We are both so excited,” his mum said. “Cooper wanted to go to Memphis for years and I have been saving up and working as hard as I can to take us both there. It is going to be a once in a lifetime experience.”
The plan is to impersonate young 1950s Elvis because of Cooper’s age. “We have got the Pink Cadillac outfit, the gold blazer, the GI Blues outfit, the Jailhouse Rock outfit—I’ll let him choose,” his mum added.
While the family has received a bit of flak for letting his star shine too brightly so young, she argues they couldn’t have stopped him if they tried. “He entered a school talent competition and won the whole show,” she remembered. “A couple of weeks ago he was asked to perform as Elvis as part of our local festival week and keeps getting invited to perform.”
Cooper himself backed it all up with a grin. “I love Elvis’ singing the best,” he said. “My favourite song is Jailhouse Rock and my dream is to perform in Las Vegas and have my own show.”
As Cooper prepares to take the stage at Graceland, his story serves as a heartwarming reminder that passion, when nurtured, can lead to extraordinary opportunities—even for a 12-year-old from Yorkshire.
So, here’s to Cooper Worthington: proving that with a little talent and a lot of heart, dreams really can come true.
