Elvis impersonator surprises B.C. woman with song on 104th birthday
An Elvis tribute artist who stopped to get some pancakes on his way home from a gig ended up being an unexpected musical guest at a 104th birthday celebration in B.C. this weekend.
Jonathon Hicks is 23 but has been fascinated with the King since he was a child, when his mother began showing him old, black-and-white videos of the iconic performer. In the five years that he's been performing as a tribute artist he's appeared at seniors' homes, backyard barbecues and at the annual Penticton Elvis Festival – where he took home the top prize in 2019.
"It's been a really awesome way to give back to the people that love the music and spread joy around," he told CTV News.
But he says what happened on Sunday was among one of his most special performances to date. Just after being seated at a Langley IHOP – where he turned heads with his jet-black pompadour, sideburns, and red velvet shirt – he was approached by someone with a request he couldn’t turn down.
A centenarian named Joyce was celebrating her birthday at a nearby table, and her great-great-granddaughter's husband asked if Hicks would join the family and sing Happy Birthday.
"I went over. I played the role of Elvis and got into character and she was just in tune," Hicks says.
"She was just so happy, the daughter was just kind of in tears. It's those unexpected moments, you know, it's being in the right place at the right time – you can make someone's day."
Given the season, Hicks also treated Joyce to an encore – his rendition of Blue Christmas. The family offered to treat him to lunch, but he declined saying he wanted to give the songs to Joyce as a gift.
"It was really a special moment," Hicks recalls.
"I left the restaurant happy, knowing that I did something good."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A 'tragedy that can't be measured': North Bay's forever chemical problem is also the rest of Canada's
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
opinion How to use your credit card as a powerful wealth-building tool
Irresponsibly using a credit card can land you in financial trouble, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew says when used properly, it can be a powerful wealth-building tool that can help grow your credit profile and create new opportunities.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Questlove was not happy with Drake and Kendrick Lamar's beef: 'Nobody won the war'
While some may have been excited and/or amused by the diss-track feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, the man many consider to be an elder statesman of hip-hop appears less than enthused about it.
Here's what 'the hinge' move is, how to do it correctly
When you're picking something up from the floor or bending over to tie your shoe laces, you're performing "the hinge move," according to movement trainers.
Trump heading to Jersey Shore to rally 'mega crowd' in weekend break from hush money trial
After a long week in court, Donald Trump is heading to the Jersey Shore. And his campaign says he'll be joined by "tens of thousands" of his friends.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.