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
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
WATCH Video shows dramatic police takedown of carjacking suspects chased through parking lot north of Toronto
Police have released video footage of a dramatic takedown of a group of teens wanted in connection with an attempted carjacking in Markham earlier this month.
After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
Hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words, and shares his advice for the living.
DEVELOPING G7 warns of new sanctions against Iran as world reacts to apparent Israeli drone attack
Group of Seven foreign ministers warned of new sanctions against Iran on Friday for its drone and missile attack on Israel, and urged both sides to avoid an escalation of the conflict.
WHO likely to issue wider alert on contaminated cough syrup
The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children's cough syrup found in Nigeria last week, it said in an email.
Advocacy groups speak out against domestic violence comments by Nova Scotia minister
Several Nova Scotia groups that assist women are speaking out against comments on domestic violence by Justice Minister Brad Johns, and at least one is calling for his dismissal.
A couple lost their wedding rings during the ceremony. Two strangers found a fitting solution
Every good wedding has to have one teensy, tiny crisis.
'It was all my savings': Ontario woman loses $15K to fake Walmart job scam
A woman who recently moved to Canada from India was searching for a job when she got caught in an online job scam and lost $15,000.
Families to receive Canada Child Benefit payment on Friday
More money will land in the pockets of some Canadian families on Friday for the latest Canada Child Benefit installment.