Aaron Arter performed the King’s hits on the street to make the confinement come alive-and raised thousands of dollars for charity. Now it's his turn to shine

When 21-year-old Aaron Arter is depressed, he will sing to the king. When he is happy, he will sing to the king. When he was going to bed, or walking on the street, or working as a gardener's odd job, or entertaining the elderly residents of the local nursing home, he would sing to the king.

There is an Elvis pillow in his bedroom and an Elvis chain on the key chain. He wears a thick brass signet ring with the initials of TCB engraved on it. (TCB stands for Taking Care of Business, Elvis’ personal motto.) His closet is full of Elvis clothes: silk shirts and leather jackets with exaggerated collars, and crisp high-waisted trousers. There is a picture of Elvis on his mirror, and he kisses it for good luck. He dreams of owning a pink Cadillac. If you cut him open, you might find a map of Graceland tattooed on his heart, which was the singer's former mansion.

Arter loves the king so much that it is difficult to know his ending and the beginning of Elvis. "Elvis is in my heart," he said. He felt the happiest when performing. "Some people are in pain," he continued. "I make people happy, you know."

When I met Arter near his home in Nunhead, southeast London, I was shocked at how similar he was to Elvis Presley. His hair is black with a blackberry-like luster; his smile is wide and curvy. Arter suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, which affects his speech, although there is no sign when he sings with a low, brisk voice like Elvis. (In our conversation, he often sings aloud, which makes me very happy.)

In the first wave of the pandemic, when the British stood in front of their home applauding the caregiver, Arter would perform the Elvis classic while his neighbors danced along, raising £4,113 for the Salvation Army in the process. His friend Michael Peacock helped him. He is 62 years old. He is a retired railroad worker. He promotes Art's performance, organizes equipment and collects cash. "He is great," Peacock said. "He just boosted everyone's spirits."

Even before Covid, Arter often played the role of king. In the nursing home, he would comb his hair back, push and rotate his hips, which made the ladies very happy. "I like to make people around me happy," he said. "People are bored and sit in front of the TV all day. They can come out and listen to Elvis, having fun and relaxing."

It was Art's grandmother who let him enter Elvis. She is a big fan. They will sing together. "Every time I feel a little depressed," Art said, "I would get on the train to see her, and then make love to me tenderly." She passed away eight years ago. Arter missed her and kept talking about her. "I like to do it for her," he said of his performance.

During his charitable fundraising process, Arter occasionally encountered hostility or contempt. Once, when he was performing outside a cafe, a man mocked and said that he could not sing. Alt was annoyed. When he was depressed, he did what he always did. "When people get angry at me, I walk away, go home, turn on YouTube, and watch Elvis," he said.

But most of the feedback was positive. People will dance in the street. Once, the local bus driver even donated halfway through. In the neighborhood where he is, everyone knows Art. People call him the "King of Nonghei". When he was walking on the road, people would exclaim,'Elvis! '"

When I told Art that he would perform at the Porthcawl Elvis Music Festival-this is the world’s largest dedicated Presley Music Festival (held at the end of September) and thousands of fans gather in the Welsh seaside town every year The king of eating, drinking and having fun-he was dumbfounded. "Oh, wow," he said. "Gosh." After a while, he calmed down and shook my hand. He began to compile his list of performances. "Suspicious mind, hound..."

At the holiday party on Saturday night, founder Peter Phillips presented Art with an award in recognition of his charitable work. "There is no dry eye in the house," Phillips said. Then Art's performance, in front of thousands of Elvis fans, all dressed in king costumes. He was so nervous that his hands were sweating. He thought of his grandma for comfort. "My grandma always tells me," Art said, "try her best."

On stage, he played The Wonder of You for the live band and serenaded his girlfriend Leah. "They turned on the lights for me," he said, "so I can't see the crowd. But when the lights go out, it's amazing."

He still wants to go again. "Next time I hope my mother will go with me," Art said. After that, he likes to watch other performances, especially the female Elvis impersonator. "They are fine," he said, "but I am the best there."

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