Elvis would be 90 years old

“King” Elvis: “He was caught up in his fame”

Jürgen Höchtl alias J.J. King has been thrilling audiences as an Elvis tribute artist for 30 years.(Bild: J. J. King)

Elvis Presley, the "King of Rock'n'Roll", would have been 90 years old today. Elvis actors have been keeping their idol alive for decades by appearing as lookalikes and performing his immortal hits live. Jürgen Höchtl from Timelkam is one of them. He says of his idol: "Elvis stayed down for a long time, despite his success - until he fell."

"Elvis was certainly the most successful solo artist of all time," says Jürgen Höchtl (50). And not only that: "He is described as a nice, likeable person who stayed down despite his fame."

The American Elvis Aaron Presley (1935 to 1977) with the sexy hip swing was not only a gifted singer and icon of the rock 'n' roll movement, he also appeared in 31 feature films. "And at some point he was trapped in his fame," says Höchtl. Drug addiction and a hereditary disease: "You can quickly fall off in a golden cage." That's what happened: "The King" died of sudden heart failure. Whether his drug addiction led to his death was never clarified.

Head of office with an Elvis hairstyle
Elvis left behind around 1000 songs: "That's why it remains varied, even though I've been on stage as his double for 30 years!"

Höchtl was already fascinated by Elvis as a child: "We had a band at home, so I started singing his songs." Later, he trained as a singer.

The show "My Way" is based on the concerts in Las Vegas in the 1970s.(Bild: J. J. King)

Today, Höchtl, who in "real life" is an office manager in Timelkam, performs under the name "J. J. King", because "nobody will ever be able to imitate Elvis one hundred percent."

True to the original jumpsuits and guitars
But he is close to his role model: "I don't collect fan merchandise, but I do have original outfits made to measure in the USA by BK Enterprises. Elvis' tailor once worked there. And I have some faithful copies of Elvis' guitars in my possession." Höchtl has even finished among the top five in international competitions.

Tour through Upper Austria
On Saturday, January 11, J. J. King will be performing with his orchestra at the Kitzmantelfabrik in Vorchdorf. The live concert "My Way" is based on an Elvis show in Las Vegas. On Saturday, March 22, the show can be experienced at the Stadttheater Gmunden. The tour then continues. Elvis forever!