DAZZLING from head to toe in an almost 10-kilogram bejewelled jumpsuit, Aaron W Mansfield will step on to centre stage to pay tribute to the King of Rock and Roll at this year's Parkes Elvis Festival.
The 42-year-old has spent countless hours studying the movements and voice of Elvis which has led him to become one of the top Elvis tribute artists in the country.
"Everyone has their own sorts of methods [to get into character]. I'm fortunate I've been singing since I was five years old," he said.
"It's more about getting the right look. I've spent a lot of time watching Elvis movies and studying the movements, listening to the way he talks and then bringing it together with the costume."
The entertainer will be dressed as 70's concert era Elvis in a suit made by B&K - the same company who made the King's costumes - as he competes in the Parkes Ultimate Tribute Artist Contest against 14 others from across Australia and New Zealand.
"The jumpsuit is worth about $5000, the wig costs around $2000 and it takes about 25 minutes to get the look with side burns and makeup," he said.
"The suit weighs about eight or nine kilos and the belt weighs about three kilos so I'm carrying a fair bit of weight by the time I'm dressed," he said.
The competition is part of a worldwide search for artists who are the best representation of the legacy of Elvis Presley, officially endorsed by Elvis Presley Enterprises.
Mr Mansfield said his Elvis journey began after first visiting the Parkes festival as a fan in 2014 and made the decision to enter the amateur Elvis competition.
"From there I was basically asked to go and do a competition in New Zealand called Elvis Down Under where I came second and I realised I've got something good going," he said.
At this year's Elvis festival he will be doing the Elvis tribute competition, the Roy Orbison show and performing at local venues.
"I actually tour the rest of the year as Roy Orbison so I'll do three or four different shows that take in a whole bunch of different artists, not just Elvis and I'm also the host of the official Parkes After Party," he said.
He said he was looking forward to heading to Parkes where an anticipated crowd of 25,000 will come together once again to keep the music of Elvis alive.
"The festival itself for me is about keeping that memory alive of Elvis. He was the greatest entertainer that the world has ever seen," he said.
"It's really interesting to watch how much love and adoration people have for him. It's like a big family essentially for me, and the rest of the Elvis tribute guys who dedicate a good portion of their lives recreating the magic that Elvis had and keeping people entertained."
"I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone and of course spending time with my family. I've got two beautiful children."
The festival starts on January 10 and runs through to January 14, following Elvis' birthday on January 8.
