Derbyshire writer Sally-Anne Martyn on Elvis, Blackpool and recommended reading

No, I was not at a Dreamboys performance, but at Blackpool’s ‘I Can Dream’ – an Elvis Tribute Act competition, but trust me, the excitement is just as palpable.

I remember exactly where I was when I heard that Elvis had died. We were driving over the moors to Sheffield when the news came on the radio. Four-year-old me leant over from the back seat (no seatbelts in those non-risk averse 70s) and poked my head between mum and dad as we listened in silence and shock. I was very young, but I still understood this immense loss. The most beautiful man, with the most beautiful voice, was no more, and I would never get the chance to see him when I was old enough to buy my ticket to America…But then there was this weekend.

If (like I was) you are unaware of the Elvis tribute phenomenon, you may imagine that it’s all bad wigs and the odd ‘u-hu’ between karaoke level renditions of the King’s back catalogue, but you’d be wrong. At competition level things are as serious as a HMRC inspector scanning tax returns in February. Everything has to be right. The voice is paramount, but every other detail too. If you want to Jailhouse Rock then put your bejewelled jumpsuit back in the wardrobe as it just won’t wash (or dry clean I suspect, what with all those jewels) with the judges.

We were there filming, and so I had access to all areas. There were some moments, exhausted from a long day’s work, I walked into the dressing room area and felt like I was hallucinating. Elvis’s as far as the eye could see, limbering up and gazing into mirrors perfecting their make-up. The contestants come from all walks of life, but what unites them is an absolute love of Elvis. You cannot be cynical when you enter the world of Elvis Tribute Acts, if you’re there just for the adulation of women (trust me, there’s more mania at these shows than the last day of the Harrod’s sale) then you may as well hang up your embellished belt now.

There were also performances from established tribute acts, including one from Bill Cherry, cited as one of the best in the world. How do you compete with the King? Well let me tell you, there were moments during that performance when I truly felt I was in the presence of Elvis Presley, he has to be seen to be believed. He even gave out scarves a la Elvis, but as invested as I was, I wasn’t getting in the middle of that scrum. I learnt my lesson years ago at a Rolling Stones concert when Ronnie Wood tossed a plectrum to me. I had reached out to catch it and was rugby tackled to the ground by an overzealous fan, who snatched the plectrum and part of my fingernail with it. Lesson well and truly learned.

And so, I left Blackpool exhausted, dazed and scarf less, but with the knowledge that the little me in the back of the car would be beaming. She finally got as near to seeing Elvis perform as will ever be humanly possible.

From rock stars to reads, here are my reading recommendations for March.

‘Sick to Death’ by Derby native Chris Bridges, is a about a young woman called Emma who is sick, but not in the way you think she is. This dark and twisty thriller will have you gripped right to the very last page!

‘The Lost Passenger’ by Frances Quinn is a gripping historical drama about a young mother who starts a new life in New York after faking their deaths on the Titanic.

Sally-Anne Martyn was born and grew up in Derbyshire on a diet of Hammer House & Tales of the Unexpected. Much of the inspiration of her work comes from that time, and the strong working class women she was surrounded by.

Her latest book, The Beauty Queen, is available to buy on kindle or paperback on Amazon.co.uk and you can follow Sally-Anne on Instagram: @sallyannemartyn FB: @sallyannemartyn Website: www.sallyannemartyn.com