WHEN David Thibault sings, it’s as if Elvis never left the building!
The 16-year-old’s pitch-perfect performance of The King’s holiday classic “Blue Christmas” drew more than eight million viewers on YouTube – and turned him into an overnight sensation.
Now he’s slated to sing at Presley’s home, Graceland, on Jan. 8, which would have been the pop icon’s 79th birthday.
“Elvis is my hero,” the talented teen, who hails from a small town in rural Quebec, told The ENQUIRER in an exclusive interview.
“I went to Graceland with my mother on a bus tour last year, and I loved walking around the house where Elvis lived. I can’t believe I’ll be singing there.”
Recalling that trip, his mom Guylaine Jobin said: “Every time we walked into a new room or David spotted one of Elvis’ guitars, he grinned from ear to ear.”
Presley passed away at Graceland on Aug. 16, 1977 – two full decades before David was even born. But the youngster’s grandfather got him hooked on the legend.
“My grandfather loved Elvis and often played his records for me,” said David.
“I liked the way Elvis performed, and he became my favorite singer.”
Amazingly, David speaks with a heavy French-Canadian accent, but when he sings and plays guitar, he channels Elvis flawlessly.
“I don’t try to sound like Elvis,” noted David. “But when I start singing, that’s how my voice comes out.
“After people told me I sounded like him, I began performing at Elvis impersonator shows and contests. Audiences started screaming as soon as I sang the first words to a song. It was great.”
Not only does David’s voice come out like pure Tupelo honey, on stage he’s got the whole package – the black pompadour, provocative “Elvis the Pelvis” hip swivel and patented sneer.
A DJ from Quebec’s CKOI spotted David when he won an Elvis impersonator contest recently and invited him to sing “Blue Christmas” on the air.
A video of that performance exploded on YouTube, and since then, David has stunned hosts on the “Today” show, performed on Ellen DeGeneres’ talk show and signed a record deal with Universal Music Canada.
“When David came to school after singing on ‘Ellen,’ girls met him in the hallway crying as if he was the real Elvis Presley,” marveled his school principal, Frederic Page.
David’s mom added: “I’m super proud of David and I love listening to him perform like Elvis. Sometimes, I can’t believe he’s my son!”
Meanwhile, David is basking in his newfound fame.
“All this attention is like a dream,” he said. “I’m not sure how to handle it, but it’s fantastic, and I’m trying to take advantage of it.”
