It’s not everyday you get to work with Elvis Presley, but at Merriwa we have the pleasure of working alongside Elvis in Wodonga! New to Merriwa, Elvis joined the team last month and is a joy to have on our team.
Having started at Wodonga and working one day per week, Elvis feels like he is part of the team already, “I love it here (at Merriwa), everyone is friendly, they treat me with respect and all of the staff are great.”
Elvis is a local performer and says every performance is special, “I love performing, it makes me feel really good. I can perform at private functions including weddings, parties and birthdays and my favourite songs to perform are That’s All Right Mama, Hound Dog and Blue Suede Shoes.”
“One of my most memorable performances was at the Elvis Festival in Parkes, NSW. I was able to get up and sing five of Elvis’ songs and will return to the festival in January 2023.”
Elvis also spoke of his trips to America, visiting Memphis, Nashville and Chicago, “We visited Graceland in Memphis and it just felt like home to me. We walked through the house and it has 23 bedrooms and the grounds are just amazing. We were also able to meet the Cash family (Johnny Cash) after a show in Nashville and that was incredible. Our next trip to America will be to Las Vegas and I can’t wait for that.”
Elvis’ talents go far beyond his musical ability and performances, and he is widely involved in his local community, participating in ten pin bowling, guitar lessons and playing AFL for the Wodonga Bulldogs (formerly Wodonga Jets).
Starting AFL at the age of 8, his passion for footy continues as he barracks for the Sydney Swans and he plays locally in the all abilities AFL competition, “I’ve played 549 games of footy and kicked 549 goals. I play full forward and love it, the club is great.”
His Support Worker Bob Reid is proud to be involved and support Elvis, saying “He is very independent and has a lot of drive and determination, and loves being involved in the community. We catch up for coffee and we have a laugh and say how embarrassing it is walking around because everyone stops to so hi and chat to Elvis!”
