The Gleaner

Sylvain Leduc, the talk of Toronto

le mardi 29 novembre 2016
Modifié à 0 h 00 min le 29 novembre 2016
Par Eric Tremblay

etremblay@gravitemedia.com

The perfect Elvis. Sylvain Leduc received the ultimate recognition in Toronto when he was awarded best impersonator of the King of rock and roll by the public and jury at the prestigious, professional Flaming Star competition on the weekend of November 12 and 13.

"I think I am probably the only one who received standing ovations both days of the competition," declared the big winner. "The jury presented me with nice comments on my voice, look and attitude."

In the preliminary round, he sang You Gave me a Mountain and Suspicious Mind, while in the next round he sang Just Pretend and Hurt.

In the finals, he picked the last number which meant that Sylvain Leduc did not have first choice of songs, but his complete mastery of many Elvis Presley hits allowed him to meet the challenge. "For sure I had done In the Ghetto," said the Valleyfield native. "I then sang You Gave me a Mountain again for which I'd had good reviews."

He was then crowned winner in the professional category of this prestigious competition which took place at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Toronto.

New heights

With each competition, the real estate agent gains more prominence. His confidence is up at the moment, enough that Sylvain Leduc is dreaming of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest which takes place next August in Memphis.

"It's the highest you can go," he explained. "Toronto was not sponsored by Elvis Presley Enterprise, but I'm aiming for other competitions in Niagara Falls, Lake George and Collingwood which could allow me to qualify."

Apart from competitions, the very believable Elvis impersonator has a few performances on schedule and some nice projects lined up. Between now and the end of the year, he will perform at Pavillon Wilson on December 9 and in a number of residences.