by Anton Johan
July 4th marks the finals of the Elvis Tribute Artist World Cup competition in Cardiff, Wales.
Twelve national qualifiers compete for the title in this inaugural event, with Cardiff staging a two day July 4th festival weekend in honour of the competition.
UK bookies have opened a betting market for the outright winners of the Elvis Tribute, with Spain currently marked as favourites at 3/1.
Each of the twelve national qualifiers will be asked to perform two songs of their choice. They will be backed by Red Alert, who the competition organizers claim are recognized as the world's leading Elvis backing band.
Three finalists will be selected by the judges to return to the stage, where they will be asked to perform another two songs, before the final winner is crowned.
Countries that have qualified for the finals are as follows: Australia, Canada, England, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Malta, South Africa, Spain, the United States and Wales.
Spain's Simon 'The Rebel' Patrick, is a 37 year old singer whose favourite Elvis song is "If I Could Dream".
When asked what Elvis means to him, the performer replied: "Elvis is a true legend that has and still inspires the world to this day. It's important that us ETAs keep his legacy alive by performing in a respectful and professional manner. He will always be the king!"
Current odds on the outright winner:
Spain 3/1
Germany 10/3
Scotland 7/2
Malta 4/1
England 5/1
Ireland 10/1
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