HULL'S very own Elvis Presley is to star on a TV talent show in Finland.
In his youth, Kevin Edward Stocks, 50, was compared to The King in working men's clubs all over the city and the north of England.
Now, he will appear on The Voice of Finland – the Scandinavian country's version of hit BBC show The Voice.
Mr Stocks, originally of North Hull Estate, left the city in 1988 to work as an entertainer on ferries commuting between Finland and Sweden in the Baltic Sea and was even in a Finnish band called Finnbeat.
Mr Stocks will be one of only about 80 contestants to perform after thousands of hopefuls applied.
He said: "It's been a long journey."
Mr Stocks revealed how he was required to send a video audition to TV producers
He said: "They came back to me and asked me to audition in Helsinki.
"It is quite amazing because they said 'yes' and then I got into the 'The Voice decides' round."
For his audition, Mr Stocks steered away from Elvis and instead performed "It's Not Unusual" by Tom Jones.
He said: "It's quite an achievement for a Hull lad.
"I am proud of my town and I will be flying the flag."
His sister Patricia Stocks, 67, who still lives on the north Hull estate, said she is extremely proud of his achievement.
She said: "He is famous all over Finland now.
"Our mum and dad also had marvellous voices and he will do it for them because they gave up everything for him. He has worked so hard and I'm just so thrilled for him to get through to The Voice.
"I believe he is a wonderful singer and an all-round entertainer."
Ms Stocks said her brother still loves his home city.
"Kevin is a Hull lad and was brought up on the north Hull estate," she said. "So it's a great accolade for Hull."
Ms Stocks said he left his job as an entertainer on the ferries after he settled down with his family.
"To me, he is fantastic," she said. "He's never had a singing lesson in his life, but he can sing and play guitar."
Mr Stocks, who speaks Finnish and fluent Swedish but sings in English, will perform a duet with a partner on the show.
He attended a language school for 18 months to learn basic Finnish when he emigrated.
As well as appearing on TV, Mr Stocks has also achieved another dream.
Nine years ago, he travelled to the home of country music, Nashville in the US, to record a tribute album for the late singer Jim Reeves.
Shadows Of Jim was recorded with renowned music producer Dick McVey, who has worked with Nashville legends Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash.
Mr Stocks even sang into a microphone once used by Elvis Presley.
His latest album, The Man With The Golden Voice, was released this year.
Fans can listen to him singing classic Finnish rock songs Stars Stars and Mary Leen in English – the first person to do so.
Mr Stocks said: "The CD has done pretty well and is being played all over the radio in Finland."
The fourth series of the Voice of Finland will be broadcast in the country on January 2.
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