IT’S now or never for a North-East student, after he landed a touring contract as an Elvis impersonator.

Mark Nixon, from Ushaw Moor, County Durham, has won a deal to tour Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the USA and the UK fronting an Elvis tribute act.

But the contract, with RCA – part of Sony Music Entertainment, shouldn’t prove “too much” for the 24-year-old, as he has been impersonating the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll since he was 11.

He has recently toured the Balearic Islands and even legally changed his name to Mark Elvis Nixon.

Maggie Etheridge, his former lecturer, said: “Mark has an enormous talent. Not only does he have the natural dark good looks of Elvis Presley but his singing voice is an amazing tribute to the King.

“To be signed by Elvis’ own record company to be their official Elvis is an amazing honour for a young man from County Durham and he has beaten off competition from American talent.”