Jelvis Pelvis has the streets of Belfast all shook up, but just who is this modern-day King of Rock and Roll? We sat down with him to get some inside facts about Belfast’s favourite street performer.
If you’ve been to Belfast in the past year, chances are you’ve come across this pelvis-shaking, rock-n-roll sensation. But what about the brain behind Belfast’s best-loved Elvis impersonator?
We held an exclusive interview with the star in order to reveal 25 inside facts about the TikTok street sensation.
1. He wasn’t always Jelvis – his ‘real-life’ pseudonym is Jordan Devine
His parents named him Jordan Devine, although he no longer answers to his birth name.
He told us, “People ask me what’s my real name, but you know my real name. It’s Jelvis; Jelvis is the real me”.
2. He’s from Strabane – a County Tyrone man
Jelvis hails from the small County Tyrone border town of Strabane. Despite its low population, this small town has produced other musical legends, such as chiptune master Chipzel and Ireland’s representative at Eurovision in 2013, Ryan Dolan.
3. He made the move to the Big Smoke to chase his dream – searching for stardom
Jelvis upped sticks and moved to Belfast in pursuit of stardom. He recognised that staying in his hometown might hold him back: “I needed to go to a city where I could get more recognition as a performer”.
4. He has been shaking his pelvis in the streets of Belfast since 2022 – one year of Jelvis
He recently celebrated his one-year anniversary in the city he calls Jelfast. He posted on Instagram to mark the occasion: “I’ve been Caught in a Trap exactly one year today”.
He went on to describe how “he turned on an amp on Ann Street and started shaking my pelvis and somehow that day managed to change my life because now it has become everything I know, live, and breathe”.
5. The first Elvis song he heard – the King’s debut single
Jelvis’s first exposure to his hero’s music was, fittingly, Elvis Presley’s debut single ‘That’s All Right’.
Released in 1954, the song is a cover of Arthur Crudup’s ‘That’s All Right, Mama’. The King’s cover of Bill Monroe’s ‘Blue Moon of Kentucky’ was the single’s B-side.
6. But it’s not his favourite Elvis cut – his Cornmarket soundtrack
While ‘That’s All Right’ was the first Elvis song that the Belfast street performer heard, it’s not his favourite. That honour goes to the 1969 cover of Mark James’s ‘Suspicious Minds’.
This will come as no surprise to anyone who has seen Jelvis belt this song out with gusto on the streets of Belfast.
7. He has legions of followers on social media – a dedicated Jelvis following
He has a total following of 38,700 followers across his social media platforms and an impressive Instagram following of 6,400, which is eclipsed by a whopping 32,300 on TikTok. For more TikTok sensations, see our article on the top 10 Irish TikTokers you should definitely be following.
8. Elvis appeared to him in a dream – the inspiration behind Jelvis Pelvis
The Elvis impersonator claims that the King appeared to him in a dream that inspired him to become Jelvis. He told us that Elvis still appears to him in dreams from time to time.
9. He believes that he is Elvis reincarnated – a part of his hero lives within him
While the dream served as the initial inspiration, Jelvis is driven by his belief that he is a reincarnation of Elvis. He told us, “A part of Elvis lives inside me, and he’s never going to leave, and I don’t want him to leave”.
10. He’s harboured hopes of being a star since he was eight – the first time he took up the mic
Back when he was Jordan Devine, the Belfast street performer started his life-long love affair with singing. He has been treating those around them to his dulcet tones since he was eight years old.
11. He first wowed an audience at the age of ten – born to entertain
Just two years after he started to sing, Devine performed in front of an audience for the first time.
While he didn’t perform under the Jelvis moniker at this fledgling point in his career, we can only assume that his gig was as significant as Elvis’s appearance at Overton Park Shell in Memphis, Tennessee.
12. He auditioned for The X Factor – his first brush with fame
As Jordan Devine, he auditioned for the 2016 instalment of The X Factor. He performed a cover of the Robbie Williams hit ‘Candy’. Unfortunately, none of the four judges picked him to progress.
13. He’s more at home in front of a large crowd – hampered by the small room set-up
We asked Jelvis if he could travel back in time, would he get through the first audition on The X Factor? “If I got an arena audition where I would have a large audience that I could entertain, then yes, I’d be confident I’d get through”, he remarked.
“But if I got confined to a small room with four judges, it wouldn’t feel as natural, and whether I’d win or not would be out of my control”.
14. He isn’t a fan of modern music – only the classics will do for Jelvis
Despite picking a Robbie Williams song for his appearance on The X Factor, Jelvis now has reservations about modern popular music and rarely listens to songs by current artists. “I’ve got Suspicious Minds about today’s music”, he explained.
15. He eats bacon baps every morning – the breakfast of champions
Jelvis has a bacon bap for his breakfast every morning to fuel his energetic dancing.
16. But he’d eat chicken curry and rice for the rest of his life – Jelvis’s favourite meal
Despite his love for the humble bacon bap, it seems that chicken curry is his favourite meal. We asked him what he would pick if he could only eat one food for the rest of his life, and he answered the classic chicken curry.
17. His favourite takeaway is Maggie Mays – a popular Belfast spot
His favourite takeaway food is from Maggie Mays. There are a handful of Maggie Mays locations across Belfast, but Jelvis’s preferred spot is the one on University Road.
18. You can probably guess his favourite movie – no prizes for this one
His favourite movie is, unsurprisingly, Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic of the King, Elvis. A fan gifted him a DVD of the film, which is one of his prized possessions.
When it comes to TV, his favourite show is the classic Only Fools and Horses.
19. He does birthday videos – not as expensive as you might think
We asked the Belfast Elvis impersonator if he’d heard any crazy rumours about himself. His response was that someone spread a rumour that he was charging £100 for birthday videos.
In fact, the price is much cheaper! You can get the Belfast street performer to wish you or your friends a happy birthday for the bargain price of a tenner.
20. He loves it when fans dress up – he’s not jealous when he sees another Elvis
One of Jelvis’s favourite things to see at a gig is another Elvis impersonator. “During my last show, someone came out in an Elvis suit”, he told us. “That was hilarious!”
21. He can’t see himself getting older – forever young
His ideal superpower is eternal youth. “I don’t know why”, he said, “but I’ve never been able to visualise myself as an older person”. We certainly hope he outlives his hero, though: Elvis tragically passed away in 1977 at the age of 42.
22. He has big hopes for the future – aiming for nationwide fame
While he loves performing on the streets of Belfast, Jelvis hopes that the future will see him land more indoor gigs across the country. “I’d like to get my name across the entirety of Ireland”, he told us.
23. He’s really caught in a trap – he can’t walk out
His dedication to his life as Jelvis is summed up by his favourite song. He told us, “I’m caught in a trap. I will never change, not because I can’t but because I don’t want to. I’m not Jordan anymore; I’m Jelvis Pelvis till the day I die”.
24. He has a message for his new fans – something you should know
We gave Jelvis the opportunity to send a message to the new fans he will doubtlessly gain as a result of this exclusive interview.
“I was born to be Jelvis, and I will always be there to entertain you”, he said. “The day there is no Jelvis is the day Jelvis is dead”.
25. He’s got his own line of merchandise – wear your support with pride
We collaborated with the man on an exclusive range of merchandise that has taken Belfast and beyond by storm. You can get your hands on your own Jelvis Pelvis t-shirt or hoody at our shop.
