WEYMOUTH'S Elvis Presley impersonator, Jumpin' Jimmy Thunder is all shook up now that his life-long ambition to visit Graceland is within reach.

Thanks to a series of special fundraising events, Jimmy smashed his cash target of £1,500 to visit the home of 'The King' in the USA.

Jimmy, 59, who is a cult singer in Weymouth and a living legend on the pub circuit for his outrageous shows, launched an appeal to afford the rock pilgrimage.

Now overjoyed organisers say Jimmy will be pulling on his blue suede shoes and walking through Memphis next month because his funds have swelled to £2,100.

Alicia Watkins, the owner of Seahaven Residential Care, where Jimmy lives, organised the Graceland trip for residents.

To help raise cash for Jimmy's ticket, she arranged for him to perform at a charity concert at Weymouth Pavilion.

Dennis Spurr, who runs the Fantastic Sausage Factory in St Mary Street in Weymouth, beefed up the appeal by selling limited edition special recipe sausages. Donations and pledges from local businesses and people have also poured in.

And Jimmy - real name Adrian Still - added £5 a week out of his benefits money to the pot. He said: "I am over the moon that my dream will come true and I am very much looking forward to finally getting to Graceland.

"I want to say 'thank you very much' to everyone who helped to raise this money, especially the British Legion, the armed forces and all the local businesses."

Outgoing Mayor for Weymouth and Portland Joy Stanley is a great supporter of Jimmy's act. She said: "It's absolutely wonderful to see someone achieve their lifetime ambition. Jimmy deserves it - he has given a lot of people a lot of pleasure during the years."

Organisers are going ahead with a gig to raise extra cash for the Graceland trip at the Waverley Arms in Abbotsbury Road, Wey-mouth, on Sunday, May 26, at 8.30pm.

Support acts Barry Hobson and singing sisters Michelle and Angela Gilmour will also perform.

Mrs Watkins said: "Our original target of £1,500 was to cover the costs of the plane fare and accommodation, but Jimmy would love to have extra pocket money.

"So come along, have a good night and help us make Jimmy's dream come true in style.

"Tickets cost £3 on the door or can be obtained in advance by calling Geoff Field on (01305) 787917."

Jumpin' Jimmy Thunder has been impersonating Elvis for 44 years and performed countless charity gigs.

He was also a former prospective parliamentary candidate for the Monster Raving Loony party and appeared with the late party leader Screaming Lord Sutch.