North London Food & Culture

Video: Dave Holman, 70, Elvis impersonator

Hidden Heroes is a series of six short films made by North London Cares. In the first, meet The King. Or rather, longstanding performer Dave

Dave Holman is 70 and music is his purpose. For forty years he’s roamed the bars and streets of north London, draped in blue suede shoes and golden Vegas strides, performing Elvis numbers for strangers.

Over several decades people all over Kentish Town, Camden Town, Angel, Holloway and especially The Cally have come to embrace “Dave Elvis” as one of their own, offering greetings and encouragement at every corner.

Meeting his fans: Dave
Meeting his fans: Dave
And wandering the more urban parts of north London, you can’t miss him. In an age when entertainment is ubiquitous but cheap, Dave maintains an element of classic showbiz: bold, glam, overstated. Now in his 70s, he still performs every day because he loves the art form and the music.


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Dave is the subject of the first of our six short films produced by North London Cares with filmmaker Tim Marrinan. Each celebrates local “Hidden Heroes” – our older neighbours in Camden and Islington, the lives they lead, their passions, and their ongoing contributions to the people and the communities around them.

This piece follows Dave around the bars of Soho and in his studio, talking about his life, his community, and his love of the King. If you like it, please share it.

Next week meet 74 year old Kentish Town black cab driver Johnny, who drives us around his manor.

Alex Smith is founder of North London Cares, a volunteer network matching young professionals to older neighbours in need of help, social connection or companionship. Find out more about them here


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The award-winning print and online title Kentishtowner was founded in 2010 and is part of London Belongs To Me, a citywide network of travel guides for locals. For more info on what we write about and why, see our About section.