A devoted daughter has organised an Elvis Presley charity evening in tribute to her late father who was obsessed with the singer.
John Hendley, who lived on the Beavers estate in Hounslow West, was such a big fan of The King, he spent his last night on earth belting out Love Me Tender - despite struggling to breathe due to lung cancer.
Daughter Sarah Hendley wanted to do something to honour his memory while raising money for The Mulberry Centre, which is based in the grounds of West Middlesex Hospital, in Isleworth, and supports people affected by cancer.
The charity evening, featuring Elvis impersonator Richard Charles Atkins and a DJ playing classic rock and roll numbers, will take place at Isleworth Working Mens Club, in St John's Road, on Saturday (July 18), from 7.30pm.
"Dad was a huge Elvis fan and would sing his songs whenever he had the opportunity, whether at home or at a karaoke night," said Sarah, who is also an admirer of the bequiffed hip-shaker.
"He died in February last year, the day after being told his cancer was incurable and he had two weeks to live.
"The night before he died he was still singing Love Me Tender, which was his favourite song, even though he could hardly breathe."
The Mulberry Centre supports people with cancer and their families, providing services including complementary therapies and counselling.
Mr Hendley, who was 76 when he died, never used the charity as he was not aware of it during his lifetime.
But Ms Hendley believes her father, who had seven great-grandchildren and used to stoke the engine on steam trains for a living, would have used the centre had he been aware of its existence.
"I've been really impressed by what The Mulberry Centre does, and it relies almost entirely on donations so I wanted to do something to help," she said.
Tickets for the charity Elvis evening cost £5 and can be ordered by emailing mulberrycharityevent@gmail.com or calling 0794 3143 244. Tickets will also be available on the door, subject to availability.
