International award-winning Elvis tribute artist, Ryan Pelton will perform “An Elvis Christmas Show” at 8 p.m. on Dec. 13 at Penn’s Peak.

Pelton, who is also an actor and singer/songwriter, often refers to himself as the “Forest Gump” of the world of Elvis tribute artists, and claims he’s been blessed with an extraordinary amount of dumb luck.

In September of 1998, his mother dared him to enter a local Elvis contest in Columbus, Ohio. At the time, he was building websites for a living and didn’t know much about Elvis, except people kept telling him he looked like a “young Elvis.” Despite only having one week to prepare, he entered the contest and won.

“I remember having to write the lyrics on my hand, because I wasn’t familiar with any of the songs,” Pelton said. “And keep in mind, I had never sang before in my life before that first contest.”

Pelton’s days as a website designer were soon over, as he wanted to pursue the entertainment world. Over the next decade, he honed his craft becoming an international, award-winning Elvis Tribute Artist. In 2001, he was declared the “World Champion” when he won the Worldwide Images of the King Contest in Memphis. He has performed all over the world, from casinos to fairs, theaters to festivals, production shows to professional sports arenas and performed for tens-of-thousands of people.

Pelton has performed with the world’s largest impersonator production show, Legends in Concert, for nearly a decade. Early in his career, he appeared in an all-Elvis version of The Weakest Link, where he walked away the winner of the second largest total ever won on the show in the United States. He has appeared in an international commercial for Volvo, was the featured performer in a special collector’s “Elvis Edition” of TV Guide, and was the body double for Elvis as he performed a duet of “If I Can Dream” on American Idol with Celine Dion. During this time, he also appeared as the role of Elvis in the Dakota Fanning move, “Hounddog.”

In 2011, Pelton decided to take his career to the next level and released his first original album, “Wash Over Me.” Within a week after the release, he was signed as a song writer by a well-known Nashville publishing company.

Shortly after, Pelton was offered the lead role in a Hollywood film called “The Identical” and took on the screen name “Blake Rayne” for the film, which also starred Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, and Seth Green. The film won the audience choice award for best film at the Nashville Film Festival. It is currently a top 10 rental on Netflix.

Pelton returned to performing as Elvis in 2015 launching a new show called “The Elvolution.”

He still writes and records his original music under the name of Blake Rayne, and is currently working on his first original album under that name. But have no doubt – Pelton got his first break in entertainment by singing Elvis Presley music, and he has no plans to stop what got him where he is any time soon.

“Life is like a box of chocolates… and I got the one that looks like Elvis! I consider myself lucky… and I owe so much to Elvis. Without the King and his music, I’d still be building websites,” he said.

Tickets on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets, the Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant and Bar. Penn’s Peak Box Office and Roadies Restaurant ticket sales are walk-up only, no phone orders. Regular reserved seating cost $22, and premium reserved seating is $27.