Watch Marti Pellow pay tribute to Elvis Presley with smouldering cover of ‘It’s Now Or Never’

25 June 2026, 15:17

They could both melt hearts with a single note.

Whilst Glasgow-born Scotsman Marti Pellow might've seemed a world away from Memphis' most famous son in Elvis Presley, they certainly shared similar qualities.

Wet Wet Wet became one of the biggest pop bands of the 80s and 90s thanks to Pellow's sumptuous voice.

Elvis, of course, could also work his way around a ballad or two, despite being renowned as the 'King of Rock and Roll'.

It's not exactly news to anybody to say that they were both incredibly dashing gentlemen too, which certainly helped them swoon the masses.

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Naturally, countless musicians worldwide considered Presley to be their idol, his influence spreading via radio stations and turntables in every country on the globe during his reign.

One such musician was Marti Pellow, who was inspired to become a singer himself after spending his childhood listening to Presley's music.

So it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pay tribute to his hero after Pellow was invited to perform at a concert in honour of Elvis Presley in 1994 – and he stole the show.

Whilst he was certainly influenced by him in terms of Presley's showmanship, and vocal stylings when it came to the more romantic aspects of his music, Pellow was no carbon copy of Elvis Presley.

So, to some, Wet Wet Wet's inclusion on the bill for a concert to pay tribute to the King might have raised a few eyebrows.

Held at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tennessee and curated by famed producer Don Was, the lineup was littered with stars.

Bryan Adams, Michael Bolton, Faith Hill, INXS' Michael Hutchence, Tony Bennett, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kris Kristofferson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Mavis Staples, heck even Iggy Pop got the chance to pay tribute to the King.

But it was widely accepted that Marti Pellow made the night his own with his gorgeous performance of 'It's Now Or Never'.

Wet Wet Wet - It's Now Or Never - Elvis: The Tribute Concert (1994)

On an evening where past and present collided, many artists who performed on the night decided to put their own spin on Elvis' songs.

Wet Wet Wet however decided to play it simple and lean into the sauntering style of the original.

With his only daughter Lisa Marie Presley and her new husband Michael Jackson in the audience, the heat was on to impress.

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Whilst the audience inside the arena enjoyed the re-workings of Elvis' songs, the viewers watching the televised performance weren't quite as enamoured.

That was until Marti Pellow stepped on stage with Wet Wet Wet – smouldering with his long luscious locks of brown hair – and captured everyone watching within the palm of his hand.

His choice was Elvis song to sing would've also been music to the ears of Elvis fans worldwide, as Elvis once revealed that 'It's Now Or Never' was the favourite song he ever sang.

'It's Now Or Never' was inspired by Elvis' time in the US Army, having heard the Italian song 'O Sole Mio' whilst he was stationed in Germany.

After falling in love with the song immediately, he asked his record company to write an English translation for him as soon as he returned to America.

At the time, people would have cast doubt on the King of Rock and Roll taking on a song with a traditional melody.

In 1957, Frank Sinatra made his opinion clear on Elvis, saying: "When he goes into something serious, a bigger kind of singing, we'll find out if he is a singer."

Predictably, 'It's Now Or Never' was a huge hit for Elvis, sitting at the top of the US charts for a total of five weeks.

It was a perfect choice for Pellow to sing in tribute to his idol, which saw Wet Wet Wet receive the biggest standing ovation of the entire concert.

Their headline-stealing performance at the star-studded tribute concert capped off an incredible year for Pellow and his Wet Wet Wet bandmates.

It was the year where 'Love Is All Around' dominated the global charts, with Pellow becoming an instant heartthrob.

The concert became a full-circle moment for Pellow, who would count Elvis as the man who influenced him to pursue a career in music himself.

Ever since he has felt a special connection to Memphis, even stating in a 2010 interview with The Times: "If it's cool for Elvis, it's cool for Marti."