ELVIS fans near Warrington have helped save the Mississippi ranch where the 'King became a cowboy'.

Not-for-profit group The Circle G Foundation spent four years campaigning to secure the future of the Circle G Ranch in Horn Lake where the Jailhouse Rock singer spent his honeymoon.

The Lowton campaigners worked with a group of investors who agreed to buy the ranch for around $4million.

Now they have twice the reason to celebrate in their blue suede shoes as Elvis would have been 80 on January 8, 1935.

Their shared aim is to restore the property and open it to the public and proceeds from The Circle G Foundation's Elvis birthday party will be donated towards a plaque for the site.

Lesley Pilling, founder of The Circle G Foundation, which has more than 50 members and ambassadors in 15 countries, said: "I've been an Elvis fan since I was seven so I knew about the ranch and the fact that Elvis spent his honeymoon there and it was a place where he could escape from the pressures of his life.

"Priscilla Presley is on record as saying that the time at the ranch was probably the happiest of their married life and she believes that the ranch is the only place that Elvis found peace.

"My organisation is run by Elvis fans so we all realised how important it was to try to save it and secure its future.

"When I visited for the first time in 2010 it was literally rotting away by the roadside. I made a promise there and then to do what I could to save it.

"We're thrilled that our vision for The Circle G Ranch is the inspiration for the plans and having personally seen phase one of the restoration underway we can't wait to see the ranch open to visitors in 2015. I can honestly say that Elvis has the most amazing fans."

The Circle G Foundation's celebrations of Elvis's 80th will be held on January 9 and 10 at The Jury’s Inn in Liverpool.

Guests will be able to take part in an auction to bid on some special items including an autograph that Elvis signed just a week before his death.

Tickets are on sale until Saturday., December 27. Visit circlegfoundation.com