A TRIBUTE artist, who was sued by Meatloaf for being a 'dead ringer' for the Bat Out Of Hell star, is to perform in Warrington this Saturday – as Elton John.

Club singer Dean Torkington lost a legal battle which started in 2011 and was ordered to pay $25,000 and $4,769 costs after a California court ruled that Dean Torkington was an online imposter.

Dean used the website meatloaf.org to capitalise on the artist's celebrity status for 12 years.

But now the 53-year-old is making a comeback with his show, Legends of Rock, and he will be paying tribute to Elton John at Apple Thorn Village Hall from 7.30pm this Saturday.

But it gets stranger still because Dean's act also features tribute singer Pete Moore as Meatloaf.

Dean said: "It's really weird because I look at him and think: 'That used to be me'. But I've been an Elton John fan since I was 12.

"I've got an uncanny knack for imitating voices and I used to sing all his albums when I was a kid."

Dean split up with his partner in 2010 and at one point was living in his tour bus as a result.

The stress caused him to shed 12 stone which meant he was thinking of dropping his Meatloaf act anyway.

The Clitheroe resident added: "When I lost all that weight I walked out on stage and heard people sniggering. I lost that authority as Meatloaf as when I was 23 stone I looked like him and that was the whole point.

"I used to worship Meatloaf and what upsets me about all this is that he's had troubled times with debts and relationship problems and at the time I was really struggling."

But it has not put the singer off.

Dean, who also performs tributes to Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Freddie Mercury and Aerosmith, said: "I love singing and performing. It's the only thing I'm good at really. I've been doing it for 25 years."