Ellis continued recording and performing through 1983 as Orion, and scored only one more minor hit before trying to break his Sun contract to become a recognized performer in his own right. The name Orion was borrowed from a book about a very famous but unhappy singer who faked his death in a desperate bid to escape from . 'The Wedding' Elvis & Priscilla EIN special Spotlight: 'Elvis In Ottawa' Spotlight & Elvis Interview: 'Elvis: Live at the International' Book Review: Elvis By Special Request '71 At 40 (Book Review): "Kissed By Elvis" Janet Fulton Interview: "ReBooked At The International'- in-depth Review: 'The Elvis Files Vol. EIN: What did Jimmy say to you about his career as Orion? It has hundreds of unseen photos, interviews with musicians and other people close to Jimmy. Then he started the tape recorder and put the little microphone down by the record player and sang with the song overlaying Elvis voice with his. I hope people will remember that some of the masters are owned by us and others over in Norway/Denmark. Bobby D.: It was a pleasure. Only Jimmy Ellis/Orion can lay claim to these remarkable achievements (and he could only be categorised as an Elvis tribute artist in his final years, well after his seminal period as the masked man, Orion). [3], On December 12, 1998, Ellis was murdered during a robbery in his store, Jimmy's Pawn Shop. Allyson Adams 'The Rebel and The King' Interview: EIN interviews John Scheinfeld director of 'Fame & Fortune', Elvis Paradise Hawaiian Interview - with Peter Noone, Sam Thompson, Elvis' bodyguard, 2011 Interview. To The Official Orion - Jimmy Ellis Web Site All LP Albums Now on Sale These Classic LP Albums from Sun Records are new and sealed and will never be made again. Who was that masked man?.Sadly, the convergence of artistic, commercial and greed/fame infused forces which would shape Jimmy's future meant he became a pawn in a multi-faceted promotional campaign involving author Gail Brewer-Giorgio (9 years before her best-selling non-fiction books asking if Elvis really died in 1977) and new Sun Studio owner, Shelby Singleton, when because of his voice Jimmy was marketed as the mysterious, masked singer, Orion. 6 1971-1973' Book Review: 'Elvis - The Man & His Music'#100 review: 'Elvis - Aloha Via Satellite: A 40th Anniv Release' Book Review: 'The Elvis Files Vol. Internet Downloads - new Oriondiscs website The album disc was on the record player. He started the album on the record player to play Echoes of Love. Jimmy Ellis Dies at 74; Lead Singer in Dance Band Trammps Adios till we meet again! A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY. Are they still available in 2014? That eventually led to Sun Records in Nashville. It is hold together by a stitch in the upper left corner. Then it happened. One of the guys asked me if I knew who that was singing on the tape recorder. http://www.elvisinfonet.com/spotlight-orion-2014.html, The Tonight Show from NY with Jimmy Fallon. He tells in great detail the story of Jimmy Ellis, a successful horse farmer who took over the family business in the small town of Orrville, Alabama. Bobby D.: Yes, that is just my natural voice. Ellis hailed from Orrville, Alabama and began his recording career in 1964. The controversial 'Reborn' album with its "coffin" cover. You tell your friends who tell their friends who tell their friends WHAT IS THUNDERCLAP? Spotlight article by Nigel Patterson, June 2014, (for the purposes of this article I will use the term Elvis stylist in reference to the person in question). February 1945 - 13th. Scans of the unofficial CD titled JIMMY ELLIS THE SINGLES. The film, which had its world premiere at Tribeca and won [], Calling all Orion fans and film supporters. Police later found Lee holed up in a motel about 30 miles outside Atlanta. Orion Jimmy Ellis - The Official Web Site It has 408 pages, harcover and a CD included with some of Jimmy's finest performances and also unreleased gems from the archives of Sun Records. The film tells the story of Jimmy Ellis, an unknown singer plucked from obscurity and thrust into the spotlight as part of a crazy scheme that had him masquerade as Elvis back from the grave. Links to Orion / Jimmy Ellis sites. It is pertinent to say that while Jimmy was fanatically worshipped by fans, it was Gail Brewer-Giorgio and Shelby Singleton (remember the infamous "Duets" album with Jerry Lee Lewis) who were banking the lion's share of money as the cash registers kept on "ching chinging" as Jimmy Ellis/Orion connected with an avid, loyal and increasingly fanatical audience. Excitement - Orion (Jimmy Ellis) was fun loving, had a great sense of humor, and a great personality. So, I have kept the site going since 1998. [9][10][11] The film won the Discovery Award at the British Independent Film Awards 2015. Youmans formed a small group and had Jimmy sing at a few local schools. We have a limited supply of this1979 hardcover version of the book "Orion" by Gail Brewer-Giorgio. Jimmy Ellis was one of the super talented yes like Elvis, Tom Jones, Engelbert my all-time favorite solo artists. One of them is Orion's Reborn LP and he plays a snippet of "Washing Machine" written by Jimmy Ellis. After attended Middle Georgia College and Georgia Southern College before joining the USAF. was blessed with a natural singing voice remarkably similar to Elvis. Boomer on Shelby. : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. ", and it was rumored that they were alternate takes from Presley sessions (despite featuring an electric rather than string bass). Ellis appeared with many artists, including Loretta Lynn, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tammy Wynette, Ricky Skaggs, Lee Greenwood, Gary Morris, and the Oak Ridge Boys. We put the official web site www.orionjimmyellis.comtogether three months before his tragic death in December 1998. Very sadly, it is possible, even probable, Jimmy Ellis never fully realised the enormity and significance of his impact as a recording and performing artist! So I said: come on, thats Elvis I have the album. In an, Georgia Pines CD - Playground Records Promo Card. Well, once all the other guys left, Jimmy and I sang until late in the night with me strumming a small red guitar he had borrowed and Jimmy and I singing Elvis and Beatles songs. It has 408 pages, harcover and a CD included with some of Jimmys finest performances and also unreleased gems from the archives of Sun Records. (Orion) Jimmy Ellis He Has A Great Voice And We Loved All Of His Music. Leave a comment or question, Jimmy Fallon made a mention of Orion and played snippets of Washing Machine on his show Monday, April 7, 2014. Source: www.orionjimmyellis.com & www.lasvegaselvisfestival.com, 1 Comments / He had perfect pitch, automatic vibrato, and wide range in his voice. These songs has appeared on other compilations or a collection of songs. The guys in the room were mostly the colleges basketball players. American vocalist (February 26, 1945 in Orrville, Alabama - December 12, 1998 in Alabama), also known as Jimmy "Orion" Ellis, and known for his close vocal similarity to Elvis. Official site; Kenneth Dokkeberg's Jimmy Ellis / Orion website; Musiclovers - Discography, audio samples and a lot more! He was professionally known as Orion, and his double-edged claim to fame was that his natural speaking and singing voice sounded almost exactly like that of [Elvis Presley]. How many Elvis tribute artists have several websites devoted to them. These titles and their eye catching specially made front covers would appear to be exclusively for internet downloads (eg. Please visit my own Jimmy Ellis page for information and links. How many Elvis tribute artists are still remembered nearly 20 years after their death? Orion was well-known in the sixties and seventies for having a singing voice. Singleton duly took Orion back to Elvis's roots in rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, country, blues, and gospel. Taken straight from the mastertapes. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Jimmy just could not help that he sounded like someone else EP. For unofficial publicity purposes Orion continued to strike a favorite pose for the cover of: (one of nearly 150 'unofficial' Jimmy Ellis/Orion/Ellis James albums - with a striking but obvious graphically altered 'rip-off' cover design/image of the "reborn" Sun Records "Reborn" LP - as with its origination - Orion's facial expression on the cover nicely reflects the album title), The Comeback.While Jimmy probably never wanted to resurrect the Orion character, there was an inevitable comeback. Copyright the Elvis Information Network. Today. As the Orion story unfolded, it was clear these forces played straight to the hearts and deep-seated psychological needs of many Elvis fans! . Help us spreadthe word about our cinema releaseby signing up for an ORIONtweetor aFacebookpost here onThunderclap. Here's a new link to an excellent Orion page done by Nigel Patterson with the EIN (Elvis Information Network) in Australia. I responded: gosh Jimmy what if I did. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________. If I Can Dream.The internal struggle that Jimmy Ellis had with his Orion alter-ego and his burning desire to record quality music appears to have been ever present. This site is very much a "work in progress" and is being updated all the time. Interview conducted by Nigel Patterson, EIN (July 2014), Read: EIN's 2014 "Jimmy Ellis/Orion" article. Perhaps critically, Jimmy had made a decision that a sporting future wasn't to shape the his story, and in so doing his future would be frustratingly shaped by his vocal chords as Jimmy's singing voice sounded remarkably like Elvis'. Lee's appeal against the sentence was refused by the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals on October 9, 2009,[7] and a writ of certiorari was denied by the Supreme Court of the United States in April 2018. EIN: Did he come to resent the Orion character and if so, how strongly? We are told that the documentary is moving along but, as with many projects, monetary donations would be appreciated to help get to completion. How many Elvis tribute artists have a fan club with more than 15,000 members? His natural voice was very similar to the voice of Elvis Presley, read more The . Thanks for your help!. The albums were quite popular, and Orion had three Top 70 hits, including Am I That Easy to Forget. He had four minor hits the following year, including the contemporary rockabilly song Crazy Little Thing Called Love, originally recorded by the rock group Queen. The CDs are offered on the official web site: www.orionjimmyellis.com. INTERNET DOWNLOADS. . [3], After Presley died in 1977, Singleton revived the hoax by releasing singles that overdubbed Ellis' voice onto known Sun recordings by Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and others, including a version of "Save the Last Dance For Me," [6] on which there was simply a credit to "Friend". Our biography book on Jimmy Ellis is now available here on this website! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRx7ice15YY, Backed by the Jordanaires and opening act Sherry Carlisle, Orion sang to a packed house on August 12, 1997 at Nashville's Nightlife Theater. Support Good Music. Being in a band, we did some Elvis songs, and I was a big fan and knew Elvis voice well. Jimmy was a really good guitar player and very musically inclined. Mr. When Jimmy Ellis decided to give up the horse business and decided to go after a singing career, he sold his horse equipment and formed a company called Jimmy Ellis Productions, INC. Here he sold stock in himself as he needed money before going to L.A. and pursue singing. For the next 10 years Jimmy would balance music and his business interests. Jimmy Ellis (with mask) as Orion (note his hair color), Orion (sans mask) as Jimmy Ellis (note his natural hair color), Above images sourced from the official "Orion-Jimmy Ellis" website. He said, "Don't worry about it, you don't buy the fuckin records anyway." Take a look at the following table for more information. The book that started it all (in classic conspiracy fashion, its 'first edition' featured two 'author' names!!). [5] His vocals closely resembled those of Elvis Presley, and in 1969 Shelby Singleton, who had acquired the rights to Sun Records' back catalog, other than Presley's recordings for the label, released a single of Ellis' recordings of Presley's early songs, "That's All Right (Mama)" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky". And, after I heard Jimmy, I knew I was not.>. He once said: you cant make it on someone elses coattail. Jimmy "Orion" Ellis Net Worth, Age, Height, Weight, Wife, Wiki, Family