For a proud man who had so much wanted recognition as Jimmy Ellis - not Elvis Presley - we can only imagine how galling and emotionally and psychologically scarring this was!. This is a fan site. 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. He also had a great personality with a quick wit. Jimmy had the voice and charisma that drew you to him. A special thanks to Shelby Singleton, Sun Records; Bobby Smith, Boblo Records; Wayne Hodge, Stargem Records;Jim Hardin, Kardina Records; and Jerry Adams, Flatland Records, and Nick "Scott" Pettafor producing all the great Orion-Jimmy Ellis-Ellis Jamesmusic that will last a lifetime..Thank you!!! ORION: The Man Who Would Be King, a film by Jeanie Finlay 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. We are told that the documentary is moving along but, as with many projects, monetary donations would be appreciated to help get to completion. The book is also available along withtheReborn CD (the first LP on Sun by Orion). Please tell our readers about this and how they can order. All three are being held without bail and are facing the possibility of the death penalty on two counts of capital murder, authorities said. EIN: Given you have a great singing voice why didnt you pursue a recording/performing career? Scan of the German cassette release LET YOUR LOVE FLOW on the Sun/Bellaphon label. Super rare memorabilia from the start up of the singing career of Jimmy Ellis! That day, Elaine Thompson, his x-wife was filling in for Shirley Connell who had gone home to Memphis for the weekend. Scan of the 8 track cassette release TRUCKS, TRAINS & AIRPLANES on Gusto Records. [1] He attended Orrville High School, where he excelled in baseball, football and basketball. We put the official web site www.orionjimmyellis.comtogether three months before his tragic death in December 1998. For almost 5 years the Orion phenomenon captivated its natural audience, not only in the US where fans had easy access to Orion, but also overseas - somewhat surprisingly given it was a snail mail, pre-tabloid, pre-Internet era. Ellis first album appearance for Sun was as an unidentified singer singing duet with Jerry Lee Lewis on ten tracks of the 1978 album Duets (Sun 1011). Jimmy continued, commmenting on the frustration he felt when he would have to stop the recording session because Shelby Singleton had arranged for a tour group to come through the studio: Now, what's the priority. 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. Bobby D.: Not very much except recording at home when the mood strikes. Tell us about that. Ellis entered Middle Georgia College on an athletic scholarship, then transferred to Livingston State University. This blog does not store any files on its server. How many Elvis tribute artists have had 10 Top 100 hits on the Country Music Chart? 1 1953-56'In Depth Book Review: 'Aloha From Hawaii' 40th Anniv LEGACY CD Review: Aloha From Hawaii - The Concert 2013- EIN Exclusive Review: 'Prince From Another Planet In-Depth Review: Once Upon A Time: Elvis and Anita (Memories of My Mother) - Book Review: 'A Boy From Tupelo' special In-depth Review: 'The Elvis Files Vol. When you find it, write your name and date in the logbook. Scans of the unofficial CD titled JIMMY ELLIS THE SINGLES. Ellis hair and long sideburns were dyed black, and he dressed in a loud, bejeweled polyester jumpsuit, with a mask to protect him from crazed fans. Posted by dokkeberg@hotmail.com in Top, Uncategorized and tagged as, 0 Comments / Ellis recorded an album under his own name, Sometimes Words Just Get In The Way, for a small label in . Bobby D.: Yes, that is just my natural voice. Orion was well-known in the sixties and seventies for having a singing voice. Lets hope this music finds a way out at some other point. How many Elvis tribute artists made a living without singing Elvis songs for most of their career? In later years after the breakup with Sun, Jimmy and I got back together for visits in Memphis. Orion had several hits on the country music chart, including "Am I That Easy to Forget" (1980), "Rockabilly Rebel" (1981), and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (1981). ..replaced with a completely new cover and no coffin! Jimmy was a really good guitar player and very musically inclined. Jimmy Ellis (Orion) - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (live 1989) 21,230 views Nov 5, 2014 218 Dislike Kenneth Dokkeberg 677 subscribers Jimmy "Orion" Ellis live at Hillbilly Heaven on. EIN: Does it surprise you that Jimmy still has so many fans nearly 20 years after his tragic death? He was NOT an impersonator, as he tried desperately to explain. Among the titles are 'Such A Night', 'Honey', 'Patches', 'Ebony Eyes', 'Rocky', and 'Release Me'; the complete overdubs with Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Charlie Rich, and Carl Perkins, plus many previously unissued titles. Directors Statement Who was that masked man? The book has been a huge task with 12+ years of research. That one along with the first original album now on CD - Orion Reborn are offered for $8.95 each. was blessed with a natural singing voice remarkably similar to Elvis. 3. http://www.elvisinfonet.com/spotlight-orion-2014.html, The Tonight Show from NY with Jimmy Fallon. : Since Elvis' explosion onto the world stage in the mid 1950s there have been countless Elvis tribute artists, imitators, impersonators, stylists and sound-a-likes offering and emulating a watershed musical icon. At one point he even released the single Im Trying Not to Sound Like Elvis. During his time with Sun, Ellis/Orion cut over 11 albums and toured with the Oak Ridge Boys, Jerry Lee Lewis, and other stars like Dionne Warwick. )more than 20 items including coffee mugs, beer steins, calendars, mouse pad, t-shirts, sweat shirts and clocks, is the only Elvis stylist who nearly 20 years after his tragic death still elicits interest from his fans, is promoted today by a commercial company operating in his name, has several websites devoted to his life and music, had several of his recordings featured on the soundtrack of a number of films, has featured in a number of documentaries about music in the southern states of the USA, is the subject of a documentary film being released in 2015. In 1999, the famed German company, Bear Family Records, released a 4CD box set of 108 Orion recordings: From the pr for the box set: It was Orion Eckley Darnell, keeping the flame of rootsy Southern music alive in the Seventies, and doing it by sounding remarkably like Elvis Aaron Presley. Cover scans of any CD's on the unofficial Masked Man label. The upcoming Orion documentary being done by Jeanie Finley in England should broaden exposure. Scan of the 8 track cassette release ORION 20 ALL TIME FAVORITES. Two years before she had begun a novel about a musical superstar, Orion, who faked his own death to find much-needed peace and privacy, based on the circumstances surrounding Elvis death. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Jimmy Ellis (19214)? Inevitably, being born 10 years after Elvis, his struggle could never be won. Orion Jimmy Ellis - The Official Web Site Welcome!! You know , it was like, here I am creating this and doing the work. Shawn. Also like Elvis (surviving twin), he experienced an early life major event when, at the age of 4, he was adopted by Robert and Faye Ellis. Then it happened. I really like the way he sang songs that Elvis never recorded in versions that still sounded a lot like Elvis. the story behind Bobby D's friendship with Jimmy Ellis, how Jimmy felt about his "Orion" character. In 1972, he worked for Sun Records (Presleys label) with producer Shelby Singleton in Nashville. This site is very much a "work in progress" and is being updated all the time. The album featured some excellent songs including "Ebony Eyes", "Honey", and "Washing Machine". We were in the same dorm building on campus at Middle Georgia College in Cochran, GA. Every morning from my room I would hear this loping sound of cowboy boots coming down the hall and some guy humming and singing lowly. Pinterest. After the first blast, which left the 53-year-old Ellis mortally wounded and crawling for safety, the gunman turned his weapon on the singer's 44-year-old ex-wife, Elaine Thompson, who was on a stool behind the counter. Jimmy Ellis (born February 26, 1945 - died December 12,1998) was born in Orrville, Alabama on February 26th of 1945. Ellis made a public confession in 1983 admitting he was Orion. Take a look at the following table for more information. I finished college with a BBA while my wife worked, and I got the GI Bill. 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. Scan of New Zealand release of the JERRY LEE LEWIS - DUETS album (Sun L27036). On December 12, 1998, Jimmy Ellis and his ex-wife were both shot and killed by a man who was robbing his pawnshop in Alabama. Very soon after Jimmy entered the store, a young black guy came in carrying a sawed off shotgun and demanded money. Leave a comment or question. He once said: you cant make it on someone elses coattail. How many Elvis tribute artists are still remembered nearly 20 years after their death? He travelled to Nashville and tried to break into the music business - but found. [8], In 2015, film-maker Jeanie Finlay released a documentary film, after pitching it at Sheffield Doc/Fest's 2013 MeetMarket, about Ellis' life and career, Orion: The Man Who Would Be King. He also recorded several albums for Sun between 1979 and 1981 and built up a substantial live following, still wearing his mask. Newspaper adverts and reports of his numerous appearances also very much appreciated. Jimmy came from a Christian family and held his belief in God the Father throughout his life. Bobby Dillard was a close friend of the late Jimmy Ellis.the man who, wearing a mask, became a key part of the 'Elvis is alive' movement, as the mysterious singer, Orion! Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi, USA. It has hundreds of unseen photos, interviews with musicians and other people close to Jimmy. '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. 5 1969-70' Book Review: 'From Hawaii to Las Vegas' FTD CD Review: 'Young Man with the Big Beat' In-Depth Review: 'Fashion For A King' FTD in-depth Review: The Music of Elvis Presley - Australian Radio Show, Elvis Presley In Concert "downunder" 2006, Graceland - The National Historic Landmark. His first two singles were covers of two of the King's former hits, "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky.". Help us spreadthe word about our cinema releaseby signing up for an ORIONtweetor aFacebookpost here onThunderclap. Once Jimmy signed with Sun Records in Nashville, we drifted apart.me with my career and Jimmy trying to make it in the music industry. and goes by the name He could laugh about most anythinghe was alot of fun at home and especially on stage!! ", and it was rumored that they were alternate takes from Presley sessions (despite featuring an electric rather than string bass). Raised in Orrville, Alabama, Ellis began his recording career in 1964. Given you have a great singing voice why didnt you pursue a recording/performing career? Here is the bizarre story of Jimmy Ellis, or, as he was also known, Orion. We put the official web site www.orionjimmyellis.com together three months before his tragic death in December 1998. . 'My voice is both a blessing and a curse' (Jimmy Ellis/Orion during media interview), Controversial Sun Records 1978 Orion 'Reborn' (coffin) album cover. AVAILABLE HERE LOWER PRICE! The records were endorsed as genuine Presley recordings by the song's co-writer Doc Pomus, the music journalist Roy Carr, and the TV show Good Morning America which undertook a voice comparison test of the song against Presley's voice. Unfortunately, despite the fact that most of the songs he recorded were not covers of Elvis songs, he could not escape the uncanny similarities between their natural voices. Again, he was who he was period. He is a phenomenon in his own right albeit because of his Elvis connection - a connection which figuratively haunted him throughout his tragically, shortened career. The sale is temporary to offer fans who missed these CDs the first time around a real deal. I'm Leavin'.Despite an initially (somewhat) artistically and (somewhat) financially beneficial arrangement for Jimmy Ellis, eventually the combination of an increasingly unfulfilling and unwanted masked career as an Elvis sound-a-like confronted his primal burning desire to be recognised and appreciated as "himself". EIN: Your friendship with Jimmy Ellis. What you see is what you get. The other lady fell to the floor with blood on her and played dead while Jimmy tried to crawl behind a computer desk. had 10 Top 100 hits on the Country Music Chart in the US! A talented athlete, Jimmy was awarded a two-year athletic scholarship at Middle Georgia Junior College and was courted for a baseball career and a tryout with the Milwaukie Braves but turned it down. Bobby D.: No, not really. 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. 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. [1], At the start of his music career, Ellis sang in nightclubs and, in 1964, released a single, "Dont Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch," for a small Georgia label, Dradco. EIN often receives requests for information on these releases. On this website you will find the latest Orion/Jimmy Ellis news along with other info you might find useful. A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY. When Jimmy would come for a visit to my house in the early days, it was like Elvis was comingthere was electricity in the air. Thanks, Nigel!! One of them, a tall guy with a buzzed haircut, was sitting on a single bed by an old record player and a reel-to-reel tape recorder. Links to Orion / Jimmy Ellis sites. In his insightful interview, Bobby D. reveals what (the real) Jimmy Ellis was like off-stage and covers a range of subjects including: Bobby D. operates the official Jimmy Ellis/Orion website and is a singer himself. Orion had several hits on the country music chart, including "Am I That Easy to Forget" (1980), "Rockabilly Rebel" (1981), and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (1981). [3], On December 12, 1998, Ellis was murdered during a robbery in his store, Jimmy's Pawn Shop. 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. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. had a stage presence which entranced his fans, did not want want to be an Elvis imitator, for most of his career did not make a living singing and performing Elvis songs, had fans who travelled (often as a family) up to 500 miles to see him perform, is the only Elvis stylist to have had an album replaced due to controversy, is the only Elvis stylist to have a best-selling book published about his persona.

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