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.: It was a pleasure. If you can add to the info given please e-mail me. Jimmy was very happy we did this and he liked getting a periodic check for CD sales. 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. A Brief Biography - new Oriondiscs website One of Music's Biggest Conspiracy Theories: Was the Pop Star Orion The answer is: ONE! Sundance Selects acquires Orion: The Man Who Would Be King for US Theatrical release. After attended Middle Georgia College and Georgia Southern College before joining the USAF. Jimmy Ellis (born February 26, 1945 - died December 12,1998) was born in Orrville, Alabama on February 26th of 1945. Today. She was 16 going on 21 and I was 21. The book that started it all (in classic conspiracy fashion, its 'first edition' featured two 'author' names!!). Orion: The Man Who Would Be King - poignant story of Elvis soundalike : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------. ***Orion - Jimmy Ellis: The Official Web Site***: (includes news, photo gallery, Books, CDs and DVDs 'For Sale' and 'Free' MP3 downloads), (includes brief Orion biography, worldwide Jimmy Ellis/Orion discography info, bootleg info and gallery of the many different Orion masks), ***Orion Merchandise (available online) from Cafe Press***. For the next 10 years Jimmy would balance music and his business interests. As Orion, Ellis reached Billboard's country chart with nine singles. In 1962, Ellis entered the Orrville (Alabama) High School talent show. In its way, the story underscores some of the dark, disturbing aspects of image-making, music marketing, and how the music industry builds stars but destroys individuals. Jimmy "Orion" Ellis Bobby knew a lot of people in the business and was a producer for King Records at one time. 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! He then dropped the gun, fled the store and drove off in a car with two accomplices, authorities said. After his "unmasking" more and more fans accepted Orion was not Elvis, and for those who could not let go of the King a new theory took form - yes the original Orion wasn't Elvis but the real (still alive) Elvis was replacing Jimmy Ellis on stage at various concerts! Watch a fascinating interview in 1979 with both Orion and Gail Brewer-Giorgio promoting his career and Ms Brewer-Giorgio's "Orion" novel, (BTW, the back story to the "Orion" novel, full of dirty dealings, "he says-she says" and legal machinations, is deserving of an article all to itself!). James Hodges Ellis (born James Hughes Bell, February 26, 1945 December 12, 1998), who used the stage name Orion at times in his career, was an American singer. He once said: you cant make it on someone elses coattail. The controversial 'Reborn' album with its "coffin" cover. Bobby then immediately offered Jimmy a recording contract. Along the way, and particularly towards the end, Jimmy was not happy with the whole thing. and goes by the name EIN: You operate the official Jimmy Ellis/Orion website. That eventually led to Sun Records in Nashville. It is written by myself (Kenneth Dokkeberg), Steve Kelley (Orions road manager) and Bobby Dillard (personal friends since College). My mom had bought me GI Blues and a new record player when I was only 10 years old and I would try to play some of the songs and sing. With Jerry Adams, Sharon Attaway Nettleton, Gail Brewer-Giorgio, Boomer Castleman. For the musician also known as Orion, see, "Jimmie Ellis and the Appolos: Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch", "U.S. Supreme Court won't review cases of two Alabama death row inmates", "Orion: The Man Who Would Be King review wonderfully weird | Film", "Orion: The Man Who Would Be King (2015)", "British Independent Film Awards 2015: the winners in full", "Sundance Selects acquires 'Orion: The Man Who Would Be King' for US Theatrical release", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jimmy_%22Orion%22_Ellis&oldid=1135156032, This page was last edited on 23 January 2023, at 00:00. In high school his teachers encouraged him to sing for the school's "Religious Emphasis Week," leading him to enter his first talent contest in 1963. To see the film clip and make a donation, please click on the link below. Click on the LP and 45 rpm records page. Orion Jimmy Ellis - The Official Web Site Welcome!! No breach of copyright is intended or should be inferred. Think of it as an online flash mob. Join the OrionThunderclap, and you and [], "If Elvis is alive, You tell your friends who tell their friends who tell their friends WHAT IS THUNDERCLAP? "He just opened fire in seconds and hit Mr. Ellis in the side.". 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 began by overdubbing him onto recordings by Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Charlie Rich, and then recording solo albums which many fans thought were better than many of Elvis's later LPs. How many Elvis tribute artists have several websites devoted to them. Bobby D.: Actually, I know there are bootleg ones out there, but Im not familiar with all of them. You can make comments on the tab provided, or on Facebook at "Orion Jimmy Ellis Fan Club" or "Orion Jimmy Ellis Group". Watch the stunning trailer for Orion The Man Who Would Be King. The Kissin Cousins movie was on at the local theater, and I had seen it recently. And, you wonder if helistened to "Ebony Eyes" and the rest of the LP. Sung By . Bobby had recorded Otis Redding and Wayne Cochran plus many local bands. 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). I never gave up music and a friend and I played at a local pub for extra money while finishing school. Jimmy was, and still is, my favorite Elvis sound-alike singer. Jimmy "Orion" Ellis - Wikipedia 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. Scan of the cassette release BY REQUEST, ELLIS SINGS ELVIS. Jimmy then met with Phil Walden, owner of Capricorn Records (the Almond Brothers Band and others) in Macon and was offered a contract, but since Jimmy was under age at the time his parents wouldnt let him sign.another huge mistake. The film is being produced by Jeanie Finlay, a British artist and filmaker. : Aloha From Hawaii - The Concert 2013- EIN Exclusive, Elvis at Madison Square Garden 40 Years Ago. Oh well, it is publicity!! Memorial ID. The album featured some excellent songs including "Ebony Eyes", "Honey", and "Washing Machine". was courted for a baseball career and a tryout with the Milwaukie Braves but turned it down. (EIN Comment: Bobby D. should get back to playing "live" - he is naturally gifted with a great voice!). They vociferously took advantage of, and preyed upon, those Elvis fans, the "true disbelievers", who had a deep seated need to disbelieve a more prosaic, greed fuelled reality and motivation for the carefully constructed "Orion" character. We have a limited supply of this1979 hardcover version of the book "Orion" by Gail Brewer-Giorgio. your own Pins on Pinterest He started the album on the record player to play Echoes of Love. The Dan Lentino Management Group in Las Vegas is honoring Orion / Jimmy Ellis posthumously with a lifetime achievement award. The Elvis Information Network has been running since 1986 and is an EPE officially recognised Elvis fan club. If you sat in a room with him and heard him sing Happy Birthday, the National Anthem, or Its Now or Never, he sounded exactly the same. [9][10][11] The film won the Discovery Award at the British Independent Film Awards 2015. Popular Ellis/Orion bootleg releases included titles such as Crazy on the Blue Danube and Jimmy In A Viennese Cellar. If you have further details on any releases not included or would like to trade Orion recordings or material please drop me an email. He was 53 years old. 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. Besides, I had childhood issues that I was not good enough. Take a look at the following table for more information. Jimmy said: Ill kill you, and we had a big laugh. 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. Orion to recieve Lifetime Achievement Award in Las Vegas! The film is being produced by Jeanie Finlay, a British artist and filmaker. A lot of the people traveled many miles to see himsome were on a tour of Nashville from England andGermany andhad made the trip to see Orion. Orion Feat.jimmy Ellis.ch Even before the Orion phenomenon had really taken off he released a self-penned single on the small Boblo label, I'm Not Trying To Be Like Elvis. I often wonder what that would have done for Jimmys career since Phil Walden was nationally known. Given you have a great singing voice why didnt you pursue a recording/performing career? He travelled to Nashville and tried to break into the music business - but found. Similarly, there was an incontrovertible and diametrically opposed outcome for each side. Scans of the unofficial CD titled JIMMY ELLIS THE SINGLES. Backed by the Jordanaires and opening act Sherry Carlisle, Orion sang to a packed house on August 12, 1997 at Nashville's Nightlife Theater. Bobby D.: I suppose I just want to continue to help get Jimmys name and talent out there for people to enjoy what was missed. He loved to have a good time, loved to sing and entertain. Thanks for your help!. Our biography book on Jimmy Ellis is now available here on this website! Being in a band, we did some Elvis songs, and I was a big fan and knew Elvis voice well. How many Elvis tribute artists have a fan club with more than 15,000 members? Production costs turned out to be too high compared to the demand on the box set, making the release too economically challenging to make. I really like the way he sang songs that Elvis never recorded in versions that still sounded a lot like Elvis. That voice!.While he had a natural Elvis-like singing voice, throughout his adult life Jimmy strove to be recognised as a serious artist in his own right, a person who was inherently a wonderfully talented and gifted entertainer whose magical presence touched many people.That talent was genetically pre-determined and embryonically, DNA dictated.its essence was not because he sounded remarkably like Elvis! Ellis was born in either Pascagoula, Mississippi,[2] Orrville, Alabama,[3] or Washington, D.C.,[1] United States, into a single parent home. Oct 7, 2013 - Orion Jimmy Ellis - The Official Web Site. was blessed with a natural singing voice remarkably similar to Elvis. 26th. Genesis.Jimmy Hughes Bell was born on 26 February 1945 to a single mother (named) Gladys. In 1972, he worked for Sun Records (Presley's label) with producer Shelby Singleton in Nashville. Bobby D. on YouTube (who does Bobby sound like? 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. Jimmy had the voice and charisma that drew you to him. Orion Videos | NASA How many Elvis tribute artists have had any unofficial album releases let alone 150 bootleg albums released? Jimmy Ellis music, videos, stats, and photos | Last.fm Pinterest. A hit record or some fuckin' tour we did that on many a time. In later years after the breakup with Sun, Jimmy and I got back together for visits in Memphis. Sundance Selects plans Dec 4 release theatrically and on demand. His first two singles were covers of two of the King's former hits, "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky.". Add your masked portrait to I Am Orion, THE ROLLERCOASTER RISE AND TRAGIC FALL OF THE So if you filmed him, recorded him or are in possession of anything I might be interested in then do not hesitate to take contact with me thru my e-mail: jimmyellisfan@yahoo.no, All Rights Reserved. (Orion) Jimmy Ellis He Has A Great Voice And We Loved All Of His Music. If you want to support the artist or artists that recorded and released this music, please go and purchase their music. Excitement - Orion (Jimmy Ellis) was fun loving, had a great sense of humor, and a great personality. Many thanks again and all the best for the future. The shot missed, and then Lee allegedly turned his attention to the cash register, which he knocked off the counter after he could not open it, Huffman said. 3. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. We put the official web site www.orionjimmyellis.com together three months before his tragic death in December 1998. Jimmy "Orion" Ellis - Conservapedia 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: Bobby, you currently have a special offer on the site. In their illuminating examination of the infamous 'Elvis Underground' and activities around the belief Elvis did not die in 1977, Professors R. Serge Denisoff and George Plasketes addressed the Orion phenomenon. We join the Ellis family and friends and fans all . For one side, they would quite naturally (and self-directed), psychologically rationalise and morph their needs to maintain internal equilibrium and ongoing personal and social engagement.for the other side his outcome would be economically directed and physically terminal, as his 'what if' life diverted to a course which outwardly may have offered some degree of financial and personal satisfaction, but one which (pragmatically) was also underpinned by a volatile socio-economic environment which could potentially (and did) result in a seriously intense incident or incidents: Jimmy Ellis' new (primary) career as a bail bondsman and pawn shop proprietor would very sadly, very unfairly, result in his violent, premature death on 12 December 1998. Jimmy "Orion" Ellis - Recordings - MusicBrainz EIN: What did Jimmy say to you about his career as Orion? How many Elvis tribute artists have commercially produced memorabilia released about them? Orion the Movie His first two singles were covers of two of the King's former hits, "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky." The upcoming Orion documentary being done by Jeanie Finley in England should broaden exposure. New 2016 DVD release of the award winning documentary on the life and career of Jimmy Ellis. 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. His voice was similar to Elvis Presley's, a fact which he and his record company played upon, making some believe that some of his recordings were by Presley, or even that Presley had not died in 1977. JIMMY ( ORION ) ELLIS - LIVE ON STAGE 70s - YouTube he wears as mask In 1972, he worked for Sun Records (Presley's label) with producer Shelby Singleton in Nashville. fanoscoatings.com Informacin detallada del sitio web y la empresa To see the film clip andmake a donation, pleaseclick on the link below. The Elvis Information Network home to the best news, reviews 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. JIMMY ELLIS, LTD., LIMITED PARTNERSHIP 1975 CONTRACT RARE! Ellis made a public confession in 1983 admitting he was Orion.