Orion Jimmy Ellis - The Official Web Site Michael Stevens ORION Almost ELVIS Official American Singers Orion Elvis The Man Official Jimmy Ellis "Orien" Graham Carpenter Elvis Aaron Presley Waiting In The Wings Apocalypse Ellis Jimmy Interview Boomer on Shelby. [13], "Orion (musician)" redirects here. Jimmy Ellis, the soulful lead singer of the Trammps, whose 1970s hit "Disco Inferno" was immortalized in the film "Saturday Night Fever," died on Thursday in Rock Hill, S.C.He was 74. 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. Scan of the German cassette release LET YOUR LOVE FLOW on the Sun/Bellaphon label. 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. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. iTunes, Amazon) and not physical discs. 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 . He also recorded several albums for Sun between 1979 and 1981 and built up a substantial live following, still wearing his mask. If you have further details on any releases not included or would like to trade Orion recordings or material please drop me an email. I could not believe what I was hearing. Well, Jimmy finally had enough and took the mask off at a New Years show in the Atlanta area in 1981. We only index and link to content provided on other servers. One of them is Orion's Reborn LP and he plays a snippet of "Washing Machine" written by Jimmy Ellis. We put the official web site www.orionjimmyellis.comtogether three months before his tragic death in December 1998. Instead of listing Ellis' first album on the label, Singleton printed a question mark. 'My voice is both a blessing and a curse' (Jimmy Ellis/Orion during media interview), Controversial Sun Records 1978 Orion 'Reborn' (coffin) album cover. [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. The answer is: ONE! http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/orion-the-man-who-would-be-king, A Georgia-based writer,Gail Brewer-Giorgio concocted a tale about a charismatic rock 'n'roll singer,Orion Eckley Darnell,who came to be called 'King' because of his enormous popularity across the world.However. Directors Statement Who was that masked man? No breach of copyright is intended or should be inferred. Jimmy Hodges "Orion" Ellis Sr. The album featured some excellent songs including "Ebony Eyes", "Honey", and "Washing Machine". The film, which had its world premiere at Tribeca and won [], Calling all Orion fans and film supporters. Singleton duly took Orion back to Elvis's roots in rockabilly, rock 'n' roll, country, blues, and gospel. Ellis entered Middle Georgia College on an athletic scholarship, then transferred to Livingston State University. [4] Aged two, he moved with his mother to Birmingham, Alabama, where he was put up for adoption and, aged four, was adopted by R. F. and Mary Faye (nee Hodges) Ellis. The upcoming Orion documentary being done by Jeanie Finley in England should broaden exposure. He was 53 years old. 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. 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. This dynamic performer differentiates himself from all others for a number of reasons. Ellis was born in either Pascagoula, Mississippi,[2] Orrville, Alabama,[3] or Washington, D.C.,[1] United States, into a single parent home. Fittingly, his legend lives on, and quite ironically, both as Jimmy Ellis and Orion! Thanks for your help!. NASA.gov brings you the latest images, videos and news from America's space agency. 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. Our biography book on Jimmy Ellis is now available here on this website! At that point Shelby was done with their arrangement and so was Jimmy. ..replaced with a completely new cover and no coffin! With few bookings for Jimmy Ellis 'live on stage' there was still a substantial (albeit diminishing) demand of fans to satisfy their deep-seated psychological need and hope that their King had not left them. Consequently, this meant Jimmy could only get well paying work if he donned the Orion mask and (to him) even worse, an Elvis jumpsuit. The crew had also made a pretty decent copy of the blue mask Orion wore on the Reborn album. Ellis made a public confession in 1983 admitting he was Orion. The jury recommended Lee be sentenced to life without parole, but the judge sentenced Lee to death. 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. It was part of a comedy sketch with artists not to play. On Orion's 1979 debut album, Reborn (Sun 1912). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------, A selection of the many colorful Orion masks, each with its own name. Jimmy had the voice and charisma that drew you to him. EIN: Jimmy Ellis, the person.away from the stage or recording studio. That's not recording. Bobby D.: As mentioned before, it was Elaine Thompson, Jimmys ex-wife and another lady who normally worked at the store. Who was he? His first two singles were covers of two of the Kings former hits, Thats All Right and Blue Moon of Kentucky.. Bobby D.: Yes, that is just my natural voice. Again, he was who he was period. Then, he introduced me to Jimmy Ellis, the guy by the tape recorder who had said nothing. '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. I responded: gosh Jimmy what if I did. EIN: Given you have a great singing voice why didnt you pursue a recording/performing career? 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. A Tribute to the "Masked Man": Jimmy Ellis aka "Orion". 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! In 1962, Ellis entered the Orrville (Alabama) High School talent show. Other LP/CD's Featuring Jimmy Ellis/Orion, Other LP's/CD's featuring Jimmy Ellis/Orion, Other LP & CD's Featuring Jimmy Ellis/Orion, Stargem/Kardina/Southern Tracks Promo Photos. The world lost a great singer. His hectic touring schedule as Orion also restricted Jimmy's time to write songs and this must have also added to the frustration with his career. Pascagoula, Jackson County, Mississippi, USA. I love music too and do some song leading at church. Running time: 86 minutes in full colour. Jimmy said: Ill kill you, and we had a big laugh. You know , it was like, here I am creating this and doing the work. And that's the way it was. Singleton then persuaded Ellis to start appearing as "Orion", wearing a small mask with dyed hair and in similar clothing to that worn by Presley. compilation added to various unofficial releases page. SUBSCRIBE FOR ARTIST + LABEL NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, EVENTS AND MORE. Scan of the 8 track cassette release TRUCKS, TRAINS & AIRPLANES on Gusto Records. 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. While friends of the singer Jimmy Ellis have speculated that Orion could well have been The King's half-brother. He said, "Don't worry about it, you don't buy the fuckin records anyway." The music industry is filled with many strange tales of artists whose lives took unexpected turns on the winding road to success, but the saga of singer Jimmy Ellis is perhaps one of the weirdest of them all. 3. Scans of the unofficial CD titled JIMMY ELLIS THE SINGLES. This blog is for preview purposes only and all music downloaded should be deleted within 24 hours. A real EP story. During that same year, with record in hand, I took Jimmy Ellis to Macon to meet Bobby Smith at his recording studio. On this website you will find the latest Orion/Jimmy Ellis news along with other info you might find useful. Explore. There is no media rate for international shipping, but we are covering part of the high shipping cost. Death 12 Dec 1998 (aged 53) . [9][10][11] The film won the Discovery Award at the British Independent Film Awards 2015. These titles and their eye catching specially made front covers would appear to be exclusively for internet downloads (eg. Bobby D.: Jimmy's story and music is important- he was very talented - and these releases will celebrate his life and career. I really like the way he sang songs that Elvis never recorded in versions that still sounded a lot like Elvis. This site is very much a "work in progress" and is being updated all the time. I couldnt quite make out the voice. THIS SITE IS DEDICATED TO JIMMY ELLIS "ORION" THE MUSIC & LEGEND OF THE MAN WHO HAD THE VOICE OF A KING. HEARTBREAK HOTEL By the time he was a teenager, it was clear that Jimmy Ellis had two talents: singing, and inadvertently sounding almost exactly like Elvis Presley. Some listeners believed that Orion was, in fact, Presley, who had supposedly faked his death. Sundance Selects acquires Orion: The Man Who Would Be King for US Theatrical release. EIN:Jimmy Ellis, the personaway from the stage or recording studio. EIN often receives requests for information on these releases. Thanks for your help! He loved to have a good time, loved to sing and entertain.