Jimmy ellis biography

Jimmy Ellis (February 26, 1945 - December 12, 1998) was born in Orrville, Alabama on February 26th of 1945. 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. 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. Ellis hailed from Orrville, Alabama and began his recording career in 1964. In 1972, he worked for Sun Records (Presley's label) with producer Shelby Singleton in Nashville. His first two singles were covers of two of the King's former hits, "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky."

Life as "Orion"[]

Shelby Singleton of Sun International decided to disguise Ellis' identity on his first Sun single, "That's All Right (Mama)"/"Blue Moon of Kentucky" (Sun 1129), leaving listeners to speculate that the songs might be alternate takes of Elvis' first first two songs. Instead of listing Ellis' first album on the label, Singleton printed a question mark. 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). Charlie Rich sang along with Lewis on two other songs. Again, the speculation was that Elvis had sung on the songs, particularly "Save the Last Dance for Me".

In 1979, Jimmy Ellis finally merged with an identity, but it still wasn't himself. He appeared as Orion Eckley Darnell, the character created August 16, 1977, by a Marietta Georgia, housewife Gail Brewer-Giorgo. Her 1978 novel Orion told the story of a rock and roll singer, very much like Elvis, who faked his own death.

On Orion's 1979 debut album, Reborn(Sun 1912). Ellis appeared on the album cover wearing a mask over his eyes. The album featured some excellent songs including "Ebony Eyes", "Honey", and "Washing

A Celebration of the LIfe of Jimmy Ellis

This special program is a celebration of Jimmy’s career as a musician and mentor. It is being planned by his long time collaborator, colleague, pianist and composer, Miguel de la Cerna, and hosted by vocalist, Joan Collaso, to whom he gave her first professional singing opportunity as he did so many Chicago musicians. Jimmy was a long-time Hyde Park resident whom the neighborhood enjoyed hearing perform annually at the 4th of July parade. He was a DuSable graduate, having studied there with the famous band teacher, Capt. Walter Dyett. Jimmy's brother, Morris Ellis (deceased), was a popular Chicago trombonist and band leader. His niece, Diane “L’il Sax” Ellis, was an award winning Chicago music teacher and professional saxophonist until a stroke prevented her from continuing these professions. Jimmy had performed in all the major jazz clubs and was an in-demand performer. He passed away two months ago. We are honored to celebrate his life and impact.

Biography of Jimmy Ellis

James Wallace Ellis, a native Chicagoan, graduated from DuSable High School in 1950 after four years of full participation in concert and stage bands. Under the direction of Captain Walter Dyett, Ellis played clarinet in the concert band alto sax in the stage band receiving a four year scholarship to Florida A&M College. He attended Vandercook Music College and The Chicago Conservatory of Music. Ellis has worked with such notables as Nat "King" Cole, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Sun Ra, Sammy Davis Jr., Sarah Vaughn, King Kolax Band, Jimmy Dorsey, Pearl Bailey, Duke Ellington Orchestra under the direction of Mercer Ellington, Louie Belson and many others. Some musical compositions by Ellis can be found in the archives of theater and TV musical drama, such as Oscar Brown Jr., Val Gray Ward of Kuumba Theater and Jackie Taylor of Hull House Theater of Chicago. As Artist in Residence, Ellis directed the Olive Harvey City College

American boxer

For the rockabilly singer, see Jimmy "Orion" Ellis. For the soul singer, see The Trammps. For the other boxer named Jimmy Ellis, see Jim Ellis (American football). For similarly-named people, see James Ellis.

James Albert Ellis (February 24, 1940 – May 6, 2014) was an American professional boxer. He won the vacant WBAheavyweight title in 1968 by defeating Jerry Quarry, making one successful title defense in the same year against Floyd Patterson, before losing to Joe Frazier in 1970.

Early life

He was born one of ten children. His father, Walter, was a pastor, and Ellis was brought up as a Christian. As a teenager he worked in a cement finishing factory. He also sang in the local church choir, later joined by his wife Mary. He continued church involvement all his adult life. In his youth he admired the boxer Joe Louis.

Amateur career

Ellis got into boxing as a teenager after watching a friend box a fellow Louisville youngster Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) on a local amateur boxing television show called Tomorrow's Champions. "I had a friend of mine named Donnie Hall, and he fought Ali," Ellis said. "Donnie lost, and I thought I could maybe be a fighter then." Ellis went with Hall to Louisville's Columbia Gym, where the coach was a police officer named Joe Martin.

Ellis won 59 of 66 amateur bouts and was a Golden Gloves champion. He boxed Ali twice as an amateur, with Ali winning the first bout and E

Jimmy Ellis. (November 15, 1937). Vocalist who came to prominence as the lead singer in American disco and soul band, The Trammps.

The Trammps were an American disco and soul band, who were based in Philadelphia and were one of the first disco bands.

The band's first major success was with their 1972 cover version of "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart". The first disco track they released was "Love Epidemic" in 1973. However, they are best known for their Grammy winning song, "Disco Inferno", originally released in 1976, becoming a UK pop hit and US R&B hit. After inclusion in the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, the song was re-released in 1978 and became a US pop hit.

History

From early 1970s to the dissolution in the early 1990s

The history of the Trammps grew from the 1960s group The Volcanos, who later became The Moods. With a number of line-up changes by the early 1970s, the band membership included gospel-influenced lead singer Jimmy Ellis, drummer and singer (bass voice) Earl Young, with brothers Stanley and Harold 'Doc' Wade. Members of the Philadelphia recording band MFSB played with the group on records and on tour in the 1970s with singer Robert Upchurch joining later. The group was produced by the Philadelphia team of Ronnie Baker, Norman Harris and Young, all MFSB mainstays who played on the recording sessions and contributed songs.

Their debut chart entry came via an upbeat cover version of the standard "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart", featuring Young's bass voice, which became a Top 20 US R&B chart hit in 1972.

Their first few recordings were released on Buddah Records, including "Hold Back The Night" which was a hit in the UK and on the Billboard R&B chart in 1973, before a re-release saw it climb the U.S. Hot 100 two years later. Several R&B hits followed during a stay with Philadelphia International subsidiary, Golden Fleece (run by Baker-Harris-Young) before they signed to Atlantic Record