Jimmy Ellis Interview- Going Off The Deep End

[WalterHaleJnr]

Rare interview without the mask. Jimmy 'Orion' Ellis talked about his near death experience. He was tragically killed in 1998.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvxkBqEUlQU

[Mountain Mist]

A scary experience

Thanks, Walter.

[strawberrysmoothie]

He sounds so much like Elvis, read up about him but never listened to his songs, heard he ripped his mask off on stage because he was fed up with being compared to Elvis. I like his voice.

[Luuk]

guns.jpg

[elvislady]

Thanks for sharing Walt...i did watch a Docu on Jimmy it was really good well worth a watch...heres some info...interestingly his birth mother and father were ca.led Gladys and Vernon!

Jimmy was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi on February 26, 1945, into a single parent home. His birth certificate states the mother as Gladys Bell and the father as Vernon (no surname).[2] When he was two, Gladys left Jimmy at the Montgomery Children's Home where he was put up for adoption. Young Jimmy was taken in by R. F. Ellis and his wife Mary Faye, where Jimmy's surname was changed to Ellis.

While not much is known of Jimmy's early musical development, he told Goldmine magazine in 1985 that his idols included Elvis, Ray Price and Eddy Arnold and that his first public appearance was at the age of 17 at Orrville High's "Religious Emphasis Week". He sang Peace in the Valley. Subsequently, Ellis won the finals of a statewide talent contest in Alabama where he sang Unchained Melody and The Days of Wine and Roses accompanied only by a piano. The prizes: a trip to the Ted Mack Amateur Hour and a $1,000 savings bond.

Ellis later settled into a two-year athletic scholarship at Middle Georgia Junior College in the town of Cochran. He transferred to Livingston State University where he started playing small clubs. He got a "One Shot Deal" with Challenger Records (MCA) in 1974 before moving to the small Boblo Records label. One of his five singles

On December 12, 1998 Jimmy Ellis was murdered in his Alabama pawnshop by one Jeffrey Lee during a robbery. Lee was later convicted of murder and sentenced to death. His appeal against the sentence was refused on 9 October 2009.[4]

[Luuk]

Jimmy Ellis was a great guy. I met and interviewed him here in The Netherlands in1981 or 1982.
At the same venue I also interviewed Shelby Singleton.

[Luuk]

Here you can listen to the concert and the interviews:

http://www.vintageafficionados.com/orionlive.html

[elvislady]

Here you can listen to the concert and the interviews:

http://www.vintageafficionados.com/orionlive.html

I cant listen to it Luuk, thanks for the link....was he a really nice guy to talk to? Was he very tall?

[Mountain Mist]

Thanks for sharing Walt...i did watch a Docu on Jimmy it was really good well worth a watch...heres some info...interestingly his birth mother and father were ca.led Gladys and Vernon!

Jimmy was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi on February 26, 1945, into a single parent home. His birth certificate states the mother as Gladys Bell and the father as Vernon (no surname).[2] When he was two, Gladys left Jimmy at the Montgomery Children's Home where he was put up for adoption. Young Jimmy was taken in by R. F. Ellis and his wife Mary Faye, where Jimmy's surname was changed to Ellis.

While not much is known of Jimmy's early musical development, he told Goldmine magazine in 1985 that his idols included Elvis, Ray Price and Eddy Arnold and that his first public appearance was at the age of 17 at Orrville High's "Religious Emphasis Week". He sang Peace in the Valley. Subsequently, Ellis won the finals of a statewide talent contest in Alabama where he sang Unchained Melody and The Days of Wine and Roses accompanied only by a piano. The prizes: a trip to the Ted Mack Amateur Hour and a $1,000 savings bond.

Ellis later settled into a two-year athletic scholarship at Middle Georgia Junior College in the town of Cochran. He transferred to Livingston State University where he started playing small clubs. He got a "One Shot Deal" with Challenger Records (MCA) in 1974 before moving to the small Boblo Records label. One of his five singles

On December 12, 1998 Jimmy Ellis was murdered in his Alabama pawnshop by one Jeffrey Lee during a robbery. Lee was later convicted of murder and sentenced to death. His appeal against the sentence was refused on 9 October 2009.[4]

What a sad, sad, story.

Thank you, elvislady.

[elvislady]

Thanks for sharing Walt...i did watch a Docu on Jimmy it was really good well worth a watch...heres some info...interestingly his birth mother and father were ca.led Gladys and Vernon!

Jimmy was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi on February 26, 1945, into a single parent home. His birth certificate states the mother as Gladys Bell and the father as Vernon (no surname).[2] When he was two, Gladys left Jimmy at the Montgomery Children's Home where he was put up for adoption. Young Jimmy was taken in by R. F. Ellis and his wife Mary Faye, where Jimmy's surname was changed to Ellis.

While not much is known of Jimmy's early musical development, he told Goldmine magazine in 1985 that his idols included Elvis, Ray Price and Eddy Arnold and that his first public appearance was at the age of 17 at Orrville High's "Religious Emphasis Week". He sang Peace in the Valley. Subsequently, Ellis won the finals of a statewide talent contest in Alabama where he sang Unchained Melody and The Days of Wine and Roses accompanied only by a piano. The prizes: a trip to the Ted Mack Amateur Hour and a $1,000 savings bond.

Ellis later settled into a two-year athletic scholarship at Middle Georgia Junior College in the town of Cochran. He transferred to Livingston State University where he started playing small clubs. He got a "One Shot Deal" with Challenger Records (MCA) in 1974 before moving to the small Boblo Records label. One of his five singles

On December 12, 1998 Jimmy Ellis was murdered in his Alabama pawnshop by one Jeffrey Lee during a robbery. Lee was later convicted of murder and sentenced to death. His appeal against the sentence was refused on 9 October 2009.[4]

What a sad, sad, story.

Thank you, elvislady.

The docu i watched was really great i was how ever shocked at the way he died it is very sad MM.his wife also died, she got hit in the face with the gnshot killing her instantly.

[Luuk]

Here you can listen to the concert and the interviews:

http://www.vintageafficionados.com/orionlive.html

I cant listen to it Luuk, thanks for the link....was he a really nice guy to talk to? Was he very tall?

He was taller than me. A better singer too.
He really was nice.
The only bad thing about it was I was only allowed to do an interview after the show, which meant I missed the last train home and had to spend the night at the square in front of the train station waiting for the first train home, which I was not happy about carrying with me a valuable portable Uher taperecorder plus 2 expensive Sennheiser microphones. Luckily the police dropped by quite a few times to make sure I did not lay down on the bench for a nap as I would get arrested then for being a homeless drifter.

[Mountain Mist]

Thanks for sharing Walt...i did watch a Docu on Jimmy it was really good well worth a watch...heres some info...interestingly his birth mother and father were ca.led Gladys and Vernon!

Jimmy was born in Pascagoula, Mississippi on February 26, 1945, into a single parent home. His birth certificate states the mother as Gladys Bell and the father as Vernon (no surname).[2] When he was two, Gladys left Jimmy at the Montgomery Children's Home where he was put up for adoption. Young Jimmy was taken in by R. F. Ellis and his wife Mary Faye, where Jimmy's surname was changed to Ellis.

While not much is known of Jimmy's early musical development, he told Goldmine magazine in 1985 that his idols included Elvis, Ray Price and Eddy Arnold and that his first public appearance was at the age of 17 at Orrville High's "Religious Emphasis Week". He sang Peace in the Valley. Subsequently, Ellis won the finals of a statewide talent contest in Alabama where he sang Unchained Melody and The Days of Wine and Roses accompanied only by a piano. The prizes: a trip to the Ted Mack Amateur Hour and a $1,000 savings bond.

Ellis later settled into a two-year athletic scholarship at Middle Georgia Junior College in the town of Cochran. He transferred to Livingston State University where he started playing small clubs. He got a "One Shot Deal" with Challenger Records (MCA) in 1974 before moving to the small Boblo Records label. One of his five singles

On December 12, 1998 Jimmy Ellis was murdered in his Alabama pawnshop by one Jeffrey Lee during a robbery. Lee was later convicted of murder and sentenced to death. His appeal against the sentence was refused on 9 October 2009.[4]

What a sad, sad, story.

Thank you, elvislady.

The docu i watched was really great i was how ever shocked at the way he died it is very sad MM.his wife also died, she got hit in the face with the gnshot killing her instantly.

He seemed like such a nice bloke, too, unassuming.

[elvislady]

Here you can listen to the concert and the interviews:

http://www.vintageafficionados.com/orionlive.html

I cant listen to it Luuk, thanks for the link....was he a really nice guy to talk to? Was he very tall?

He was taller than me. A better singer too.
He really was nice.
The only bad thing about it was I was only allowed to do an interview after the show, which meant I missed the last train home and had to spend the night at the square in front of the train station waiting for the first train home, which I was not happy about carrying with me a valuable portable Uher taperecorder plus 2 expensive Sennheiser microphones. Luckily the police dropped by quite a few times to make sure I did not lay down on the bench for a nap as I would get arrested then for being a homeless drifter.

He looks 6ft plus in the clip Luuk? I am guessing you got home ok with all your equipment....that would piss me off to.

[Luuk]

Here you can listen to the concert and the interviews:

http://www.vintageafficionados.com/orionlive.html

I cant listen to it Luuk, thanks for the link....was he a really nice guy to talk to? Was he very tall?

He was taller than me. A better singer too.
He really was nice.
The only bad thing about it was I was only allowed to do an interview after the show, which meant I missed the last train home and had to spend the night at the square in front of the train station waiting for the first train home, which I was not happy about carrying with me a valuable portable Uher taperecorder plus 2 expensive Sennheiser microphones. Luckily the police dropped by quite a few times to make sure I did not lay down on the bench for a nap as I would get arrested then for being a homeless drifter.

He looks 6ft plus in the clip Luuk? I am guessing you got home ok with all your equipment....that would piss me off to.

He was at least 1.80 meter tall. I'm 1.73m.
Yes, I got home safe and did a quick nap, then typed out the interview in Dutch for a Dutch Elvis fanclub magazine and delivered it in the afternoon.

[elvislady]

Here you can listen to the concert and the interviews:

http://www.vintageafficionados.com/orionlive.html

I cant listen to it Luuk, thanks for the link....was he a really nice guy to talk to? Was he very tall?

He was taller than me. A better singer too.
He really was nice.
The only bad thing about it was I was only allowed to do an interview after the show, which meant I missed the last train home and had to spend the night at the square in front of the train station waiting for the first train home, which I was not happy about carrying with me a valuable portable Uher taperecorder plus 2 expensive Sennheiser microphones. Luckily the police dropped by quite a few times to make sure I did not lay down on the bench for a nap as I would get arrested then for being a homeless drifter.

He looks 6ft plus in the clip Luuk? I am guessing you got home ok with all your equipment....that would piss me off to.

He was at least 1.80 meter tall. I'm 1.73m.
Yes, I got home safe and did a quick nap, then typed out the interview in Dutch for a Dutch Elvis fanclub magazine and delivered it in the afternoon.

He was around 6ft tall from your guide! Lucky to interview him he seemed a genuine guy!!