Orion was a breakout success, and jimmy ellis found himself on the road with artists like jerry lee lewis, tammy wynette, loretta lynn, and. Shelby singletonheartbreak hotelby the time he was a teenager, it was clear that jimmy ellis had two talents. The author did not know, and was not an elvis person, or fan. In 1978, writer gail brewergiorgio published a novel, orion, about a leading popular singer clearly based on presley who faked his own death.
Eerily, brewergiorgio had written the elvisinspired novel before elviss death, but it wouldnt be published until 1979. He was linked to the novel orion by gail brewer giorgiowho also wrote a book claiming ep was alive. Giorgio or gail giorgio, is an american author whose works have speculated about the possibility that singer elvis presley may have faked his death in august 1977. Orion by gail brewergiorgio meet your next favorite book. Giorgio or gail giorgio, is an american author whose works have. Authors orion bringing you news from our world to yours. This is a guest post by jeanie finlay, director of orion. He wasnt elvis, but he wanted to beand a lot of people even thought he might be.
The book, published by flaming star the official elvis presley fan club of norway, is hardcover, 406 pages, and includes a 22track cd located in the back of the book that has some of. There, after drinking too much, he made sexual advances to merope. Now i know why it was in the free box at the hospice shop. She is not a phychic either, but her predictions were right on. New book, jimmy ellis in the shadow of a king is now available go to the books tab for details. Her 1978 novel orion told the story of a rock and roll singer, very much like elvis, who faked his own death.
Jimmy orion ellis burst onto the music scene in the wake of elvis presleys death. Yet presleys death in 1977, and the coincidental release that same year of a novel, orion, by gail brewergiorgio, about a singer who faked his own death, conspired to make mr. Get the best deals on jimmy orion ellis when you shop the largest online selection at. Top elvis impersonator killed gunned down in his alabama pawn shop dec. Ellis appeared on the album cover wearing a mask over his. James hughes bell february 26, 1945 december 12, 1998, stage name orion, was an american singer. The following article is from the new book uncle johns uncanny bathroom reader.
Incorrect book the list contains an incorrect book please specify the title of the book. Orion has been released three different times and is currently out of print. Free shipping on many items browse your favorite brands. The reason i read it is because i am a fan of elvis. With jerry adams, sharon attaway nettleton, gail brewergiorgio, boomer castleman. He began living the life of the late superstar but he never wanted to be elvis, he only wanted to be. Jimmy ellis in the shadow of a king orion new book youtube. With a vocal similarity to elvis that could, and did, fool many fans, his story is one of prodigious talent, courage and a seminal battle against an often corrupt entertainment machine which wanted to exploit him because of his elvis like voice, while all he. With an active marketplace of over 175 million items, use the alibris advanced search page to find any item you are looking for through the advanced search, you can find items by searching specific terms such as title, artist, song title, genre, etc or you can narrow.
Jimmy ellis orion superstar of the 1980s sun promo bumper sticker. 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. Jimmy fallon goes orion fallon does segment on worst albums he says do not buy. See more ideas about jimmy ellis, american singers and elvis impersonator. To order the book go to the official jimmy ellis website. Elvis also used the name jon burrows while he was on tour and later as his status as a special assistant to the bndd the forerunner of dea. The man who would be king which comes out in limited release today via sundance selects.
Jul 16, 2015 explore kittenonthekeyzs board orion or elvis. Apparently, strange coincidences and prophecies surround this novel, as detailed by the author in is elvis alive. The true story of the love between priscilla presley and the king of rock n roll by priscilla presley, last tr. I thought this book was okay not particularly good writing. Here is the bizarre story of jimmy ellis, or, as he was also known, orion. By then, shed already gained a fan in nashvillebased record producer and music mogul shelby singleton, who had purchased the rights to the sun records catalog from famed record producer sam. The mysterious phone call came from a stranger with a presleylike voice, claiming to be orion. The jimmy orion ellis story is one of the more fascinating in the wonderfully eclectic world of elvis presley. This is the definitive book on a man with the voice of a king. He appeared as orion eckley darnell, the character created august 16, 1977, by a marietta georgia, housewife gail brewergiorgo.
We are very happy and pleased to finally bring this beautiful, new biography book to current jimmy ellis orion fans and hopefully new ones around the world. His voice was almost indistinguishable from elvis presleys, a fact which he and his record company played upon, making some believe that some of his recordings were by elvis, or even that elvis had not died in 1977. According to the oldest version, he was the son of the god poseidon and euryale, daughter of king minos of crete. Jimmy orion ellis tragedy as elvis presley doppelganger. There are various stories about his birth as well as the way he died.
Sun recordscourtesy pipoca pictures when elvis presley died in 1977, the mourning that ensued was as fevered and earnest as the fandom that surrounded him. Darnell was born jimmy ellis in pascagoula, mississippi in 1945. It is produced the flaming star the elvis presley fan club of norway. Together, singleton, smith, and ellis decided to blatantly rip off the book. The rollercoaster rise and tragic fall of the mystery masked man with the voice of a legend. Inappropriate the list including its title or description facilitates illegal activity, or contains hate speech or ad hominem attacks on a fellow goodreads member or author. A woman named gail brewergiorgio was readying a novel about an elvislike figure who did just that. This is the definitive book about a man with the voice of a king. See more ideas about jimmy ellis, elvis impersonator and album covers. During this period he graced the country charts nearly a dozen times with minor hits like rockabilly rebel and a cover of queen s crazy little thing called love, but only a few of orion s hits. Theyd present ellis as an elvislike singer named orion.
Things changed dramatically for ellis in 1972 when shelby singleton owner of the sun records catalog. Novelist gail brewergiorgio published her novel orion, offering the builtin backstory of an elvis figure who lived on even when the world thought hed perished forever. These books are vintage new and are a collectors item. Published by flaming star the official elvis presley fan club of norway. We have a limited supply of this 1979 hardcover version of the book orion by gail brewergiorgio. 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 wasnt elvis but the real still alive elvis was replacing jimmy ellis on stage at various concerts. In cinemas and on vod through all of the usual suspects. Apb one of the worlds most famous elvis impersonators was killed when a robber with a sawedoff shotgun stormed into a pawn shop he owned and blasted him and his exwife at close range, authorities said. Its battle of new orleans day and elvis presleys birthday. Orion is so well written and amazingly close to elvis presleys real life story. Two years before she had begun a novel about a musical superstar, orion, who faked his own death to find muchneeded peace and privacy, based on the circumstances surrounding elvis death. A couple of times she goes off onto a tangenet regarding outlandish theories that is way too far out in left field for even me to want to consider, but over all, it was a good book that i would recommend reading if you get it at a good price.
Cassette tape copies of this interview were included with the book is elvis alive. Heres a new link to an excellent orion page done by nigel patterson with the ein elvis information network in australia. They released orions debut, an album called reborn with a front jacket outrageously featuring orion superimposed over elviss casket. Buy a cheap copy of orion book by gail brewergiorgio. Books about elvis presley fiction and nonfiction 92 books. Orion cd jimmy ellis sings elvisthe last recordings presley used like new. Ive also posted about the musical in which elvis is andrew jackson rock n roll vs the redcoats. Read about his childhood, reaching for the music scene, chasing his dream and finally his tragic end. Ten years ago i was at a garage sale with my husband steven in our hometown of nottingham, england.
Ellis began recording rockabilly songs and ballads for the dradco label in 1964, never attaining much success as record executives and local djs found he sounded too much like a secondrate elvis presley. Each year, the orion book award is presented to books that deepen the readers connection to the natural world, represent excellence in writing, and that we believe orion readers will enjoy. Orion magazine is taking a temporary leave from the orion book award selection. But she had failed to get it published until after his death and after she gained a fan in nashvillebased record producer and music mogul shelby singleton, who. This is the book that started the orion legend created by shelby singleton at sun records.
Robert crais orion bringing you news from our world to. Jimmy orion ellis seemed so much like elvis, people. Some think he might be king elvis is an anthology of orions sun recordings from 19721982 that includes a handful of previously unreleased cuts. Jimmy ellis orion the games youve been playing elvis sound. This is the book that started the orion legend created by sun records. According to brewergiorgio, her publisher inexplicably began to recall her novel, which. At the end of the novel, the musician finds himself moldering in. Is elvis alive by gail brewergiorgio at the specific recommendation of a lady named linda hood sigmon shuma who claims elvis is alive and under the name jesse age 78. Thanks to his father, orion had the ability to walk on water, which is how he reached the island of chios. But rather than impersonate elvis, ellis donned a bedazzled eye mask and assumed the public stage name of orion the title and character of gail brewergiorgos novel that explored what might have happened if elvis had faked his own death to escape the claws of celebrity. Dvd jimmy ellis orion sort by featured best selling alphabetically, az alphabetically, za price, low to high price, high to low date, new to old date, old to new sale. Spam or selfpromotional the list is spam or selfpromotional. There are many that believe that elvis is still alive if he is alive he wears a mask and goes by the name orion nashville news 1979 orion tells the story of jimmy ellis an unknown singer plucked from obscurity, and thrust into the spotlight as part of a crazy scheme that.
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