Terry Wayne Fator is a ventriloquist, impressionist, comedian, and singer from
Dallas, Texas. Fator is capable of doing over 100 ventriloquial impersonations,
and uses 16 different puppets in his act. He was the winner of season two of
America's Got Talent, and received the million dollar prize. The following
year, he was signed on as the headliner at The Mirage hotel and casino in Las
Vegas, Nevada. Early life
Terry Fator was born on June 10, 1965 in Dallas, Texas, the son of Jephtha Wesley
and Marie Fator Sligh. He has an older brother, Jephtha Jr., and a younger
sister, Deborah. Fator's second cousin is Chris Sligh, an American Idol season
six finalist. Terry Fator says in his audio commentary of Terry Fator: Live
from Las Vegas that he went to college at Liberty University in Lynchburg,
Virginia. The beginning of Fator's ventriloquism career dates back to when
he was in fifth grade. While searching for a book for an assignment on
Valentine's Day, he came across a book about ventriloquism titled,
Ventriloquism for Fun and Profit, by Paul Winchell. Fator checked out the
book and started learning about ventriloquism. A few weeks later, Fator
purchased a Willie Talk dummy from Sears and soon won a $25 prize for a
performance at a church picnic. Fator got his first ventriloquism dummy
when he was ten years old. Throughout his childhood, Fator entertained family
and friends with his ventriloquism and did impersonations of singers and
actors. Fator's mother saved up her money for three years and bought him his
first puppet when he was 18 years old. Fator says he found he had the ability
to impersonate singers by practicing ventriloquism while driving his car.
"One of the reasons I learned how to sing as a ventriloquist was because I
like singing in the car," Fator says. "I’d see other people singing in the
car, and they looked goofy, so I’d do it without moving my lips."
Band membership Fator got his start touring as the lead
singer of a band called "Freedom Jam" in 1987-88, produced by Young American
Showcase. They performed at over 200 high schools and middle schools across
the United States and Canada, averaging three performances per school day.
In mid-1988, he was the lead singer of a show band called 'Texas the Band' when
he was 23, and incorporated his puppet Walter T. Airedale into his shows.
Fator's band at one point was about to sign with a major record label and one
of the label's representatives came to hear the band. Fator sang the songs
impersonating the original vocalists. "He told me 'you gotta stop doing those
impressions,' and wanted me to sing in my own voice," Fator says. "I tried it
for a few weeks, and absolutely hated it. We told the record company 'no
thanks.'" Combining singing and ventriloquism
Fator left the band and did a solo act combining comedy and ventriloquism but
for many years had little success. "Fairs would stick me on a little stage
in the back of fair and have me do three shows in the hottest part of the
afternoon," complains Fator. "I had heat stroke a couple of times, almost passed
out." In May 2007, before appearing on
America's Got Talent, Fator was performing at a fair near Houston, Texas
and the only spectator was a 12-year-old boy. Discouraged, Fator contemplated
pursuing another career, but his family encouraged him to hang in there. Terry
entered the America's Got Talent competition with the hope that the
exposure if he made it to the Top 20 might help his career and cause people
to want to attend his shows. But Fator says the low point of his career was
when he appeared at a 1,000 seat theater and had only one customer.
Fator's success stems from combing singing and ventriloquism. Fator had
been the lead singer in a band and often did impersonations of singers Garth
Brooks, Etta James, James Taylor and Dean Martin while ventriloquism was just
a comic side gig for Fator. In 2005 Fator decided to join his two talents,
ventriloquism and impersonations. "I had one of my characters sing Garth Brooks'
"Friends in Low Places" and the audience went," Fator says. "Boy, that was where
my life changed." After his initial success Fator revamped his act. "It took
me six months and I completely rewrote the show," says Fator. "It was then that
people really noticed and I started getting standing ovations at the end of
every show," Prior to winning America's Got Talent,
Fator was an opening act for Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Neal McCoy, and
Styx. Fator also made appearances at General Motors and AT&T.
Success on America's Got Talent Before appearing on America's Got
Talent, Fator had almost given up on achieving success in show business as a
ventriloquist. "It wasn't easy trying to keep going all these years, and by the
time I was in my late 30s, I wasn't sure it was ever going to happen," says
Fator. On June 19, 2007, Fator made his first
national appearance on America's Got Talent. Fator never dreamed that he
would win the show. "Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would win that
show," says Fator. "Essentially I auditioned because the guy that was the
ventriloquist the first season got on Late Show with David Letterman... So I
figured I'd do three episodes like he did and end up on 'David Letterman.'"
After winning the show, Fator actually had to turn the Letterman gig down
fourteen times before he could appear. "My schedule got so packed, and it broke
my heart every time I had to turn him down," Fator says.
When Fator first came onstage, judge David Hasselhoff said, "Oh, no, a
ventriloquist." "I was thinking, there's no way I would win," Fator says. "I gave
myself zero percent [chance]." The judges, Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne
and David Hasselhoff loved Fator and he won the competition. Judge Piers Morgan
told Fator "You’re a great impersonator, a great singer and a great comedian."
"You put a twist on the whole being a ventriloquist thing," added Judge Sharon
Osbourne. Even Simon Cowell approved. "Simon Cowell said I was one of the top
two entertainers on the planet," says Fator. "And getting a compliment from
Simon Cowell, well, not many people get a compliment like that."
= Performances = Life after America's Got Talent
It was announced on the show that in conjunction with winning, he was to
appear at the Jubilee Theatre at Bally's. However, the spots were only
going to be 15 minutes long, and in complete mutual cooperation with his
management team and Bally's, the plan was dropped. Fator performed at
Christian rock legend Larry Norman's 60th birthday party in April 2007. Later
Fator flew Larry to tapings of America's Got Talent and also to his debut show at
the Las Vegas Hilton as an honored guest. Norman told friends shortly
before his death that it was one of the most fun years of his life.
On October 14 and 15, 2007, after winning America's Got Talent, Fator took
the stage of the Las Vegas Hilton. Both shows were sold out to standing room
only. Another show was added for December 3 to satisfy the demand for
tickets. In early December 2007, Fator signed a
contract for $1.5 million with the Las Vegas Hilton to do three shows a month
from January 2008 to May 2008. Fator also performed a 6 p.m. early family New
Year's Eve show on December 31, 2007. In 2007, Fator became an official
supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their
celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC.
On March 17, 2008, Fator appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show along with American
Idol Judge Simon Cowell. To the amazement of Oprah, Cowell referred to
Fator as one of the "two most talented people on the planet." Fator performed
with three of his dummies; country singer Walter T. Airedale performed a
Garth Brooks song and Winston the impersonating Turtle sang a Bee Gees
song. Julius performed a Marvin Gaye song; Julius was a favorite when he
appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show. "As soon as I brought out Julius, she had
this look on her face, wondering what I was about to do," Fator said. "Once I
started into Marvin Gaye, she fell out of her chair."
On May 13, 2008 it was announced that Fator had signed a five-year, $100
million contract to perform nightly at The Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip. He
replaced headliner Danny Gans and the theater was renamed the Terry Fator
Theatre. Reportedly, Fator's deal is one of the largest entertainment deals in
Las Vegas history. Fator announced in July 2008 that he was
at work on a book. "I never thought in my whole life I would write a whole
book. It's called 'Who's the Dummy Now?'" Fator announced at the 2008
Bloomsburg Fair on the week of September 20–27, 2008 that he finished his book.
On September 10, 2008, Fator reappeared on America's Got Talents Top Twenty
Results Show as a guest. He brought back a larger Winston the Impersonating
Turtle to sing Marvin Gaye's song, "Let's Get It On." Maynard Thomkins was
also brought on to sing Viva Las Vegas. Winston was not the only puppet that was
reconfigured; on an August 1, 2008 ABCNews Now interview, he brought a
reshaped Emma Taylor to sing "At Last." Also, on September 14, 2011, he was
invited once again to perform as a guest on the Finals of "America's Got Talent"
show. This time he brought Julius, the soul singer, that performed "Ain't No
Sunshine". In 2013, he voiced a character on the
Disney Channel show Mickey Mouse. On May 30, 2013, Terry Fator celebrated
his 1,000th show at The Mirage Hotel & Casino.
On September 11, 2013, Terry Fator returned to perform as a guest on
America's Got Talent during the Top 12 results show.
Getting ventriloquism taken seriously Fator has fought to be taken seriously
as a ventriloquist. "There have been so few good, successful ventriloquists –
Edgar Bergen in the 1940s and Paul Winchell in the 1960s were respected and
successful," says Fator. "And in the 1970s, I used to watch Willie Tyler and
his Lester as well as Jay Johnson and Bob. But over the years, there have been
so many bad ventriloquists - and most of them doing corny shows for children -
that people began to think of us as a bad joke."
Puppets This is an incomplete list of the
character names for the puppets that Fator uses in his act.
Walter T. Airedale – A country singer, is the puppet that Fator has had the
longest Winston the Impersonating Turtle –
Inspired by Kermit the Frog; "Originally I had a Kermit the Frog puppet and I
would have sing 'Rainbow Connection'," says Fator. "When I called up The
Muppets to see if they would let me do a Kermit the Frog impression, they said I
could do the impression but I could not use the Kermit puppet. Necessity is the
mother of invention, so I said, OK, I'll have a turtle do an impression of a frog
singing with Louis Armstrong." Designed by Paul Andrejco and was built by Puppet
Heap in Hoboken, New Jersey Emma Taylor – "Emma Taylor is a lady who
sang with me on 'America's Got Talent,'" says Fator. Fator says that Emma is his
"best puppet friend." "I kind of like Emma. She's really cute," says Fator
Emma Taylor was designed by Paul Andrejco and was built by Puppet Heap
Maynard Tompkins – "Maynard Tompkins is an Elvis impersonator; the only
impersonator in the world who does not know any Elvis songs," says Fator.
Julius – A soul singer; people are sometimes initially shocked by Julius as
an African-American puppet. "Obviously, it’s going to be shocking. People look
at me a little nervously," Fator said. "But when I start singing, all
objections fade away and they love it." "As soon as I brought out Julius, she
had this look on her face, wondering what I was about to do," Fator said.
"Once I started into Marvin Gaye, she fell out of her chair." Designed by
Lauren Attinello and was built by Puppet Heap in Hoboken, NJ.
Monte Carlo – A lounge singer; often impersonating Dean Martin, Tony Bennett,
etc. Duggie Scott Walker – Introduced as
Fator's annoying neighbor, he is a heavy metal music lover; loves AC/DC, Guns N'
Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and others; partied so much at concerts he always
thinks there are strobe lights flashing; designed by Paul Andrejco and was built
by Puppet Heap Vikki the Cougar – A 49-year-old female
singer, singing songs from the Pussycat Dolls as an example; as her name
implies, she prefers dating younger men, between the ages of 21 and 25, as she
revealed in an interview for Las Vegas CBS affiliate KLAS-TV
Hyphen, The Fifth Beatle – Patterned after Paul McCartney; he was kicked out
of the Beatles Wrex – A crash test dummy that sings
automobile-themed songs; designed by Paul Andrejco and built by Puppet Heap
Fator is consistently creating new characters.
Other characters Fator has often impersonated singers
himself alongside his puppets and/or volunteers from the audience. Michael
Jackson has been a regular figure Fator impersonates alongside his Walter T.
Airedale puppet. Fator also has incorporated audience members into his
act via a remote-control mask. A volunteer wears the mask and the remote
allows Fator to move the mask's mouth with Fator providing all of the
conversation and singing. Fator usually dresses the volunteer as Cher and
performs the duet "I Got You, Babe" with Fator as Sonny Bono.
Personal life Fator was the lead singer of a local
band called Texas The Band during the late-1980s through 2001, and met his
first wife Melinda after she began to follow the band extensively. They
married on January 8, 1991. Prior to landing his show in Las Vegas, Terry and
his wife bought a home he deemed his "dream house". Melinda left Terry in
January 2009 and returned to Texas from Las Vegas where they had recently moved.
She filed for divorce in February 2009 in Texas. Almost a year-and-a-half into
the divorce, she then filed a second time in Nevada in 2010. After almost two
years, a settlement was reached in November 2010. On November 3, 2010, one
day after the divorce was finalized, Terry married Taylor Makakoa in Las
Vegas. They had a wedding ceremony in Hawaii on November 7, 2010. Terry
divorced Makakoa in February 2015 and subsequently married Angie Fiore on
September 4, 2015. = Charitable work =
In July 2007 Fator appeared in Montana to raise funds for the Kidsports Sports
Complex in Kalispell and said he wanted to come back in 2008 to do another show.
“We thought, we bet he wants to, but we bet he won’t have time,” said Nancy
Manning of Rotary Club of Kalispell. “He made time because it’s so important to
him.” All proceeds from Fator’s show went towards the field.
In 2007 Fator performed a benefit for families of miners in Huntington, Utah.
In 2008, Fator performed at the Palace Theatre in Corsicana, Texas. Proceeds
benefited the Navarro Council of the Arts and the Mildred Drama Club. Fator
is a native of Corsicana. On September 3, 2007, Fator made a
special appearance in the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon at the South Point Hotel
and Casino in Las Vegas, thanking the crowd for the support. He brought back
Emma Taylor to sing "At Last" and Winston the Turtle to sing "What a
Wonderful World". He returned to the Telethon on September 1, 2008 and
brought Julius to sing "Only You" from The Platters, Marvin Gaye's song, "Let's
Get It On," and "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. Maynard Thomkins was also
brought on to sing "Viva Las Vegas" to finish the show. Fator made his 3rd
consecutive telethon appearance on September 6, 2009 with puppets The Fifth
Beatle and Vikki The Cougar with special guests The Commodores, who joined Fator
performing "Brick House". In 2010, Fator did a doodle for a
charity celebrity doodle auction for Neurofibromatosis, more commonly known
as NF. 100% of the profit from all the doodles went to help families with NF.
All proceeds from Fator's original song "Horses in Heaven" go to St. Jude
Children's Research Hospital. DVD
On September 1, 2009, Fator's first DVD, Terry Fator: Live from Las Vegas, was
released shortly after its August 28, 2009 debut airing on CMT. Copies sold at
Target stores include footage not shown on the CMT broadcast.
External links and references NBC's America's Got Talent
Terry Fator's website References