TERRY FATOR BIO Life before America's Got Talent Terry Fator was born June 10, 1965 in Mesquite, Texas. His mother is Marie Sligh, a real estate agent. Marie Sligh's husband, David Sligh, is the uncle of Chris Sligh, an American Idol season 6 finalist. 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. Later, he purchased a Willie Talk dummy from Sears. Throughout his childhood, Fator entertained family and friends with his ventriloquism and did impersonations of singers and actors. When he was in sixth grade, he appeared on a popular children's show in Dallas called Peppermint Place. Peppermint Place starred "Mr. Peppermint" Jerry Haynes. 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, averaging three performances per school day. Terry Fator with Freedom Jam in Young American Showcase. In 1989 he was the lead singer of a show band called 'Texas the Band'[ when he was 20, and incorporated his puppet Walter T. Airedale into his shows. Per the suggestion of his manager, Fator decided to join his two talents, ventriloquism and impersonations. America's Got Talent On June 19, 2007, Fator made his first national appearance on America's Got Talent. Appearances on America's Got Talent: Chicago auditions: His puppet Emma Taylor sang "At Last" impersonating Etta James. Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Performance was not televised. Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through. Semifinals (Part 2): Performed "What a Wonderful World" with his turtle puppet Winston impersonating Kermit the Frog, and doing Louis Armstrong himself. Top Ten episode: Performed "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole as a duet between himself and his puppet Emma Taylor. On this episode, he expressed a desire to bring ventriloquism back to the mainstream and said he had in 2006 performed a show at a 1,000-seat theater, at which only one person (a 12-year-old boy) showed up, prompting him to almost quit. The Final Eight: His puppet Johnny Vegas sang "That's Amore" impersonating Dean Martin and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" impersonating Tony Bennett. The Final Four - Judge's Choice: His puppet Walter T Airdale sang "Friends in Low Places" impersonating Garth Brooks. The Final Four - Contestant's Choice: His turtle puppet Winston sang "Crying" impersonating Roy Orbison. Season Finale - Celebrity Duet: With guest Kermit the Frog, his puppet Johnny Vegas sang "You've Got a Friend", impersonating James Taylor. Terry learned to do his James Taylor impression in only four days. 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. On September 3, 2007, he 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. His acts were a repeat of the acts he made on America's Got Talent. He brought back Emma Taylor to sing "At Last" and Winston the Turtle to sing "What a Wonderful World" again. Down on his luck, Fator was forced to take a gig at a small town Texas fair, the Permian Basin Fair from Sept 7-15, 2007, where he performed to some full tents but also some sparse crowds. Terry later managed to take the stage of the Las Vegas Hilton (formerly the International) on October 14 and 15, 2007, the same stage that Elvis Presley performed on for many years. Both shows were sold out to standing room only. Another show was added for December 3 to satisfy the demand for tickets. Contracts have been signed for a minimum of 15 Las Vegas Hilton shows in 2008. He will also do a 6 p.m. early "family" "New Years Eve" show at 6 p.m. on December 31, 2007. Some Barry Manilow walk-ons are in the talking stage for early 2008. MORE It took ventriloquist, singer, comedian and celebrity impressionist Terry Fator 32 years to become an overnight sensation when he won the hearts of America and was selected “America’s Got Talent” 2007 $1 million dollar prize winner on NBC-TV. His key decision to blend those incredible skills with his amazing ability to mimic famous singers won over the judges and millions of fans who voted for him, and are attending his sold out concerts nationwide. The multi-talented Fator believes that he is an illusionist with puppets and his cast of seven original puppet characters is quite unique. He states that, “I look at myself as a talk show host and the characters are my guests. I can guarantee anyone who comes to my show, within a second or two, will feel that the puppet is the real entity. I love creating life out of wood and felt.” Terry Fator is perhaps the first entertainer to combine the art of ventriloquism with celebrity impressions. His puppets, including Cowboy Walter, Emma Taylor and Winston the Impersonating Turtle, effortlessly perform the singing styles of an eclectic group of stars including: Tony Bennett, Elvis, Maroon Five, Garth Brooks, Nat King and Natalie Cole, Roy Orbison, Marvin Gaye, Gnarls Barkley, James Blunt, Brooks & Dunn, members of The Rat Pack, Louis Armstrong and even Kermit The Frog. This Dallas native, whose career has reached a whole new level since “America’s Got Talent” has been headlining at sold out shows nationwide. The Las Vegas Hilton recently signed him to a lucrative contract worth more than $1.5 million dollars for 15 performances in 2008, including New Year’s Eve 2007.