Jim Bailey (entertainer)

Jim Bailey
Born	James William Bailey
Other names	Jim, James
Awards	' Las Vegas Entertainer of The Year (4) International Press Assocciation Award (2) Variety Club Award

Jim Bailey (born January,10, 1949) is an award-winning American singer, film, television,and theatre actor,and has been called master master illusionist because of his all encompassing recreations of legendary women.

Bailey is a prolific singer, actor, and comedian who has been on stage and screen for almost 40 years. He has appeared in over 70 television and movie roles, including: Ally McBeal,Here's Lucy,Night Court, Vegas, Switch, and The Streets of San Francisco and the feature films Vultures In Paradise, Blind Rage, The Surrogate, The Day It Came to Earth and Woody Allens Zelig His talk show / variety show appearances include The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Dean Martin Show,The Mike Douglas Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Joan Rivers show ,Late Night With David Letterman and Chuck Barris' Gong Show. Bailey's claim to fame began in the late 1960's when he created the illusions of legendary singers Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, and Peggy Lee to name a few, by vocally mimicking them in his own operatically trained voice. To that end, he as appeared on stages throughout the world including headlining in Las Vegas, performing at New York's Carnegie Hall - which was recorded and released, The Palladium Theatre in London. He also performed two Command Performances for the British Royal Family, and four for United States Presidents.

James William Bailey was born on January 10, 1949 in Philadelphia to Sara and Claude Bailey. As a teenager he studied Opera at The Drake Conservatory of Music, and was on the popular television program The Children's Hour for almost a year where he performed by acting, singing and dancing. It was at this time that Bailey discovered his gift of vocally mimicking people. His family moved to New Jersey where he attended Palmyra High School. From the mid to the late 1960's, Bailey played Summer Stock in such shows as The Boyfriend and Bells are Ringing. During this time, Bailey was intoduced to and became friends with the Legendary Phyllis Diller. Bailey, through his all encompassing illusion and utterly convincing character acting, re-created Diller with his voice, mimicking. His performances as Diller became critically acclaimed. Diller and Bailey remain close friends to this day. In 1967, Bailey moved to Los Angeles and put together his own niteclub act performing at the Redwood Room. Here again, through his talent as a character actor, singer and illusionist, he re-created the legendary Judy Garland performing her all encompassing répertoire. It was at one of these performances at which Garland was present, that the two became friends. Garland jumped up on to the stage with Bailey and asked him to sing a song with her. In total disbelief, Bailey agreed and the two performed the song Hello Bluebird which Bailey had intended on performing as himself. Garland became facinated with him and began mentoring him. Many nights, Bailey would spend time with Garland at her Brentwood home, sharing and listening to her stories of her career. According to Bailey, "Once Judy told me that I had everything down to a tee except her lips, she proceeded to show me how she did them. To this day, I have her personal lip brush that she used to show me how to do them. This remains one of my prized possessions.". In 1970 Bailey was booked into Las Vegas for a long run at several of the main showrooms and became an overnight sensation. The following year, 1971, would grant Bailey more success and notoriety by being booked for several guest appearances on the very acclaimed and popular Ed Sullivan Show. This would prove groundbreaking for Bailey and the launching of his international career. No man in a dress was doing what Jim Bailey was doing at the time, singing as a woman. His appearance there was such a phenomenon, that Sullivan asked Bailey back just a few short months later. Bailey's rolling success continued as he appeared for a performances at New York's Carnegie Hall.He then was off to London England, where he would perform his amazing illusions for yet another several concerts at the famous London Palladium, astonishing British audiences. It was then Back to the United States where he would appear at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles. It was then that he was approached by Carol Burnett to guest star on her popular television variety show, The Carol Burnett Show. Once again Bailey amazed the audiance with his characterization of Barbara Streisand singing Don't Rain on My Parade and finishing with a duet with Burnett while still in character as Streisand. The two created a comedic scene singing Happy Days are Here Again which was met with wild applause and laughter. He then went on for several guest apperances on Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show. Variety stated at that time that Bailey was "The hottest thing in Show Business." Bailey was approached by Lucille Ball in 1973and personally asked to guest star on her popular television show, Here's Lucy. There, he performed his characterization of Phyllis Diller and the two became and remained friends until her death in 1989. Bailey also became close friends with Ball's daughter Lucie Arnaz. The two remain close friends to this day doing benefit performances in honor of her late mother and father at the Luci Desi festival in Jamestown , New York..[Image:JIM BAILEY AT CARNEGIE HALL ALBUMN COVER.jpg|thumb|left|Jim Bailey's first albumn]] -->Bailey was asked to return to New York's Carnegie Hall to perform once again his amazing characterizations of the legendary performers that he had created. This time he was approached by United Artists to record and release his performance. This would be the first time that "Jim Bailey Live at Carnegie Hall" would be recorded and released, making his unusual talent even more widely accessible. The albumn became a huge success and was sold world wide..Also in 1973, Bailey teamed with Liza Minnelli, daughter of Garland, in Las Vegas. Here, the two put together a concert recreating the actual concerts of Minnelli and her late mother that they had performed together in London. The 'Judy and Liza Concert met with great success, and in his introduction Minnelli stated, "Angels have given this man a special talent.". In another of Bailey's and Minnelli's performances together on stage, she said of Bailey, "The only other comparison I can make with somebody that does something that fantastically brilliant, and so unusual, is Marcel Marceau.". The two remain friends to this day, Minnelli once told Bailey "If you ever stop doing this, how will I ever see my mother again?" Minnelli made a gift to Bailey of one of her late mother's treasured rings. Bailey has said that this remains one of his most coveted possessions...

The mid 1970's saw Bailey as a mainstay in the main show rooms in Las Vegas, where he worked feverishly recreating his legendary female artists. He was also booked for concerts around the world including the O'Keefe Center in Toronto, Canada, and venues in Australia and South America.The late 1970's saw a return of Bailey to more episodic television work in character roles that were created especially for him because of the uniqueness of his talent. To that credit, he appeared in programs such as Switch, The Rockford Files, and Vegas. Apart from his numerous Tonight Show appearances, he also did the majority of variety shows including, The Dean Martin Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Chuck Barris Gong Show, The Mike Douglas Show, and The David Frost Show. At this time, Bailey and Rich Little were the top Impressionists.

Also in the late 1970's and early 1980's, Bailey was asked to perform at The Super Bowl 1978, do a command performance for HRH Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip, perform at the 1984 Olympics opening ceremony, and perform on The People's Choice Awards. Bailey won the Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year four times. Bailey also performed at the The London Palladium for a full season.

At this time, since Barbra Streisand was not performing on the night club and concert circuit, Bailey decided to re-create some of her great movie performances and adapt them to his stage performances.  Ten years later Bailey would perform at an event for Streisand and other Hollywood heavyweights like Clint Eastwood and Warren Beatty.  

In the late 1980's, Bailey turned his sights once again to television and feature films. These included a ground breaking performance on television's Night Court where Bailey performed as a man who had had a sex change, to feature films not neccessarily having great success like Vultures in Paradise co-starring Stuart Whitman and Yvonne De Carlo, The Surrogate co-starring Shannon Tweed and Penitentury 3 co-starring Anthony Geary and Leon Isacc Kennedy.

In the 1990's Bailey cotinued his stunning portrayals of legendary ladies. He did command performances for the HRH Princess Diana and HRH Prince Charles in London . He played Carnegie Hall and the London Palladium, as well as another long stints at The Sands in Las Vegas. While touring extensively in the 1990's, Bailey felt that it was time to settle down. He opened the Jim Bailey Theatre in Palm Springs and after doing 7 shows a week, closed the theatre just a short 10 months later..

At the start of the new Millenium, Bailey did a guest starring role on Ally Mcbeal as Harold Dale. He continued with concerts and lots of [Theatre]], including Charles Rohm Smith's Tallulah and Tennesee co-starring Bette Garrett as Estelle Winwood. The Los Angeles Times said that Bailey as Bankhead conveys the neccessary verve and venom. His performance is superb. The Daily News said that Bailey fearlessly rode the fine line between Caricature and Character much like Robert Morse in Tru. While doing Mae West at the Club El Fey, Gannett News Service said that Bailey's performance was a tour de force of acting. In Me and Jezabel the Miami Herald said that Bailey had never dropped character even for a second. Others of bailey's theatrical works include Niteclub Confidential, Jeffrey and Fragile Fire directed by Paul Winfield.

Today, Mr Bailey continues what he does best, performing his illustrious characterizations or "illusions", including many benefits for AIDS Research Charities around the world.