Ellis Hall (musician) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ellis Hall
Ellis Hall performing Soul Unlimited in 2017
Born	Ellis Hall Jr. (1951-05-10) May 10, 1951 (age 74) Savannah, Georgia, U.S.
Occupation	Singer Songwriter Composer Multi-instrumentalist Actor
Years active	1967–present
Spouse(s)	Susan Hancock ​ ​ (m. 1973; div. 1983)​ Ruth Ann Capone ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 1992)​ Karen Murphy ​ ​ (m. 1994; died 2007)​ Leighala Jimenez ​ (m. 2013)​
Children	Four
Musical career
Genres	Soul rhythm & blues jazz Funk Gospel rock blues
Instruments	Vocals keyboards drums guitar bass
Labels	CBS Columbia HCRC Records Cypress/A&M Records Crossover Records Ear-Say Records Priority

Ellis Hall Jr. (born May 10, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is also a talented musician who plays many instruments. People sometimes call him "The Ambassador of Soul."

Ellis Hall has been blind since he was 18 years old. He was inspired by the famous musician Ray Charles. Ellis Hall has written over 4,000 songs, including soul, gospel, blues, and pop songs. He has performed with many well-known artists like Stevie Wonder, James Taylor, Natalie Cole, and Patti LaBelle. Ray Charles even signed Ellis Hall to his record label and guided him until Charles passed away in 2004.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Ellis Hall was born in Savannah, Georgia, on May 10, 1951. He grew up in Claxton, Georgia, with his parents, brothers, and sisters. From a young age, Ellis had a condition called congenital glaucoma, which affected his eyesight.

His family moved to Boston, Massachusetts, so he could attend The Perkins School for the Blind. He started piano lessons in third grade. When he was 14, he saw a band called Quint Harris & the Preachers perform. This show made him serious about a music career. After that, he built his own drum kit and started playing bass guitar too. He practiced all his instruments in the dark. This helped him learn to play them even without his vision.

While in high school, he played football and wrestled. Sadly, a wrestling injury in 1969 caused him to lose his sight completely at age 18.

Music Career Highlights

Because of his strong musical training, Ellis Hall became a master of many instruments. He plays drums, piano, keyboards, guitar, and bass. He also developed an amazing singing voice that can reach five octaves!

His first professional recording was in 1971. He played bass and sang backup vocals for Paul Pena. In 1973, he started his own group, the Ellis Hall Group. They opened for Earth, Wind and Fire in 1974. They also performed for important people like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Nelson Mandela. The group opened for other famous bands like the Temptations and Tower of Power.

In the early 1980s, Ellis Hall moved to California. He joined the band Tower of Power. He sang lead vocals and wrote music for their 1987 album, Power. After leaving the band, he worked as a session musician. This means he played on other artists' records. He worked with Kenny G, and they had a hit song together called "What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)."

Ellis Hall also wrote and performed songs for many movies and TV shows. These include The Lion King 2, Shrek 2, Chicken Run, and Bruce Almighty. He sang gospel songs in the movie Big Momma's House and a Louis Armstrong song in Catch Me If You Can.

Ray Charles signs Hall to Crossover Records in 2002. Charles co-produced Hall's album Straight Ahead released in 2004

In 2001, Ellis Hall met Ray Charles. Ray Charles was very impressed with Ellis Hall's performance. Their friendship lasted until Ray Charles passed away in 2004. Ray Charles signed Ellis Hall to his record label, Crossover Records, in 2002. Ellis Hall was the only artist Ray Charles ever signed to his label. Ray Charles also helped produce Ellis Hall's first album.

Ellis Hall continues to be very active in music. In 2015, he was nominated for an award for his role in the play The Gospel at Colonus. He was also honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020 for his work in film and television music. In 2021, he released a new version of "Let Me Call You Sweetheart." He also released a new studio album called Doc Kupka Presents: Let's Make an Arrangement in September 2021.

Symphony Performances

After finishing his album, Ellis Hall started performing with symphony orchestras. His first symphony show was at the Hollywood Bowl in 2005. This show honored Ray Charles's 75th birthday. Since then, he has performed with large orchestras around the world. He has played with the Boston Pops and the Pittsburgh Symphony.

His first special show was "Ellis Hall Presents: Ray, Motown and Beyond." In 2016, he debuted another show called "Beyond Ellis Hall: Soul Unlimited." In this show, he performed songs from artists like David Bowie and George Harrison.

Personal Life

Ellis Hall married his manager, Leighala Jimenez-Hall, in May 2013. They met on a music cruise in 2011. He is also the stepfather to Leighala's daughter, Krystina Arielle.

Helping Others

Ellis Hall is involved in many charity projects. ..... He recorded songs for their albums to help raise awareness.

He often visits the Perkins School for the Blind, where he used to study. He has performed at their annual gala events. In 2020, Ellis Hall was part of a charity song called "One World." This song raised money for charities that were greatly affected by the pandemic.

Music Albums

• The Spirit Lingers On...and On – ESP-Disk (2005)
• Straight Ahead – Crossover Records (2004)
• Love Can Make It Better – Crossover Records (2004)
• The Spirit Lingers On – ESP-Disk (1999)
• From Where I Stand (with Carl Anderson) – Chameleon Records (1989)
• Every Little Bit Hurts / Back It Up (Try It Again) / 12 inch – Houston Connection Recording Corporation (1983)

Songs He Sang On

Ellis Hall has lent his voice to many albums and songs by other artists. Here are some of them:

Movies and TV Shows

Ellis Hall has also appeared in or contributed to the soundtracks of various movies and television shows.

Television Appearances