Terry Fator facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Terry Fator |
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| Birth name | Terry Wayne Fator |
| Born | June 10, 1965 Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
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| Alma mater | Liberty University |
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Terry Fator is an American ventriloquist, impressionist, comedian, and singer. He was born in Dallas, Texas. From a young age, Terry loved ventriloquism and singing.
He started performing with bands. Later, he began solo shows, mixing ventriloquism, singing, and comedy. Terry became famous after winning the second season of America's Got Talent. This win really helped his career take off.
His success led to a big contract to perform in Las Vegas. From 2009 to 2020, he was a main performer at Mirage Las Vegas. Since 2021, he performs regularly at New York-New York Hotel and Casino. Terry also uses his shows to help charities. He is often named one of the world's highest-paid comedians.
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Terry Fator's Early Life
Terry Fator was born in Dallas, Texas. He went to college at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. Terry's ventriloquism journey began when he was in fifth grade. He found a book called Ventriloquism for Fun and Profit by Paul Winchell.
Terry checked out the book and started learning. A few weeks later, he bought a Willie Talk dummy from Sears. He soon won $25 for a performance at a church picnic.
When Terry was ten, he got his first ventriloquism dummy. He entertained family and friends with his ventriloquism. He also did impressions of singers and actors. Terry's mom saved money for three years to buy him his first puppet when he was 18.
Terry learned to sing as a ventriloquist by practicing in his car. He said, "I’d see other people singing in the car, and they looked goofy, so I’d do it without moving my lips."
Terry Fator's Career Journey
Starting Out in Entertainment
Terry Fator started his career in 1987. He was the lead singer for a band called "Freedom Jam." They performed at over 200 schools across the U.S. and Canada. In 1988, he joined 'Texas the Band' and added his puppet, Walter T. Airedale, to the shows. The band almost got a record deal. But a music company wanted Terry to sing in his own voice, not as an impressionist.
After leaving the band, Terry started doing solo shows. He combined comedy and ventriloquism. For many years, he found it hard to become successful. He performed at fairs, sometimes getting heat stroke. Once, only one person showed up to his show in a 1,000-seat theater.
Terry felt discouraged and thought about quitting. But his family told him not to give up. This led him to add singing impressions to his acts. He would impersonate famous singers like Garth Brooks and Etta James. Even with these new skills, he wasn't sure he would succeed. He said it was "not easy trying to keep going all these years."
In 2005, he added impressions to his routines. This was a big hit with the audience. Terry then changed his shows to include these popular elements. This success helped him get jobs performing for big companies like General Motors. He also opened for famous musicians like Reba McEntire and Styx.
Winning America's Got Talent
On June 19, 2007, Terry Fator appeared on America's Got Talent for the first time. He didn't expect to win the show. He just hoped to appear on Late Show with David Letterman like another ventriloquist had. After winning, he was so busy he had to turn down the Letterman show many times.
When Terry first came on stage, judge David Hasselhoff seemed unsure. Terry thought he had "zero percent" chance of winning. But the judges, Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne, and Hasselhoff, loved his act. He ended up winning the whole competition.
Piers Morgan told Terry, "You're a great impersonator, a great singer and a great comedian." Even Simon Cowell praised him. Simon said Terry was "one of the top two entertainers on the planet." Terry was very proud of this compliment.
Life After America's Got Talent
After winning, Terry was supposed to perform at Bally's Las Vegas. But the shows were only 15 minutes long, so he and his team decided not to do it. In October 2007, Terry performed at the Las Vegas Hilton. Both shows sold out quickly. He did more shows there in December.
That month, he signed a $1.5 million contract with the Las Vegas Hilton. He would do three shows a month. Also in 2007, Terry became a supporter of Ronald McDonald House Charities. He joined their celebrity board.
On March 17, 2008, Terry appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show with Simon Cowell. Simon told Oprah that Terry was one of the "two most talented people on the planet." Terry performed with three of his puppets. Walter T. Airedale sang a Garth Brooks song. Winston the Impersonating Turtle sang a Bee Gees song. Julius performed a Marvin Gaye song. Oprah loved Julius's performance.
On May 13, 2008, Terry signed a huge five-year, $100 million contract. He would perform nightly at The Mirage in Las Vegas. The theater was even renamed the Terry Fator Theatre. This deal was one of the biggest in Las Vegas entertainment history.
In 2009, Terry wrote his autobiography, Who's the Dummy Now?. He returned to America's Got Talent as a guest in September 2008. He brought a bigger Winston the Impersonating Turtle to sing "Let's Get It On." Maynard Thomkins also sang "Viva Las Vegas." Terry also brought a new Emma Taylor to sing "At Last."
Terry has worked hard to make ventriloquism respected. He said that many ventriloquists in the past made it seem like a joke. He wanted to change that.
He performed again on America's Got Talent in September 2011. He brought Julius to sing "Ain't No Sunshine." In 2013, he voiced a character on the Disney Channel show Mickey Mouse. On May 30, 2013, Terry celebrated his 1,000th show at The Mirage. He also returned to America's Got Talent in September 2013.
Terry made guest appearances on America's Got Talent in 2015 and 2017. He performed with other ventriloquists who won the show, Paul Zerdin and Darci Lynne. In 2022, he performed with Ana-Maria Mărgean on the show's 17th season.
In July 2020, Terry's long show at The Mirage ended after 11 years. On May 26, 2024, Terry started a new show at The STRAT in Las Vegas. This new show uses modern technology and is considered his best performance yet.
Terry Fator's Personal Life
Terry Fator's second cousin is Chris Sligh. Chris was a finalist on American Idol season six.
Helping Others Through Charity
Terry Fator uses his talent to help others. In July 2007, he performed in Montana to raise money for a sports complex. He made time for the show because it was important to him. All the money from his show went to the sports field.
In 2007, Terry also performed to help families of miners in Huntington, Utah. In 2008, he performed in Corsicana, Texas, his hometown. The money went to local arts and drama clubs.
On September 3, 2007, Terry appeared on the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon. He thanked the audience for their support. He brought Emma Taylor to sing "At Last" and Winston the Turtle to sing "What a Wonderful World." He returned to the Telethon in 2008 and 2009, bringing more puppets and special guests.
In 2010, Terry participated in a charity auction. All the money raised went to help families dealing with Neurofibromatosis (NF). Also, all money from Terry's song "Horses in Heaven" goes to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Terry Fator's DVD
On September 1, 2009, Terry Fator's first DVD was released. It was called Terry Fator: Live from Las Vegas. It was recorded during a show at the Mirage. The DVD includes extra footage not shown on TV.
