Bernie Jessome

Fan Club Monthly Letter
From the President

 

September 2007   Welcome back and hello to everyone.  Bernie is on vacation part of this month and has sent me this e-mail to say that he and Nancy are having a wonderful time. He also said that he received a fantastic reception last night from the crowd at the open Karaoke night at the resort they are staying in. The songs he sang were, Unchained Melody, Takin’ Care of Business and one other slow song. I’m feeling great and lookin’ browner. This is my first day on line and probably last until I return. Cheers Bernie  Therefore there is not a lot to chat about, but here is what has transpired:    Saturday September 15th at the Hilltop, Bernie presented Don Thompson who entertained us with his legend rendition of Garth Brooks and Ricky Nelson. This dinner show was to be a two night show but it turns out, due to low ticket sales for Friday, there was only the Saturday evening show.  This is not the norm for Bernie’s shows at the Hilltop. I looked for an explanation and through speaking to some of the regular guest that attend most Friday nights performances, and to Bernie and Phil [Hilltop] I came to these conclusions… school is back – books, uniforms, sign up season – hockey, skating, dancing not to mention College, University and all that goes with it… Were now back to the Hilltop, having had our dinner, settling in now for the dinner show to begin. Bernie picks up the mike and announces that Ricky Nelson is about to enter the room and asks if were ready? To which there was a great response of yes’s and applause… Ricky Nelson is now entering the stage, appearing incredibly handsome in his well tailored and fitting white suit. With his guitar over his shoulder, he begins his legend tribute by looking slowly around at the audience, he then, with a grin and a little wink, said hello to all the beautiful women in the audience. The room begins to fill with familiar sounding music, and a familiar voice singing those words we have all come to hear…Ricky’s arrived. Ricky sang the songs such as Mary Lou, Travelin’ Man and Garden Party, which we’ve danced to and sang along. While Ricky is singing and strumming his guitar, he is turning his head to the right and there it was…the likeness that so resembled Ricky! How do they do that? You can’t say that it’s acting because acting does not transform facial features…does it? Garth took control of the entire room, as usual, the second he put one foot into the room and the spotlight, which was just waiting for his appearance. Don has not only captured Brook’s sound he has also captured all of Brook’s moves. With the same get up and go Don’s running through the room, going from floor to chair to table top all the while belting out his songs. Whether he was standing straight up and dead center of the table, lying on his side on the table, or on the stage good times were had by all which is the usual at all Don’s performances. I went to Google searching for information about Don Thompson. I came across this news article: “He may be an impersonator but his act is for real”. It went on to say that” Don first latched onto Brooks during the early 1990’s when he would go to the country dance parties and wear a cowboy hat that made him look like the famous star”. Don said “I never thought much of it” He later entered a karaoke contest and lost, but that led him to being picked up by a company looking for a country act. “Sometimes when you lose, you win,” Thompson said. “I had to hurry up and learn some songs.” Thompson said,” as Friends in Low Places” was the only one I knew.” We, at the Hilltop are very happy he didn’t win that karaoke contest and that he learnt more of the songs  The above news article shows that once again, Bernie Jessome Entertainment presents to you only the best. While reading Roy Orbison’s biography, looking for some more conversation for this letter, I read his personal quotes. One of which was, “People often ask me how I would like to be remembered.” With Bernie’s legend tribute to Roy, I would find it safe to say that Roy Orbison unquestionably is being remembered, wouldn’t you? Furthering Roy’s wish to be remembered, I had also read how he and Elvis had a mutual admiration which, brought to mind that Elvis and Roy do still have a mutual admiration in 2007. ·         Bernie Jessome [Roy] and Garry Wesley [Elvis] have a mutual admiration also; this time around it includes their staying at each other homes while performing in each others area and touring the world together. ·         Roy was a friend of Elvis and was the idol of Elvis. ·         Roy made only one movie in his career; “The Fastest Guitar Alive” [1967] which was offered to him after, his friend, Elvis, turned it down. ·         Both he and his friend, Elvis, suffered a heart attack in their bathrooms. ·         Roy first saw Elvis in concert in 1955. The next year Elvis went to Roy’s concert and entered in backstage. Roy kept telling about Elvis’s visit to his friend. ·         Roy offered his first big hit song “Only the Lonely” originally to Elvis, but unfortunately all the material for Elvis’s next album had already been chosen. Later Roy discovered that Elvis simply didn’t want to cover any of Roy’s songs because Elvis felt that nobody could do better work with them than Roy did! ·         Roy last met Elvis in Las Vegas in 1976 in the King’s last concert, which was in the gambling city. Roy was in the audience and Elvis said in the microphone, “Quite simply, the greatest singer in the world, Roy Orbison ·         Roy was one of the Million Dollar singers for the little record company Sun Records based in Memphis, Tennessee with Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins and Gerry Lee Lewis. ·         Roy wrote “Hound Dog Man” [1979] in memory of his friend…Elvis Presley. ·         Elvis, being blonde, dyed his hair black just like his idol Roy Orbison and also choose the same hair style, the pompadour. Elvis found with that style, the hair was too heavy so eventually changed the style but keeping the color. Other write-ups state that Roy died his hair black and kept the sunglasses to hide his bad looks. There is a cliché in our crowd, and I have also heard it from others… Our Bernie is the good looking Roy Orbison! One case in point is Sam Orbison’s thoughts of Bernie, some of which follow… Profile of Bernie Jessome During the early part of 1994, Sam Orbison was asked to help develop a musical presentation of his brother's career. The show was to have its basis in a narrative accounting of Roy Orbison's life from his birth in West Texas to his death in 1988. Throughout the commentary, which is delivered live and in person by Sam Orbison, the music of Roy Orbison is sung by one of North America's premier Orbison impersonators, Bernie Jessome, and is supported by a fully live backup band. Bernie's work with The Legends of Rock and Roll in Canada, and with American Superstars throughout the United States, brought him to the attention of Sam Orbison. It was Bernie Jessome's selection to portray Roy Orbison that actually assured Sam's position as one of the show's producers. Sam’s actual wording from a newspaper article from Tunica, Mississippi stated “Bernie does it for the pure love of it [Roy Music] and we get along so well to-gether it is just wonderful for me. He and I are to-gether all the time and it gives me goose bumps to hear Bernie sing. He does it better than any impersonator out there.” This quote is also found on the front page of our Fan Club Website. Then there is my favourite write up from Bernie’s Australian Tour.  “There was a hush in the audience as The Big O, Roy Orbison, was announced. Bernie Jessome, as Roy, has a long history in this role. With his wide ranging voice, his uncanny physical resemblance to the late singer Bernie presents his enthralling performance, he moved effortlessly through the highs and lows of many Orbison hit”. And as Bernie says… so there you have it. I had asked Bernie why entertainers say to one another before a performance, may you break a leg. Here is his reply: “In earlier times actors wished one another "May you break a leg" in hope that the performance would be so successful that the performer would be called forth to take a bow, thus bend his knee. Thus break a leg. So there you have it.” If you remember from last months letter, I had mentioned that on September 9th at the Oshawa Rotary Rib Fest, the Bernie Jessome’s All Star Legends Tribute Show presented;  Roy Orbison – Bernie Jessome,  Buddy Holly – Jeff Scott, Everly Brothers – Bernie & Jeff, Cher & Shania Twain – Karen Grainger, Elvis – James Begley and Jerry Lee Lewis – Bill Diel.   Bernie reported that despite the rain they had the largest crowd they have ever had. Also, on September 20th at the Silverthorn Collegiate in Burnamthrope, Bernie as Roy was joined by Jeff Scott - Buddy Holly, Bernie & Jeff - the Everly Bros. and Frank Rondell - Ray Charles, all performed in an event called – Heart & Soul of Rock ‘n’ Roll Legends in concert. They were promoted as the impersonators who are among the best in the world, having entertained across North America, in Europe, Australia and Asia. There are none better! Show was a great success as I understand it. Bernie’s future shows, his Hilltop Dinner Shows, plus his personal appearances. Now you can make note of it, make time for it, order your tickets early for it, that way you won’t miss it, Now Enjoy it! Personal appearances… October 12th & 13th – Merrickville, ON.   Bernie Jessome Entertainment is presenting: “The Legend in Black” – Bill Cayley will perform his Johnny Cash tribute at the Victoria Theatre in Cobourg ON, on October 22nd. At the Hilltop: October 6th – Elvis & Patsy Cline – Dinner Show November 16th & 17th – Face to Face – Elton John / Billy Joel – This is a must see tribute with both on stage doing their hits together.  Tickets – $50.00 plus tax.  Bernie Jessome Entertainment – 905-433-8838 The Hilltop 905-433-7001 or visit after 12 PM This will be our only letter until January 2008, as Bernie will not be travelling until the New Year and due to The Hilltop’s busy Christmas schedule, our last Dinner Show of 2007 will be November 16th & 17th. We send you our sincere wishes for a safe and happy holiday season.  We will chat once again in January 2008, and should there be updates, we’ll certainly keep you informed. Please stay tuned. See you next year, and until then …. Take Care Bernie & Darlene