The ventriloquist on America’s Got Talent who performed with a bird was Terry Fator. Fator competed on season 2 of AGT in 2007 and won the competition that year.
Quick Summary of Terry Fator’s AGT Performances
Here is a quick overview of Terry Fator’s performances on America’s Got Talent in 2007:
- Audition: Fator performed with his puppet named Winston the Impersonating Turtle and got the golden buzzer from judge David Hasselhoff.
- Quarterfinals: Fator sang as Winston and impersonated several singers including Louis Armstrong, Roy Orbison, and Garth Brooks.
- Semifinals: Fator impersonated Kermit the Frog and Tony Bennett while singing with his puppets Emma Taylor and Monty Carlo.
- Finals: Fator impersonated singers like Aaron Neville, Dean Martin, and Roy Orbison while performing with his puppets.
- Results Show: Fator was announced as the winner of season 2, beating out runner-up Cas Haley.
Background on Terry Fator
Here is some background information on Terry Fator:
- Fator was born in 1965 in Dallas, Texas. He became interested in ventriloquism as a child after his parents bought him a Willie Talk dummy.
- In his 20s, Fator started performing at county fairs and other small venues. He slowly built up his act over time.
- Before AGT, Fator performed at comedy clubs, corporate events, cruise ships, and other venues. However, he was still relatively unknown.
- Fator auditioned for America’s Got Talent in 2007 to gain more mainstream exposure. His unique singing ventriloquism act was a hit.
- After winning AGT, Fator secured a headlining act at the Las Vegas Hilton. He later moved to The Mirage in Las Vegas.
Fator’s Unique Talent of Singing Ventriloquism
What made Terry Fator stand out on America’s Got Talent was his ability to throw his voice while singing entire songs. Some key points about Fator’s talent:
- Fator is able to perfectly impersonate the voices of many famous singers, both male and female. He replicates tone, accents, vocal ticks, and more.
- While singing, Fator is able to make his puppets appear as if they are the ones singing. Their mouths and expressions move realistically.
- Fator can rapidly switch between voices and puppets during a performance, making it appear like multiple performers are on stage.
- The illusion Fator creates is very convincing. Audience members frequently forget it is just one person creating all the vocals.
- Fator’s ventriloquism skills combined with vocal impersonations made his act a showstopping novelty on AGT.
Fator’s Puppets and Characters
An essential part of Terry Fator’s act are the puppets and characters he brings to life. Here are some of his most famous creations:
- Winston the Impersonating Turtle – Fator’s first puppet and most popular character who performs spot-on impersonations.
- Emma Taylor – Female singer puppet who often impersonates female pop and soul icons.
- Monty Carlo – Lounge singer character who impersonates Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, and others.
- Vikki the Cougar – Puppet who impersonates female country stars and flirts with Fator.
- Julius – Soulful African American puppet who sings R&B songs in a deep, rich voice.
- Johnny Vegas – Larger-than-life Elvis impersonator puppet.
In addition to his staple puppets, Fator will often introduce new puppets and original characters in his shows to keep the performances fresh and surprising.
Performing with His Bird Puppet on AGT
One of Terry Fator’s most memorable puppets on America’s Got Talent was Julius, an African Grey parrot puppet that he performed with during his finals performance:
- Julius was a hand puppet designed to look like a real parrot, complete with feathers and a moving beak.
- During the finals performance, Julius appeared to sing along with Fator to the Tina Turner song “Proud Mary.”
- Fator made the bird puppet come alive by moving its head, opening and closing its beak, bobbing up and down, and more.
- He coordinated the puppet’s mouth movements to precisely match the lyrics and notes of the song.
- The bird often harmonized with Fator using whistles, tweeting sounds, and other vocalizations.
- Their duet showcased Fator’s vocal skills alongside his puppetry and ventriloquism talent.
The singing bird act was a huge crowd pleaser on AGT and highlighted Fator’s singing ventriloquism skills at their best.
Songs Fator Performed on AGT
Here are some of the songs that Terry Fator performed on America’s Got Talent in 2007:
Song | Original Artist | Puppet Used |
---|---|---|
“What a Wonderful World” | Louis Armstrong | Winston the Turtle |
“Crying” | Roy Orbison | Winston the Turtle |
“Only You” | The Platters | Winston the Turtle |
“Mandy” | Barry Manilow | Monty Carlo |
“Proud Mary” | Tina Turner | Julius the Bird |
Fator mixed up classic hits, oldies, country tunes, and more to showcase the range of his impersonations and ventriloquism skills.
Significance of Winning AGT
Here is an overview of what winning America’s Got Talent in 2007 meant for Terry Fator’s career:
- Fator won $1 million as prize money for being the season 2 AGT champion.
- Being on the show introduced Fator to a mainstream national audience of millions of viewers.
- Fator’s performances on AGT quickly went viral online, further expanding his fame.
- Winning AGT provided validation that Fator’s act was ready for the big time in Las Vegas.
- The Hilton Hotel saw Fator on AGT and hired him to do a headliner show.
- Fator’s first Vegas show in 2008 sold over $1.9 million in tickets in the first week.
- AGT allowed Fator to transition from small county fairs to large Vegas theater venues.
In summary, winning America’s Got Talent catapulted Terry Fator’s career to new heights and opened up major opportunities in Las Vegas and beyond.
Fator’s Post-AGT Career
Here is an overview of Terry Fator’s career highlights after he won America’s Got Talent in 2007:
- Fator signed a 5-year, $100 million deal to perform at the Las Vegas Hilton starting in 2008.
- His Las Vegas show was so successful that he later moved to the Mirage in 2009 on a 5-year $100 million deal.
- Fator has had his show “Terry Fator: The Voice of Entertainment” at The Mirage since 2009 where he still performs regularly.
- He has released DVDs of his Las Vegas performances including “Terry Fator: Live from Las Vegas” and “The Voice of Entertainment.”
- Fator made cameo appearances in TV shows like “Late Night with David Letterman” and “Entourage” after winning AGT.
- He voiced characters in animated films such as “Toy Story 4” and “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas.”
- Fator has performed on tours across the U.S. and Canada over the years.
- He continues doing regular shows in Vegas along with corporate events and concerts globally.
Thanks to his AGT win, Terry Fator has become one of the most successful ventriloquists of all time with an astonishing multimillion dollar career over the past 15+ years.
Conclusion
In summary, Terry Fator was the talented ventriloquist who performed with puppets like Winston the Turtle and Julius the Bird on season 2 of America’s Got Talent in 2007. His unique combination of comedic ventriloquism and celebrity voice impersonations made him a standout winner. Fator’s career skyrocketed after his victory, leading to over a decade of highly lucrative Las Vegas shows. His singing bird puppet act remains one of the most memorable and clever performances in AGT history.