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Jim Bailey (entertainer)
Encyclopedia
James William Bailey is an American singer, film, television and stage actor
, and female impersonator.
Bailey was born on January 10, 1949, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
to Sara and Claude Bailey. He has one brother, Claude. As a teenager he studied opera at the Drake Conservatory of Music, and was on the television program
The Children's Hour
for almost a year, where he performed by acting, singing and dancing. His family moved to New Jersey
, where he attended Palmyra High School
.
, Here's Lucy
, Night Court
, The Rockford Files
, Switch
, Vega$
, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
, The Ed Sullivan Show
, The Carol Burnett Show
, The Merv Griffin Show
, Late Night With David Letterman
, The Mike Douglas Show
, The Dean Martin Show
and The Joan Rivers Show.
Bailey's fame began in the late 1960s when he created the "illusions" of singers Judy Garland
, Barbra Streisand
, and Peggy Lee
by vocally mimicking them in his own operatically trained voice. Bailey has appeared on concert stages throughout the world, including headlining in Las Vegas
, at Hotels such as The Thunderbird, Caesars Palace, The Desert Inn, The Sands, Harrah's,The Dunes and performing at New York
's Carnegie Hall
a total of nine times and The Palladium Theater
in London
a total of seventeen times . Bailey has also performed for the British Royal Family
twice and for four United States Presidents.
, Calamity Jane
with Ginger Rogers
, Bells are Ringing
and Wildcat
with Gale Storm
.
During this time, Bailey was introduced to and became friends with Phyllis Diller
. Bailey learned to re-create the comedienne/actress's personality and later added her to his repertoire. In 1968, Bailey moved to Los Angeles and put together a nightclub
act with Michael Greer, performing at the Redwood Room, this time adding Judy Garland
to his repertoire. When Garland herself came to see Bailey's show, she jumped up on to the stage and asked him to sing a song with her. Bailey agreed and the two sang a duet of "Bye Bye Blackbird
", which Bailey had intended on singing as himself. The two later became friends, and Garland became Bailey's mentor. The two remained friends until Garland's death in 1969. In 1970, Bailey was booked in Las Vegas and became an overnight sensation. He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, which helped launch an international career. His performance as Judy Garland singing "The Man that Got Away
" was such a phenomenon he was asked back a couple of months later to perform as Peggy Lee. He also performed as himself on both shows.
Bailey's success continued as he appeared for performances at New York's Carnegie Hall, the London Palladium, and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
in Los Angeles
. While in London he performed on the legendary David Frost's show. He then guest starred on the popular television variety show The Carol Burnett Show, where the two sang a comedic duet of "Happy Days Are Here Again
" with Bailey appearing as Barbra Streisand, and made several appearances on Johnny Carson
's The Tonight Show.
Bailey was approached by Lucille Ball
in 1973 after she saw him at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
and asked to guest star on her popular television show, Here's Lucy
. Ball was so impressed by Bailey and his performance, she titled the show Lucy and Jim Bailey, and she also threw a party for him after the show's taping. The two remained close friends until Ball's death in 1989. Bailey also became very close friends with Ball's daughter Lucie Arnaz
. The two have remained close friends doing benefit performances in honor of her late mother and father at the Lucy Desi festival in Jamestown, New York
. In 1973 Bailey was asked to return to Carnegie Hall for two nights to perform again. This time, he was approached by United Artists
to record and release his performance. The album became a success and was sold worldwide.
Also in 1973, Bailey teamed with Liza Minnelli
, daughter of his mentor Judy Garland, in Las Vegas at The Flamingo. The two put together a concert recreating the performances by Minnelli and her late mother in London, with Bailey standing in as Garland. The "Judy and Liza Concert" met with great success, they opened the show with Jim as Judy singing "Well, Hello Liza" just as they had done at the Palladium years earlier. Later, Minnelli made a gift to Bailey of one of her late mother's treasured pearl rings.
The mid 1970s saw Bailey as a mainstay in showrooms in Las Vegas, it was at this time he was named "Las Vegas Entertainer of the year". He was also booked for concerts around the world, including the O'Keefe Center in Toronto, Canada, and venues in Australia
and South America
. In the next few years, Bailey returned to acting in more episodic television work in character roles that were created especially for him because of the uniqueness of his talent. They include Switch in 1978 with Robert Wagner Eddie Albert and Sharon Gless, Vega$ in 1979 with Robert Urich and The Rockford Files in 1979 with James Garner.
Bailey also performed at some major venues. He performed at Super Bowl XII
, as Barbra Streisand and himself, did a show for Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
and her husband the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
as Barbra Streisand and himself. He performed at the 1984 Winter Olympics
opening ceremony, and at the People's Choice Awards
. He also returned to Carnegie Hall and the London Palladium doing multiple nights at each venue.
In the late 1980s, Bailey turned his sights once again to feature films, including a role on TV's Night Court as Chip/Charlene, Dan's (John Larroquette
) friend from college who had had a sex change, Vultures in Paradise with Stuart Whitman
and Yvonne De Carlo
, The Surrogate
with Shannon Tweed
, and Penitentiary 3 with Anthony Geary
and Leon Isaac Kennedy.
Since Barbra Streisand
was not performing on the night club and concert circuit in the mid 80s, Bailey decided to re-create some of her great movie performances and adapt them to his stage performances. In the late 80s he also toured with the musical "Nite Club Confidential." Ten years later in 1995 Bailey would perform at an event for Streisand and other stars, like Clint Eastwood
and Warren Beatty
. Also in the 1990s, Bailey performed for Diana, Princess of Wales
and Prince Charles
in London. He again performed at Carnegie Hall and the London Palladium, as well as another long stints at The Sands
in Las Vegas
and Harrah's in all of their main showrooms. After touring extensively in the 1990s, Bailey opened the Jim Bailey Theater in Palm Springs, California
, but closed the theater just ten months later, when offers were coming in for more theatrical work.
At the start of the new millennium, Bailey did a guest starring role on Ally McBeal as "Harold Dale," and an episode of Duckman. He continued with concerts and theater performances, including a critically acclaimed performances in Charles Rohm Smith's Tallulah and Tennessee, co-starring Bette Garrett as Estelle Winwood, Mae West
at the Club El Fey and Me and Jezebel. Other theatrical work includes Jeffrey and Fragile Fire, directed by Paul Winfield.
Bailey continues performing his characterizations, including benefits for AIDS
research charities around the world. As of July 2008, Bailey is slated to appear in Hollywood, London, New York and San Francisco which makes it 40 years since he first performed as Garland in 1968.
In June 2009 Bailey played London's West End for the 40th Anniversary of Judy's passing. Susie Boyt from The Times wrote "There is nothing camp or stagey about his act--it can scarcely even be described as an act, for Bailey inhabits Garland's persona to such an extent that well, there she is. It is a supreme illusion, a sort of perfect madness."
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, and female impersonator.
Early years
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
to Sara and Claude Bailey. He has one brother, Claude. As a teenager he studied opera at the Drake Conservatory of Music, and was on the television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
The Children's Hour
The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour
The Horn and Hardart Children's Hour was a variety show with a cast of children, including some who later became well-known adult performers. It had a long run for more than three decades...
for almost a year, where he performed by acting, singing and dancing. His family moved to New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, where he attended Palmyra High School
Palmyra High School (New Jersey)
Palmyra High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Palmyra in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Palmyra Public Schools...
.
Career
Bailey has appeared in over seventy television and movie roles, including appearances on Ally McBealAlly McBeal
Ally McBeal is an American legal comedy-drama series which aired on the Fox network from 1997 to 2002. The series was created by David E. Kelley, who also served as the executive producer, along with Bill D'Elia...
, Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
, Night Court
Night Court
Night Court is an American television situation comedy that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984, to May 20, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan court, presided over by the young, unorthodox Judge Harold T. "Harry" Stone...
, The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
, Switch
Switch (TV series)
Switch is an American action-adventure, tongue-in-cheek detective series starring Eddie Albert and Robert Wagner, who worked as private eyes, for a deceptive sting operation...
, Vega$
Vega$
Vega$ is an American detective television drama series that aired on ABC between 1978 and 1981. It was produced by Aaron Spelling. The series, was filmed in its entirety in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is believed to be the first television series produced entirely in Las Vegas...
, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under the Tonight Show franchise from 1962 to 1992. It originally aired during late-night....
, The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
, The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show
The Carol Burnett Show is a variety / sketch comedy television show starring Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway. It originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 278 episodes and originated from CBS Television City's Studio 33...
, The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show
The Merv Griffin Show is an American television talk show, starring Merv Griffin. The series ran from October 1, 1962 to March 29, 1963 on NBC, September 20, 1965 to September 26, 1969 in first-run syndication, from August 18, 1969 to February 11, 1972 at 11:30 PM ET weeknights on CBS and again in...
, Late Night With David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman
Late Night with David Letterman is a nightly hour-long comedy talk show on NBC that was created and hosted by David Letterman. It premiered in 1982 as the first incarnation of the Late Night franchise and went off the air in 1993, after Letterman left NBC and moved to Late Show on CBS. Late Night...
, The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show
The Mike Douglas Show is an American daytime television talk show hosted by Mike Douglas that aired in syndication from 1961 to 1982, distributed by Westinghouse Broadcasting and for much of its run, originated from studios of two of the company's TV stations.The program featured light banter with...
, The Dean Martin Show
The Dean Martin Show
The Dean Martin Show is a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974 for 264 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by crooner Dean Martin...
and The Joan Rivers Show.
Bailey's fame began in the late 1960s when he created the "illusions" of singers Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
, Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, and Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee
Peggy Lee was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress in a career spanning six decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, she forged a sophisticated persona, evolving into a multi-faceted artist and...
by vocally mimicking them in his own operatically trained voice. Bailey has appeared on concert stages throughout the world, including headlining in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
, at Hotels such as The Thunderbird, Caesars Palace, The Desert Inn, The Sands, Harrah's,The Dunes and performing at New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
's Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
a total of nine times and The Palladium Theater
London Palladium
The London Palladium is a 2,286 seat West End theatre located off Oxford Street in the City of Westminster. From the roster of stars who have played there and many televised performances, it is arguably the most famous theatre in London and the United Kingdom, especially for musical variety...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
a total of seventeen times . Bailey has also performed for the British Royal Family
British Royal Family
The British Royal Family is the group of close relatives of the monarch of the United Kingdom. The term is also commonly applied to the same group of people as the relations of the monarch in her or his role as sovereign of any of the other Commonwealth realms, thus sometimes at variance with...
twice and for four United States Presidents.
History
From the mid to the late 1960s, 1966 through to 1968, Bailey played summer stock in such shows as The Boy FriendThe Boy Friend
The Boy Friend is a musical by Sandy Wilson. The musical's original 1954 London production ran for 2,078 performances, making it briefly the third-longest running musical in West End or Broadway history until it was surpassed by Salad Days...
, Calamity Jane
Calamity Jane
Martha Jane Cannary Burke , better known as Calamity Jane, was an American frontierswoman, and professional scout best known for her claim of being an acquaintance of Wild Bill Hickok, but also for having gained fame fighting Native Americans...
with Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
, Bells are Ringing
Bells Are Ringing (musical)
Bells Are Ringing is a musical with a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Jule Styne. The story revolves around Ella, who works at an answering service and the characters that she meets there. The main character was based on Mary Printz, who worked for Green's answering...
and Wildcat
Wildcat
Wildcat is a small felid native to Europe, the western part of Asia, and Africa.-Animals:Wildcat may also refer to members of the genus Lynx:...
with Gale Storm
Gale Storm
Gale Storm was an American actress and singer who starred in two popular television programs of the 1950s, My Little Margie and The Gale Storm Show.-Early life:...
.
During this time, Bailey was introduced to and became friends with Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller
Phyllis Diller is an American actress and comedian. She created a stage persona of a wild-haired, eccentrically dressed housewife who makes jokes about a husband named "Fang" while pretending to smoke from a long cigarette holder...
. Bailey learned to re-create the comedienne/actress's personality and later added her to his repertoire. In 1968, Bailey moved to Los Angeles and put together a nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
act with Michael Greer, performing at the Redwood Room, this time adding Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
to his repertoire. When Garland herself came to see Bailey's show, she jumped up on to the stage and asked him to sing a song with her. Bailey agreed and the two sang a duet of "Bye Bye Blackbird
Bye Bye Blackbird
"Bye, Bye, Blackbird" is a song published in 1926 by the American composer Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. It is considered a popular standard and was first recorded by Gene Austin in 1926.- Song information :...
", which Bailey had intended on singing as himself. The two later became friends, and Garland became Bailey's mentor. The two remained friends until Garland's death in 1969. In 1970, Bailey was booked in Las Vegas and became an overnight sensation. He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, which helped launch an international career. His performance as Judy Garland singing "The Man that Got Away
The Man that Got Away
"The Man that Got Away" is a popular song, published in 1953 and was written for the 1954 version of the movie A Star Is Born. The music was written by Harold Arlen, and the lyrics by Ira Gershwin...
" was such a phenomenon he was asked back a couple of months later to perform as Peggy Lee. He also performed as himself on both shows.
Bailey's success continued as he appeared for performances at New York's Carnegie Hall, the London Palladium, and the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center . The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall.The Pavilion has 3,197 seats spread over four tiers, with chandeliers, wide curving stairways and rich décor...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. While in London he performed on the legendary David Frost's show. He then guest starred on the popular television variety show The Carol Burnett Show, where the two sang a comedic duet of "Happy Days Are Here Again
Happy Days Are Here Again
"Happy Days Are Here Again" is a song copyrighted in 1929 by Milton Ager and Jack Yellen and published by EMI Robbins Catalog, Inc./Advanced Music Corp...
" with Bailey appearing as Barbra Streisand, and made several appearances on Johnny Carson
Johnny Carson
John William "Johnny" Carson was an American television host and comedian, known as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for 30 years . Carson received six Emmy Awards including the Governor Award and a 1985 Peabody Award; he was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987...
's The Tonight Show.
Lucille Ball
Lucille Désirée Ball was an American comedian, film, television, stage and radio actress, model, film and television executive, and star of the sitcoms I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy and Life With Lucy...
in 1973 after she saw him at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion is one of the halls in the Los Angeles Music Center . The Music Center's other halls include the Mark Taper Forum, Ahmanson Theatre, and Walt Disney Concert Hall.The Pavilion has 3,197 seats spread over four tiers, with chandeliers, wide curving stairways and rich décor...
and asked to guest star on her popular television show, Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy
Here's Lucy is Lucille Ball's third network television sitcom. It ran on CBS from 1968 to 1974.-Background:Though The Lucy Show was still hugely popular during the previous season, finishing in the top five of the Nielsen Ratings , Ball opted to end that series at the end of that season and create...
. Ball was so impressed by Bailey and his performance, she titled the show Lucy and Jim Bailey, and she also threw a party for him after the show's taping. The two remained close friends until Ball's death in 1989. Bailey also became very close friends with Ball's daughter Lucie Arnaz
Lucie Arnaz
Lucie Désirée Arnaz is an American actress, singer, dancer and producer. She is the daughter of actors Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and is the sister of actor Desi Arnaz, Jr..- Early life :...
. The two have remained close friends doing benefit performances in honor of her late mother and father at the Lucy Desi festival in Jamestown, New York
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
. In 1973 Bailey was asked to return to Carnegie Hall for two nights to perform again. This time, he was approached by United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
to record and release his performance. The album became a success and was sold worldwide.
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli is an American actress and singer. She is the daughter of singer and actress Judy Garland and film director Vincente Minnelli....
, daughter of his mentor Judy Garland, in Las Vegas at The Flamingo. The two put together a concert recreating the performances by Minnelli and her late mother in London, with Bailey standing in as Garland. The "Judy and Liza Concert" met with great success, they opened the show with Jim as Judy singing "Well, Hello Liza" just as they had done at the Palladium years earlier. Later, Minnelli made a gift to Bailey of one of her late mother's treasured pearl rings.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. In the next few years, Bailey returned to acting in more episodic television work in character roles that were created especially for him because of the uniqueness of his talent. They include Switch in 1978 with Robert Wagner Eddie Albert and Sharon Gless, Vega$ in 1979 with Robert Urich and The Rockford Files in 1979 with James Garner.
Bailey also performed at some major venues. He performed at Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1977 regular season...
, as Barbra Streisand and himself, did a show for Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
and her husband the Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
as Barbra Streisand and himself. He performed at the 1984 Winter Olympics
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
opening ceremony, and at the People's Choice Awards
People's Choice Awards
The People's Choice Awards is an American awards show recognizing the people and the work of popular culture. The show has been held annually since 1975 and is voted on by the general public. The People's Choice Awards air on CBS and are produced by Procter & Gamble and Survivor magnate Mark Burnett...
. He also returned to Carnegie Hall and the London Palladium doing multiple nights at each venue.
John Larroquette
John Edgar Bernard Larroquette, Jr. is an American film, television and Broadway actor. His roles include Dan Fielding on the series Night Court, Mike McBride in the Hallmark Channel series McBride, John Hemingway on The John Larroquette Show, and Carl Sack in Boston Legal.-Personal...
) friend from college who had had a sex change, Vultures in Paradise with Stuart Whitman
Stuart Whitman
Stuart Maxwell Whitman is an American actor.Stuart Whitman is arguably best-known for playing Marshal Jim Crown in the western television series Cimarron Strip in 1967...
and Yvonne De Carlo
Yvonne De Carlo
Yvonne De Carlo was a Canadian-born American actress of film and television. During her six-decade career, her most frequent appearances in film came in the 1940s and 1950s and included her best-known film roles, such as of Anna Marie in Salome Where She Danced ; Anna in Criss Cross ; Sephora the...
, The Surrogate
The Surrogate (1984 film)
The Surrogate is a 1984 Canadian thriller film starring Art Hindle, Carole Laure, Shannon Tweed, and Jackie Burroughs. The film was written by Don Carmody and Robert Geoffrion, produced by Don Carmody and John Dunning, executively produced by André Fleury and André Link and directed by Don Carmody...
with Shannon Tweed
Shannon Tweed
Shannon Lee Tweed is a Canadian actress and model. One of the most successful actresses of mainstream erotica, she is identified with the genre of the erotic thriller...
, and Penitentiary 3 with Anthony Geary
Anthony Geary
Anthony Geary is an American actor. He has starred on the ABC daytime drama General Hospital as Luke Spencer from 1978 to 1984 and from 1993 to present.-Life and career:...
and Leon Isaac Kennedy.
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
was not performing on the night club and concert circuit in the mid 80s, Bailey decided to re-create some of her great movie performances and adapt them to his stage performances. In the late 80s he also toured with the musical "Nite Club Confidential." Ten years later in 1995 Bailey would perform at an event for Streisand and other stars, like Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
and Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty
Warren Beatty born March 30, 1937) is an American actor, producer, screenwriter and director. He has received a total of fourteen Academy Award nominations, winning one for Best Director in 1982. He has also won four Golden Globe Awards including the Cecil B. DeMille Award.-Early life and...
. Also in the 1990s, Bailey performed for Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales
Diana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century...
and Prince Charles
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
in London. He again performed at Carnegie Hall and the London Palladium, as well as another long stints at The Sands
Sands Hotel
The Sands Hotel was a historic Las Vegas Strip hotel/casino that operated from December 15, 1952 to June 30, 1996. Designed by architect Wayne McAllister, the Sands was the seventh resort that opened on the Strip....
in Las Vegas
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
and Harrah's in all of their main showrooms. After touring extensively in the 1990s, Bailey opened the Jim Bailey Theater in Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
, but closed the theater just ten months later, when offers were coming in for more theatrical work.
Mae West
Mae West was an American actress, playwright, screenwriter and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned seven decades....
at the Club El Fey and Me and Jezebel. Other theatrical work includes Jeffrey and Fragile Fire, directed by Paul Winfield.
Bailey continues performing his characterizations, including benefits for AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
research charities around the world. As of July 2008, Bailey is slated to appear in Hollywood, London, New York and San Francisco which makes it 40 years since he first performed as Garland in 1968.
In June 2009 Bailey played London's West End for the 40th Anniversary of Judy's passing. Susie Boyt from The Times wrote "There is nothing camp or stagey about his act--it can scarcely even be described as an act, for Bailey inhabits Garland's persona to such an extent that well, there she is. It is a supreme illusion, a sort of perfect madness."
Discography
- 1972 Jim Bailey
- 1973 Jim Bailey Live at Carnegie Hall
- 1986 Mostly Mercer
- 1997 Club Verbotten
- 1998 Voices
- 2002 Judy Jim Judy
Singles
- 1972 Every Minute Every Day
- 1972 When I Found You
- 1973 Love Song
- 1988 All I Ask Of You
External links
- Official site
- http://www.youtube.com/jimbaileyarchives
- Jim Bailey' youtube Page
- http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/stage/theatre/article6464505.ece