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JIM BAILEY Judy Garland 35 year promo JAZZGUY55 404 views Jim Bailey performing his tribute to Judy Garland
JIM BAILEY with John Larroquette JAZZGUY55 5,376 views Jim in Night Court a T.V. episodic from 80s
JIM BAILEY Barbra Streisand "Happy Days are here again" JAZZGUY55 304 views Jim performing in one of his movie roles
JIM BAILEY as Barbra Streisand w/ Minnie Pearl JAZZGUY55 5,760 views and Vicki Lawrence at the 1978 Superbowl
JIM BAILEY Judy and Barbra in the 70s JAZZGUY55 611 views Jim Bailey performs as Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland
JIM BAILEY Barbra on british tv 1999 JAZZGUY55 1,195 views Jim Bailey being interviewed on British tv
JIM BAILEY Barbra Streisand in the 70s JAZZGUY55 288 views Jim Bailey in one of his many t.v. appearances.
JIM BAILEY Whats my line JAZZGUY55 3,321 views Jim Bailey on this popular tv show from the 70s
JIM BAILEY Lucie Arnaz Fever 2006 JAZZGUY55 817 views Jim and Lucy perform fever at Luci -Desi days.
JIM BAILEY as 'Olivia Mann' JAZZGUY55 51,065 views jim in one of his movie roles

About JIM BAILEY

jimbaileyweb.com

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JAZZGUY55

Latest Activity

Jul 17, 2007

Date Joined

Jul 17, 2007

About this user

James William Bailey was born in Philadelphia to Sara and Claude Bailey on January 10th 1949. As a teenager he studied Opera at the Drake Conservatory of Music and was on the popular television show the Children's Hour.It was at this time he discovered he had a gift for vocally mimicking people.From the mid to late 60s while on school summer vacations he played Summer Stock in such shows as 'The Boyfriend' and 'Bells are Ringing'at this time he became friendly with Phyllis Diller and started mimicking her. He then moved to Los Angeles in 1967 where he put together his own niteclub act and played the Redwood Room.This is where Judy Garland saw him perform as her,she got up onto the stage with him and they sang 'Bye Bye Blackbird' together. She became fascinated with him and was a mentor getting him a pay raise, many nights he spent at her home listening to stories.One night she performed her whole Carnegie Hall Albumn. He then was booked into Las Vegas and became an overnight sensation and was booked onto the Ed Sullivan show.This was groundbreaking because no man in a dress was doing what Jim Bailey was doing singing as a woman,in a serious way. His appearance was a phenomenon and he was asked back a couple of months later. He went from that to New Yorks' Carnegie Hall to the London Palladium to the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion in Los Angeles and then onto the Carol Burnett Show and the Tonight Show. Variety stated at that time that he was 'the hottest thing in showbusiness'.'Heres Lucy' followed in 1973 where he met Lucie Arnaz they remain friends to this day. He then returned and back to Carnegie Hall for a couple of nights where he was recorded by United Artists for wide release.In Las Vegas in 1973 he and Liza Minnelli put together a concert where they recreated her concerts with her late mother Judy Garland.In his recreation with Liza Minnelli -- the Judy and Liza Concert she stated "Angels gave this man a special talent". At another time when she was onstage with Jim she said "The only comparison I can make with somebody that does something that fantastically brilliant and so unusual is Marcel Marceau."
During the 70s Jim was a mainstay in the main showrooms in Las Vegas and was booked around the world.
In the late 70s Jim turned to more T.V. episodic work and guest starred on such shows as 'Switch', 'Rockford Files' 'Streets of San Francisco' and 'Vegas' creating original characters which were written especially for him because of the uniqueness of his talent. Apart from numerous Tonight Show appearances he also did all the Variety Shows including 'Dean Martin Show', 'Merv Griffin Show',Bob Hopes specials 'Chuck Barris' Gong Show', 'Mike Douglas Show' and 'David Frost Show'.Jim was considered TVs top impressionist.
In the late 70s to mid 80s Jim was asked to headline the Superbowl Halftime in 1978, do a command performance for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip and perform at the 1984 Olympics Opening Ceremony.His also performed on the Peoples Choice Awards and won the Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year 4 times, at this time Barbra Streisand was not doing the niteclub circuit so Jim recreated some of her great movie performances for the stage .He also did a monthlong season at London Palladium.
In the late 80s Jim turned his sights onto television and feature films which included a ground breaking performance as a sex change on 'Night Court' and feature films that were not major successes including 'Vultures in Paradise'playing eight roles,'The Surrogate,'Penitentiary 3.'. In the 90s he did a command performance for Princess Diana and Prince Charles and played Carnegie Hall and the London Palladium and Las Vegas' and Atlantic City in the Main Showrooms
He toured extensively in the 90s and one summer portrayed Barbra for Barbra for a group of Hollywood legends incuding Clint Eastwood and Neil Diamond He said when Barbra came into his dressing room she was as sweet as he had hoped..At this time felt he wanted to settle down so he opened the Jim Bailey Theatre in Palm Springs after 10 months he closed it. At the start of the new Century Jim played Harold Dale on Ally Mcbeal and did lots of theatre he did Charles Rohms Smiths 'Tallulah and Tenesee' co-starring Bette Garrett as Estelle Winwood. The Los Angeles Times said "Bailey as Bankhead conveys the necessary verve and venom. His performance is superb." The Daily News said "Bailey fearlessly rides the fine line between caricature and character much like Robert Morse in "Tru". In "Mae West at the Club El Fey," Gannett News Service said "Bailey's performance is a tour de force of acting" In "Me and Jezebel" the Miami Herald said "Bailey never drops character for a second" and "I didn't know Bailey is such a fine actor." Other theatrical work includes "Niteclub Confidential", "Jeffrey" and "Fragile Fire", directed by Paul Winfield.

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