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Meet
the Author
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The
author/writer [Photo: Martha Swope]; Caricature by renowned artist Sam Norkin;
Onstage at the Grand Ole Opry [Photo: Les Leverett] |
ELLIS NASSOUR
is a native Mississippian and a New York-based
international entertainment writer. He was selected as a Time magazine
2006 Person of the Year. As vice president of artist relations for MCA Music,
he participated in the development of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus
Christ Superstar (R.I.A.A. Gold
Record), and the careers of The Who, Elton John
[supervising his American debut and first U.S. tour], Bing Crosby (R.I.A.A. Gold
Record),
Rick Nelson (R.I.A.A. Gold Record), Bill Cosby, Neil Diamond
(R.I.A.A. Gold Record),
Loretta Lynn (R.I.A.A. Gold
Record), Brenda Lee (R.I.A.A. Gold
Record), Conway Twitty,
Crystal Gale, Florence Henderson, classical guitarist Andres Segovia; and,
independently, the careers of disco diva Gloria Gaynor (R.I.A.A. Gold
Record), soul diva Millie Jackson and
Broadway composers Jerry
Herman and Stephen Sondheim. At MCA/ Universal Studios, he worked with
Academy Award-winning composer Alfred Newman on the release of his last score, Airport;
and on the Broadway revival of The Boy Friend, starring Judy Carne and Sandy
Duncan.
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MOI & ME
1978, London
On set of the Muppets
with Miss Piggy |
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We had a good thing going 'til
she
went "Green" on me!
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STAR TRIO ~ ~
With (clockwise):
comic legend JERRY LEWIS,
screen legend BETTE DAVIS
and international
singing sensation
SHIRLEY BASSEY
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The hit revue Always, Patsy Cline
is four pages verbatim of Ellis' interviews with Patsy fan Louise Seger from his Patsy
Cline biographies. He's done the "Broadway" musical adaptation of
his biography, Patsy...Honky Tonk
Angel, with Patsy hits and an
original score [Music by George Leonard]. Ellis provided the
Patsy Cline material for Robyn Archer's hit Australian and London West End revue A Star Is Torn.
He's featured with k.d. lang on Bravo TV's The Voice [segment on Patsy
Cline], the BBC
specials Country Girls and Rock Shrines [segments on Patsy
Cline],
as
well as Country Weekly 40th Anniversary tribute to Patsy. In
addition, he provided source material and photos for the Virginia Public
Television documentary, Patsy Cline: The Lady Behind the Legend. Ellis
is an associate and contributing editor [music, film, theater] of Oxford University Press'
American National Biography.
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| 1963 : with TV and
records sensation CONNIE STEVENS |
1972 : with screen
legend
JOAN CRAWFORD |
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| 1968, Big Sur,
CA : On location with
CHARLTON HESTON, starring as astronaut George Taylor in 20th Century-Fox's Planet of the Apes. At left, Lou Wagner as Lucius. |
1970, New York, Metropolitan Opera:
Ellis (left), MCA Records V-P, Artist Relations
and Tom
Morgan, MCA A&R Manager (third
from left) with The Who
for their
"farewell" Tommy
concert.
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Ellis
coordinated tours headlining Patsy Cline,
Johnny Cash, Peter, Paul & Mary, Al Hirt, Peter Nero, Connie Stevens, Julie London
and Bobby Troupe. His first interview was with Bob Hope. He is at work on Marvelous Gals from Movie-Musicals and his
first novel, The Scent of Magnolia. He's an international
media journalist, veteran of The New York Times and New York Daily News
and writes extensively for Playbill and BroadwayStars.com.
Ellis has conducted creative writing seminars at Rutgers University, the
Space Coast Writers Association, the University of Kentucky, Hinds
College and the University of Mississippi. He is on the Executive
Board of theatrical organization Drama Desk. September 2005 saw
the dedication of the Mamie and Ellis Nassour Arts & Entertainment
Collection at the University of Mississippi in memory of Ellis' parents
[presently housed in the John D. Williams Library]. The launch of his 1993 Patsy Cline
biography at New York's Cowgirl began the annual St. Patsy's Day
look-alike contest on St. Patrick's Day night. Ellis was instrumental in
getting Patsy Cline named to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
He's featured in the coffee table book
Mississippians.
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With Country's Greatest Female Entertainers :  |
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LORETTA LYNN
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REBA McENTIRE
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An Exciting Career As
A Media Journalist, Highlighted By Encounters With: |
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Film, stage and TV legend Angela Lansbury; Christina
Applegate; with
Christina for her 2005 Broadway Wall of Fame unveiling; Cyndie Lauper,
2005 BWOF unveiling; "a few" years ago, working with
disco legend Gloria "I Will Survive" Gaynor, still a friend;
my old friend Dolly Parton, 2009; Fran Drescher, 2006; screen legend Debbie
Reynolds, 2009; screen legend Jane Powell, 2006; Broadway National Treasure Chita Rivera,
opening night for her The Dancer's Life, Broadway,
December 2005; Allison Janney; Oscar winner and theater legend Estelle Parsons,
2004; my "homey," Mississippi native and opera legend
Leontyne Price; stage/screen star Dame Helen Mirren; Mississippi
native Gerald McRaney and Delta Burke; meeting, again, years
later with Who
legend Pete Townsend, 2006; David Hyde-Pierce; Catherine Zeta-Jones;
Kristin Chenoweth; Boy George; Mississippi native James Earl Jones;
Vanessa Redgrave; film/TV legend Mitzi Gaynor; TV star Kristine
Johnson. |
For much more on Ellis Nassour,
visit Google.com |
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