More stories in Kenny Denton's Memoir. "There Ain't No Rules In Rock n Roll" Or My Blog Kennydenton.com
Elvis’s Stepbrother? & The Murder of Singer “Orion”
- Date: 1980
- Place: Nashville Tennessee
- Artist: Orion AKA Jimmy Ellis
- Artist: Wayne Jackson
While visiting Nashville in 1980
I came cross this bizarre story about Orion and the possibility of him being Elvis’s stepbrother in 1980, when I had the pleasure of meeting a remarkable man, John Singleton, the brother of Shelby Singleton—a renowned record producer and entrepreneur. Shelby was best known for acquiring the rights to Sun Records from Sam Phillips, though this excluded Elvis Presley’s recordings. John and his wife embodied the essence of Southern hospitality. John had a collection of cars, one of which was a yellow taxi cab. While unremarkable in New York, this car stood out as one of a kind in Nashville. Every time we arrived at a restaurant in that bright yellow “eye-mobile,” heads would turn, fascinated by the unusual sight.
Shelby Singleton Achieved his first hit single with Brook Benton’s The Boll Weevil Song and went on to produce numerous chart-topping records. He worked with renowned artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Stevens, and Charlie Rich. Notably, Singleton acquired the master recording of Hey Paula by Jill and Ray, renamed them Paul and Paula, and saw the song spend three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1968, he achieved another worldwide hit with Jeannie C. Riley’s Harper Valley PTA. The following year, Singleton purchased the Sun Records catalog, excluding Elvis Presley’s recordings. From that point forward, much of his career focused on releasing and repackaging the Sun catalog, including a significant amount of previously unreleased material. Meeting Shelby Singleton Not long after, I was introduced to Shelby himself, a man you might describe as a real character. He took me to his recording studio, which, despite being named Singleton Sound Studios, was designed to evoke the legendary Sun Studios. Shelby had mastered the art of selling Sun Records memorabilia—T-shirts, drink mats, and more, all featuring reproductions of Sun singles. The studio even made it onto the Nashville coach tour itinerary.Playfully, I pointed out, “But the real Sun Studio is in Memphis.” With a knowing grin, Shelby replied, “The guests don’t seem to know or care. They love buying the memorabilia—and besides, it saves them a three-hour drive to Memphis.”
Introducing Orion Knowing I was a huge Elvis fan, Shelby soon introduced me to a new album he’d produced called Reborn featuring an artist named Orion. He played me a couple of tracks, and I was utterly blown away. It was the most astonishing Elvis impersonation I had ever heard. Shelby explained the album’s unique promotional angle: it subtly hinted at the theory that Elvis hadn’t actually died but had instead chosen to step away from the limelight while continuing to record. Skeptical, I said, “I don’t think people will believe that story.” Shelby countered with a grin, “There are three million Elvis fans out there who want to believe he’s still alive. That’s who I made the record for.” The story grew even stranger when I learned about the origins of Orion. Back in January 1979, author Gail Brewer-Giorgio had begun writing a novel about a fictional music superstar named Orion, who faked his own death to escape the pressures of fame. The plot was eerily similar to the circumstances surrounding Elvis’s death, sparking endless intrigue.
It an interesting question
Does this story ring true, who knows, but one thing is for sure, Jimmy Ellis had a very interesting life albeit a sad one.
