America’s Got Talent legend Terry Fator has sensationally revealed how show head judge Simon Cowell has been a supportive father figure in his life and career.
Emotional Terry detailed how caring Simon rescued him emotionally from decades of trauma and self confidence issues caused by his own tyrannical dad, igniting his self esteem, stage confidence and supercharging his ventriloquist act. The maestro – considered AGT’s most successful performer of all time – spoke to JDMC on how Simon’s endorsement turned around his life after doubting tyrannical religious zealot father Jephtha’s refusal to accept his son’s showbiz dream.
Until his forties, Terry felt oppressed by hot headed Jephtha, famed for pulling shotguns out on his family and asserting control at a cult like Texas commune.
The scared star**, who became a won AGT in 2007, even had to take a restraining order out against his unwell mother.** After brave Terry ignored his parents’ fury, he has not looked back since he debuted on the NBC hit series. The 59-year-old is riding high at The Stratosphere with his third multi-million dollar critically acclaimed Las Vegas residency dea
Terry looks up to Simon as a father figure
The scared star, who became a won AGT in 2007, even had to take a restraining order out against his unwell mother. After brave Terry ignored his parents’ fury, he has not looked back since he debuted on the NBC hit series. The 59-year-old is riding high at The Stratosphere with his third multi-million dollar critically acclaimed Las Vegas residency deal
The 59-year-old admits having Simon support his incredible ability to sing and joke on stage with puppets has been vital in creating his most interactive ever show – One Man, a Hundred Voices, a Thousand Laughs.
Terry said of Simon: “It’s been incredible. I had a very difficult childhood. My parents were not supportive. They were literally abusive in every possible way and that’s a horrific thing. My father told me my whole life I was not talented, that ‘I was good at convincing people I was talented.’
“I believed that nonsense until right before AGT. Entertainment was my outlet to escape as I strived to become the best ventriloquist in the world from the age of 10.” Fator felt he was “living in a house of cards” with such low confidence and fear of a family backlash during his AGT first auditions. I worried everyone was going to figure out that I wasn’t really talented and that it was all going to come crashing down.
However Terry blew away the audience with a Etta James cover of At Last through his puppet Emma Taylor and then stormed his way to victory. Simon, not then a judge, but the show’s executive producer took Terry under his wing.
He explained: “Other than meeting my wife Angie, meeting Simon is by far the most influential moment of my entire life. She has completed me in ways that I never dreamed possible. But other than that there is nothing that even comes close to Simon and AGT.
“AGT was unbelievably important and the defining moment of my entire career. So we were very symbiotic. Yes, incredible. I made them, they made me.”
Terry credits Simon with changing his life
Terry detailed how Simon shared his support to many A listers and influential people, including Oprah Winfrey.
“I got a call from Oprah after she had asked Simon, who are the two most talented people you’ve ever come across in the world? And it was Leona Lewis and myself, and he said, I’m not going to say who is the most talented, but I’m going to say that they are the top two. When he said that, and I was on Oprah and performing, and I could see the look of pride on his face when I went into, I think it was Marvin Gaye.
“He looked over to say what did I tell you? You can’t even imagine what that did for my soul. Then it didn’t matter that my dad did not approve of me because, Simon probably the most renowned critic of entertainment in the world, considered me one of the most talented people in the world.
“It was like a massive shift happened in my persona and my psyche. My dad passed away and I’ve felt you never gave me that. I’m okay now. Simon changed everything. It’s really helped me in every possible way. I now have more confidence than I ever have.”
Simon continues to support Terry, leaving him speechless during the recent AGT All Stars special series. He said: “On stage Simon whispered to me ‘you are the embodiment of what this show is. You made us. Without you we would not be where we are. I cannot thank you enough.’
“Backstage I said to my assistant ‘not many people have had Simon say something like that to them.’ And she said, ‘Are you kidding? I don’t think anyone has.’ We were very symbiotic. I made them, they made me. It’s such a beautiful relationship and I adore the show.”
Vegas MGM bosses saw Terry win AGT and lured him to headline his comedy impressionist show at the Mirage. The 11 year deal was worth over $100m. He humbly adds: “The stars aligned for me because the Mirage was looking for a new headliner when I was on AGT. It was serendipity. For me I was playing schools and fairs and it would’ve been a huge win for me if I had just doubled my fee.”
Terry has changed Vegas’s entertainment landscape paving for other AGT stars, talent show contestants and even reality stars to be handed money spinning residencies.
Terry is a beloved entertainer
He said: “The fame, the fortune is nice, but all I care about from my heart, are the human beings that come and sit in my seats that I can make laugh and bring joy and give them 70 minutes of entertainment and fun and hopefully leaving with a lighter heart than they came in with.
“That’s my only motivation. It is not to get more famous or money. The only reason that they talk about a Vegas gig with America’s Got Talent is because I got the Vegas gig. It would’ve been you won a million dollars – goodbye. It’s a biggest reward other headliners are in Vegas because of me and I hope I’ve made their lives better.”
Modest Terry also takes huge joy from giving back too, secretly donating sums to charity and running his own Foundation He laughed: “You can’t take it with you. And I have no desire to be Scrooge McDuck sleeping on beds of a hundred dollars bills.”
Terry’s One Man, a Hundred Voices, a Thousand Laughs sees him showcase his famous impressions including Garth Brooks, Lionel Richie, Elvis Presley, David Bowie, or Taylor Swift in an interactive multi media showroom. His reworking of We Are The World is considered a master piece moment.
