James Presley Elledge
(January 8, 1943 - June 10, 2012)
James Presley Elledge was born in Nashville, Tennessee. At the early age of 9 Jimmy lost his mother to cancer and was sent to live with an aunt and grandmother. He was a farm hand to his uncle. While he plowed he would sing. At the age of 12 he had his first trio and entertained for the school. At age 19 he was discovered by Jim Stretch, a representative of RCA Records. He was immediately signed and became the prodigy of Chet Atkins, who had him record a Willie Nelson tune called "Funny How Time Slips Away". A disc jockey in San Francisco heard the record and had his station play it non-stop for 24 hours straight. This launched the career of the now famously known Jimmy Elledge with the 5-Octave range. Other than Whitney Houston there are rarely people gifted with this extraordinary talent. He maintained his residence in the New Orleans area living with Patsy Joy McCabe his entire adult life after leaving Mississippi. They met when Pat worked at a local radio station. The RCA rep happened to mention that there was going to be a party on the President boat and Jimmy was to be there. Pat was an invited guest and that began their 50 year relationship. As Jimmy traveled whenever he was in the New Orleans area, Pat would go see him and finally just asked him to join her family. She had adopted her young female cousin, so the 3 became a family. He was living with Pat and working many clubs when Pat approached Darryl Pretcher, a drummer of remarkable talent, and suggested they team up. The union drew standing room only crowds, where the fire marshal actually had to come and restrict the amount of people in the room. Jimmy then played at the Roosvelt Hotels piano lounge and there met a young executive that had him booked in Singapore for months until Jimmy got homesick and returned home. He opened his own club on the Westbank playing with Darryl and Henry Hitt as bassman. Henry today is a professional musician and teaches blind students music. Jimmy was still working when he suffered an attack that placed him in the hospital. From that time on he became semi-retired, but always did benefits for Harry Lee, who would join Jimmy on the piano stool and sing along. Jimmy was honored to sing at Harry's funeral and even renewed his friendship with Harry's sister for whom Jimmy had worked for years ago. Jimmy's last recording session was with his friend, Billy Jo Royal, who was our house guest when appprearing on the Westbank. They became good friends and Billy recorded 'Funny How Times Slips Away". When he appeared at Boomtown Jimmy sat on stage and whe it came time to hit the high note, Billy walked over and handed him the mike and Jimmy hit the note and the crowd stood and cheered. Jimmy never lost his ability to sing even after suffering a life changing stroke. He was the ultimate preformer to the very end. He enriched my life and the lives of so many. My mother and father were his mother and father. He was my family and I proudly sing his praises for the wonderful times he brought into our lives. I will miss him most of all for his warmth and compassion. His smile lit up a room and his voice reached heaven. He can no longer sing for me, but with the angels as his choir I know he is singing to God and thanking him for the miracle of his voice. God rest the soul of a wonderful and talented man that brought joy to many he never met. His voice and songs will continue to fill the world for all to enjoy.
Prayers and a Final Farewell for Jimmy will be held at HOPE MAUSOLEUM, 4841 Canal St., New Orleans, LA on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 11:00 A.M. Clark-Ducote Funeral Home (392-7773) of Belle Chasse is assisting the family during this most difficult time.
(January 8, 1943 - June 10, 2012)
James Presley Elledge was born in Nashville, Tennessee. At the early age of 9 Jimmy lost his mother to cancer and was sent to live with an aunt and grandmother. He was a farm hand to his uncle. While he plowed he would sing. At the age of 12 he had his first trio and entertained for the school. At age 19 he was discovered by Jim Stretch, a representative of RCA Records. He was immediately signed and became the prodigy of Chet Atkins, who had him record a Willie Nelson tune called "Funny How Time Slips Away". A disc jockey in San Francisco heard the record and had his station play it non-stop for 24 hours straight. This launched the career of the now famously known Jimmy Elledge with the 5-Octave range. Other than Whitney Houston there are rarely people gifted with this extraordinary talent. He maintained his residence in the New Orleans area living with Patsy Joy McCabe his entire adult life after leaving Mississippi. They met when Pat worked at a local radio station. The RCA rep happened to mention that there was going to be a party on the President boat and Jimmy was to be there. Pat was an invited guest and that began their 50 year relationship. As Jimmy traveled whenever he was in the New Orleans area, Pat would go see him and finally just asked him to join her family. She had adopted her young female cousin, so the 3 became a family. He was living with Pat and working many clubs when Pat approached Darryl Pretcher, a drummer of remarkable talent, and suggested they team up. The union drew standing room only crowds, where the fire marshal actually had to come and restrict the amount of people in the room. Jimmy then played at the Roosvelt Hotels piano lounge and there met a young executive that had him booked in Singapore for months until Jimmy got homesick and returned home. He opened his own club on the Westbank playing with Darryl and Henry Hitt as bassman. Henry today is a professional musician and teaches blind students music. Jimmy was still working when he suffered an attack that placed him in the hospital. From that time on he became semi-retired, but always did benefits for Harry Lee, who would join Jimmy on the piano stool and sing along. Jimmy was honored to sing at Harry's funeral and even renewed his friendship with Harry's sister for whom Jimmy had worked for years ago. Jimmy's last recording session was with his friend, Billy Jo Royal, who was our house guest when appprearing on the Westbank. They became good friends and Billy recorded 'Funny How Times Slips Away". When he appeared at Boomtown Jimmy sat on stage and whe it came time to hit the high note, Billy walked over and handed him the mike and Jimmy hit the note and the crowd stood and cheered. Jimmy never lost his ability to sing even after suffering a life changing stroke. He was the ultimate preformer to the very end. He enriched my life and the lives of so many. My mother and father were his mother and father. He was my family and I proudly sing his praises for the wonderful times he brought into our lives. I will miss him most of all for his warmth and compassion. His smile lit up a room and his voice reached heaven. He can no longer sing for me, but with the angels as his choir I know he is singing to God and thanking him for the miracle of his voice. God rest the soul of a wonderful and talented man that brought joy to many he never met. His voice and songs will continue to fill the world for all to enjoy.
Prayers and a Final Farewell for Jimmy will be held at HOPE MAUSOLEUM, 4841 Canal St., New Orleans, LA on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 11:00 A.M. Clark-Ducote Funeral Home (392-7773) of Belle Chasse is assisting the family during this most difficult time.
James Presley Elledge
(January 8, 1943 - June 10, 2012)
James Presley Elledge was born in Nashville, Tennessee. At the early age of 9 Jimmy lost his mother to cancer and was sent to live with an aunt and grandmother. He was a farm hand to his uncle. While he plowed he would sing. At the age of 12 he had his first trio and entertained for the school. At age 19 he was discovered by Jim Stretch, a representative of RCA Records. He was immediately signed and became the prodigy of Chet Atkins, who had him record a Willie Nelson tune called "Funny How Time Slips Away". A disc jockey in San Francisco heard the record and had his station play it non-stop for 24 hours straight. This launched the career of the now famously known Jimmy Elledge with the 5-Octave range. Other than Whitney Houston there are rarely people gifted with this extraordinary talent. He maintained his residence in the New Orleans area living with Patsy Joy McCabe his entire adult life after leaving Mississippi. They met when Pat worked at a local radio station. The RCA rep happened to mention that there was going to be a party on the President boat and Jimmy was to be there. Pat was an invited guest and that began their 50 year relationship. As Jimmy traveled whenever he was in the New Orleans area, Pat would go see him and finally just asked him to join her family. She had adopted her young female cousin, so the 3 became a family. He was living with Pat and working many clubs when Pat approached Darryl Pretcher, a drummer of remarkable talent, and suggested they team up. The union drew standing room only crowds, where the fire marshal actually had to come and restrict the amount of people in the room. Jimmy then played at the Roosvelt Hotels piano lounge and there met a young executive that had him booked in Singapore for months until Jimmy got homesick and returned home. He opened his own club on the Westbank playing with Darryl and Henry Hitt as bassman. Henry today is a professional musician and teaches blind students music. Jimmy was still working when he suffered an attack that placed him in the hospital. From that time on he became semi-retired, but always did benefits for Harry Lee, who would join Jimmy on the piano stool and sing along. Jimmy was honored to sing at Harry's funeral and even renewed his friendship with Harry's sister for whom Jimmy had worked for years ago. Jimmy's last recording session was with his friend, Billy Jo Royal, who was our house guest when appprearing on the Westbank. They became good friends and Billy recorded 'Funny How Times Slips Away". When he appeared at Boomtown Jimmy sat on stage and whe it came time to hit the high note, Billy walked over and handed him the mike and Jimmy hit the note and the crowd stood and cheered. Jimmy never lost his ability to sing even after suffering a life changing stroke. He was the ultimate preformer to the very end. He enriched my life and the lives of so many. My mother and father were his mother and father. He was my family and I proudly sing his praises for the wonderful times he brought into our lives. I will miss him most of all for his warmth and compassion. His smile lit up a room and his voice reached heaven. He can no longer sing for me, but with the angels as his choir I know he is singing to God and thanking him for the miracle of his voice. God rest the soul of a wonderful and talented man that brought joy to many he never met. His voice and songs will continue to fill the world for all to enjoy.
Prayers and a Final Farewell for Jimmy will be held at HOPE MAUSOLEUM, 4841 Canal St., New Orleans, LA on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 11:00 A.M. Clark-Ducote Funeral Home (392-7773) of Belle Chasse is assisting the family during this most difficult time.
(January 8, 1943 - June 10, 2012)
James Presley Elledge was born in Nashville, Tennessee. At the early age of 9 Jimmy lost his mother to cancer and was sent to live with an aunt and grandmother. He was a farm hand to his uncle. While he plowed he would sing. At the age of 12 he had his first trio and entertained for the school. At age 19 he was discovered by Jim Stretch, a representative of RCA Records. He was immediately signed and became the prodigy of Chet Atkins, who had him record a Willie Nelson tune called "Funny How Time Slips Away". A disc jockey in San Francisco heard the record and had his station play it non-stop for 24 hours straight. This launched the career of the now famously known Jimmy Elledge with the 5-Octave range. Other than Whitney Houston there are rarely people gifted with this extraordinary talent. He maintained his residence in the New Orleans area living with Patsy Joy McCabe his entire adult life after leaving Mississippi. They met when Pat worked at a local radio station. The RCA rep happened to mention that there was going to be a party on the President boat and Jimmy was to be there. Pat was an invited guest and that began their 50 year relationship. As Jimmy traveled whenever he was in the New Orleans area, Pat would go see him and finally just asked him to join her family. She had adopted her young female cousin, so the 3 became a family. He was living with Pat and working many clubs when Pat approached Darryl Pretcher, a drummer of remarkable talent, and suggested they team up. The union drew standing room only crowds, where the fire marshal actually had to come and restrict the amount of people in the room. Jimmy then played at the Roosvelt Hotels piano lounge and there met a young executive that had him booked in Singapore for months until Jimmy got homesick and returned home. He opened his own club on the Westbank playing with Darryl and Henry Hitt as bassman. Henry today is a professional musician and teaches blind students music. Jimmy was still working when he suffered an attack that placed him in the hospital. From that time on he became semi-retired, but always did benefits for Harry Lee, who would join Jimmy on the piano stool and sing along. Jimmy was honored to sing at Harry's funeral and even renewed his friendship with Harry's sister for whom Jimmy had worked for years ago. Jimmy's last recording session was with his friend, Billy Jo Royal, who was our house guest when appprearing on the Westbank. They became good friends and Billy recorded 'Funny How Times Slips Away". When he appeared at Boomtown Jimmy sat on stage and whe it came time to hit the high note, Billy walked over and handed him the mike and Jimmy hit the note and the crowd stood and cheered. Jimmy never lost his ability to sing even after suffering a life changing stroke. He was the ultimate preformer to the very end. He enriched my life and the lives of so many. My mother and father were his mother and father. He was my family and I proudly sing his praises for the wonderful times he brought into our lives. I will miss him most of all for his warmth and compassion. His smile lit up a room and his voice reached heaven. He can no longer sing for me, but with the angels as his choir I know he is singing to God and thanking him for the miracle of his voice. God rest the soul of a wonderful and talented man that brought joy to many he never met. His voice and songs will continue to fill the world for all to enjoy.
Prayers and a Final Farewell for Jimmy will be held at HOPE MAUSOLEUM, 4841 Canal St., New Orleans, LA on Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 11:00 A.M. Clark-Ducote Funeral Home (392-7773) of Belle Chasse is assisting the family during this most difficult time.
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