Get to know Terry Fator, 'America's Got Talent'-winng ventriloquist bound for Ocean City

Life is all about laughter for famous ventriloquist, impressionist, standup comedian, singer and "America’s Got Talent" winner Terry Fator.

“I always knew I wanted to be an entertainer,” said Fator, who admitted to loving nothing more than being in front of a large crowd since he was a young boy.

And now, Fator and his cast of puppets are coming to Ocean City with a new version of his Las Vegas show, “Terry Fator: On the Road Again." The show will take place July 23 at 7 p.m. at the Ocean City Performing Arts Center, with doors opening at 6:15 p.m.

The upcoming show will feature comedy, modern songs from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's, comical musical parodies and Fator’s unique ventriloquism skills that made him a star.

The puppet “cast” includes audience favorites country superstar Walter T. Airdale, Vikki the Cougar, America’s first “quiet quitter” Duggie Scott Walker and Winston the Impersonating Turtle. Fator’s show is also said to feature a number of celebrity "guests," such as Elton John, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.

Fator, who took the top prize in the season finale of season 2 of NBC’s "America’s Got Talent" in 2007, went through a variety of different styles of entertainment between the ages of 3 and 10, including singing, poetry, piano, magic — and even hypnosis.

Yet, it wasn’t until Fator stumbled upon a book about ventriloquism titled "Ventriloquism for Fun and Profit" by Paul Winchell, tucked on a shelf in his school’s library, that he finally found a craft he was utterly fascinated with.

“The main reason I went ahead and pursued (ventriloquism) was because I always loved to perform in the school talent show,” Fator, 58, said.

The school talent show was chock-full of magicians and singers, but ventriloquists were few and far between.

“I thought, ‘Well, you know, there’s not a ventriloquist so this will give me something totally different to do,' ” he said.

Fator, a mere 10 years old at the time, was determined to stand out.

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He checked out the library book, purchased his first ever puppet at Sear’s for a small price of $10, maybe $20, he said, and cooked up a comedic routine that incorporated José Jiménez, a fictional character created and performed by comedian Bill Dana, born William Szathmary.

Fator’s first puppet, a Willie Talk dummy which he paid for with money he amassed from babysitting, was straightforward, with a string used to open and close its mouth.

“By the time I was 11, I absolutely knew I wanted to be a professional ventriloquist and do that for a living,” he said.

His talent earned him countless certificates, plaques and ribbons throughout his childhood, all of which offered a great deal of encouragement for the up-and-coming ventriloquist.

Fator later received his first professional ventriloquist puppet at the age of 18. That puppet, who most know as Walter T. Airdale, is still used by Fator 40 years later, to this day.

"He's definitely my most special (puppet)," Fator said.

Puppetry was a way beyond the family business

According to the now-famous performer, his family operated a janitorial business, and a young Fator was not keen on spending his days scrubbing carpets or cleaning toilets. So, to pass the time spent emptying trash cans, Fator would practice his ventriloquism by repeating his ABC's and singing along to the radio without moving his lips.

“What kid wants to work in a janitorial business? I did not want to be doing that,” he admitted. “I don’t like physical labor; I like mental labor.”

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As a young boy, Fator’s imagination was simply bursting at the seams.

“If it was snowing, we would be on a quest in the Yukon,” Fator said of the imaginative scenarios he would concoct with his siblings. “I was very creative. I was always using my imagination to make the world around me a different and more entertaining place.”

Fator grew up in a very religious household strictly centered around fundamentalist beliefs. His father, whom Fator said was abusive, dreamed that one day, Fator would grow up to become an Evangelist or preacher.

“I tried. I really wanted to because I wanted to please him,” he said.

Fator never felt God’s call to become a preacher. However, as he grew older, he came to the sudden realization that he was an Evangelist — one of joy and laughter.

“I have a good friend who said, ‘If laugher is not present, God is not present,’ ” he said. “God created laughter; he created humor. And I just feel like, if I’m spreading joy and laughter and bringing people away from their problems, even if just for a little while, I think that’s a noble calling, I really do.”

Spectators often reach out to Fator following his shows, whether in-person or via letters in the mail, to thank him for the infectious laughter he has a knack for creating.

Fator was especially moved during one conversation with a fan.

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“There was one guy, a grizzled man who you could tell lived a very weathered life and had seen a lot in his lifetime,” Fator said. “He came up to me and shook my hand and tears started to roll down his cheeks. He said, ‘I was in Vietnam, and I was spit on when I got home. Tonight, when you asked us to stand, it was the first time since the early 1970s that I felt proud of my service and stood up. So, thank you for that.’ ”

Fator works closely with the United States military and first responders. According to Fator, 100% of the proceeds from the Terry Fator store go directly to the Terry Fator foundation, whose primary mission is to raise money to support military service members, veterans, first responders and their families through various nonprofit channels.

“I remember thinking, ‘When I’m older, if I get the chance, I’m going to do everything I can to make the people who serve our country and our communities feel proud,’ ” he said.

Ultimately, his craft is deeper than laughter, Fator said. It’s about making connections with those around him.

“I love to feel a connection with my audience. I love to feel their energy; to raise their energy; to know that, just for a little while, life is okay for them,” he said.

Everything changed with 'America's Got Talent'

After living a very much ordinary life, the ventriloquist’s experience on "America’s Got Talent" was simply surreal. It was a dream come true for the Dallas, Texas, native.

“All of a sudden, I’m on television and millions of people are watching me and rooting for me,” Fator said. “It was a grind. Especially when you get into the top 20 and top 10, they start you at 5 a.m. I spent a lot of time rehearsing. It was an unbelievably fun and grueling experience.”

The first time a fan recognized Fator out in public was an absolute rush, the performer shared.

“I suddenly went from obscurity to international fame,” he said.

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The puppet that Fator believes helped him pull out the win on the competition show is Winston the Impersonating Turtle.

“Let’s be honest, a turtle singing Roy Orbison is what won 'America’s Got Talent' for me,” Fator said. “I live in an unbelievable house in Vegas, many millions of dollars, and I call it ‘The House that the Turtle Built.’ ”

Fator’s experience on "America’s Got Talent" led him to being a headliner in Las Vegas for the last 17 years.

“I’m just having the time of my life,” he said. “I love it.”

Fator's puppets will always have a special place in his heart.

"They are an extension of me. There's a real connection between myself and the characters," he said. "We create, and we love the characters that we create."

Those interested in attending "Terry Fator: On the Road Again" to see Fator and his creative cast of characters live on-stage can purchase tickets here.

Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Meet Terry Fator, 'America's Got Talent' winner bound for Ocean City