Artist description Ventriloquist, Songwriter, Musician, Comedian

Music Style Traditional Country Blended with Comedy

Musical Influences Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Wynn Stewart, Del Reeves

Artist History MERLIN GENE Born: Halloween in Hazard, Kentucky Ex-Marine Former Bullrider (Alumni of Gary Leffew Bullriding School, Santa Monica, California) Professional Auctioneer Height: 6' 0" Weight: 185 Hair: Auburn Eyes: Blue Health: Good Talents: Ventriloquist, Singer, Songwriter, Comedian, Musician for many years, on Guitar as well as Pedal Steel Guitar. Merlin Gene has led an eventful and adventurous life and like any true comedian, has found humor in all of it. Starting at an early age, Merlin Gene explored comedy from many angles, then in 1983 'Arjay' joined in on the fun. Since that time, the two have performed countless shows and have developed a professional and entertaining act that has proven itself unique. With the recording of 'Hillbilly Private Eye', Merlin captured the magic of the show's format, country music comedy, with Arjay singing harmonies. His superb voice throwing techniques, classic comedic timing and rapport with the audience are all part of his show, but the CD stands on it's own as well. The success of the "Merlin Gene & Arjay" show has encouraged Merlin Gene to expand his act and include a female character named Polly Why Not. She's an anticipated addition and sure to be a hit!

Albums Hillbilly Private Eye

Press Reviews Merlin Gene & "Arjay" - Hillbilly Private Eye Mastered by Mike Harrison, Harrison House, Mt Juliet, TN Recorded and Produced by Arvel Ellis Bird at Brush Hill Studios, Nashville, TN Released by Dum-Boy Records The very idea of recording a ventriloquist act onto a disc is a bit bizarre. More than any other type of entertainment, ventriloquism demands a live-and-in-person performance, where the audience can see the manipulation of the wooden dummy and experience the voice-throwing skill of its operator. Therefore, warming up to 'Hillbilly Private Eye'takes a while. The record hits its stride with "Ventriloquist Blues," a comic workout in which the two partners jokingly complain of each other's faults. The production values are truly first-rate. Recorded at Nashville's Brush Hill Studios, it's filled with excellent little touches such as the moonshine-soaked spoof of '60s secret agent guitar licks in the title track, "Hillbilly Private Eye," a song about a hero you should call, "If some melons been swiped from your mushmelon patch/And whoever swiped 'em, you can't seem to catch." Some of the songs without Arjay (such as "Wait For Me in Nashville") hint that Grigsby is actually a better-than-average songsmith who's merely using ventriloquism as a gimmick to get his material noticed. If that's true, he's certainly no dummy. -Gregory Nicoll, Editor Southeast Performer Magazine

Location Nashville, Tennessee - USA

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