VIRGIL ELLIS

Based in Johannesburg

Virgil Ellis is a professional musician that is currently booking mainly in Johannesburg and surrounding areas. He is available for Corporate Functions, Weddings, Birthday Parties as well as team building days etc.

 As an artist Virgil is extremely versatile and plays music from many genres which he is able to vary depending on the type of function. He does cocktail sets of mellow Jazz and Traditional Jazz Instrumentals as well as dinner sets with soft music from artists like Sting and Eric Clapton which he plays on acoustic guitar. He also does dance sets on electric guitar and harmonica performing eighties rock. Due to his extensive repertoire of over five hundred songs Virgil will have you dancing to songs you hear on the radio now before taking you back to yesteryear to relive classics like Hotel California, Dire straits and Stairway to heaven. Virgil's repertoire also allows him to play requests which ensures that all the "notably new" as well as the "golden oldies" will find their way into the entertainment to make the function an amazing experience.

Virgil has been performing regularly at Carnival City for the past two years. In addition he does regular gigs as well as functions. He has performed at the Royal Swazi Spa in Swaziland as well as Mont aux Sources Hotel in the Drakensberg.

In the last five years Virgil spent six months at The Intercontinental Hotel in Abu Dhabi, performing at the popular club AMPM. After that he spent three months in Dubai at the Le Meridian Hotel at Satchmos.

VENUES he has performed at include:

Adega	Bryanston
Carnival City	Benoni
Nino's	Rivonia
Cranks	Rosebank
The Millhouse	Kyalami
Toninos	Orange Grove
The Corner House	Fourways
O'Hagans	Boksburg
Sopranos	Randburg
O'Hagans	Paulshof
The Venue	Rivonia
The Long Barn	Knysna
Tapas Crabs Creek	Knysna
Zeldas	Somerset West
Berties Landing	Gordons Bay
The Oasis	Tygervalley, Cape Town
Starfish Cafe	Gordons Bay
On Broadway	Tableview Cape Town
Satchmo's Le Meridienne Hotel	Dubai U.A.E
AM.PM. Intercontinental Hotel	Abu Dhabi U.A.E.
Da Vincis	Protea heights
Hedleys	Lakeside
Pirates	Plumstead
Billy Boys	Tygervalley
The Tavern	Diepriver
The Terrace	Stellenbosch
Dizzys Jazz Cafe	Camps Bay
Flags	Cape Town
Flags	Bothasig
Guzzlers Tavern	Milnerton
50 Orange	Cape Town
The Clockwork Orange	Cape Town
Gts Pub & Grill	Cape Town
The Beefeater Bistro	Table View
Sabinos	Table View
Keg and Swan	Tygervalley
Keg and Carriage	Waterfront
Keg and Squirrel	Gardens
The Wise Owl	Claremont
The Woodstock	Woodstock
Pizzaman	Kenilworth
Bulldogs	Muizenberg
Bulldogs	Strand
Dirty Dicks	Hout Bay
Cantina Tequila	Tygervalley
Cantina Tequila	Fishhoek
Cantina Tequila	Rondebosch
Cantina Tequila	Suldhana
Cafe on Riebeek	Cape Town
ZeeZees	Cape Town
Constantia Nek Restaurant	Constantia
Rosies Red Onion Pub	Table View
Prosit	Muizenberg
Leelas	Kenilworth
The Planet	Observatory
The Good Hope Tavern	Constantia
Whalers Tavern	Muizenberg
Fishermans cottage	Hermanus
The Drunken Duck	Stikland
Heartache and Vine	Three Anchor Bay
McGintys	Tygervalley
Panchos	Observatory
Cafe Babeloo	Table View
Dunes	Hout Bay
The Camelot	Mossel Bay
The Blue Rock	Sea Point
KDs	Gardens
The Firkin Brew Pub	Gardens
The Log Cabin	Vredehoek
Quay Four	Waterfront
The Dells Family Restaurant	Strand
Wijnland	N1 City
Watneys	Sea Point
Nautys	Sea Point
Nautys	Rondebosch
The Hard Rock	Rondebosch
Moby Dicks	Observatory

Virgil's career has spanned into many branches over the years making it both exciting and interesting. He started out as an actor at the age of four before turning to music in his teens. Virgil has been part of numerous popular duo's and bands. As a finger style and blues guitarist he took the folk scene by storm in the eighties, which created a demand for him to open a guitar school which he is still running. Due to his amazing versatility he has also appeared in Television and Radio ads.

He left school to become a guitar teacher specialising in  ragtime and blues at Northern music in Johannesburg in 1975. He has performed in every well known venue in South Africa including the Southern sun and Holiday Inn circuit.  He performed with In Public in The U.A.E. at Abu Dhabis' Intercontinental Hotel for 6 months in the latter half of 2001. The following year - 2002 - at Le Meridienne Hotel, Dubai with the Alternative band. He appeared in the 'Smirnoff' movie ad. He played in and around England  and Wales from 1979-1982 solo on the folk club circuit and with various bands, notably Quarter Moon, a Country rock outfit and  XCalibre,  Welsh rock band. He performed Solo on the folk club circuit in England and Wales. He has played Banjo on Des & Dawn Lindbergh Albums. Played Harmonica on Rene Arnell's Album "Up the Rapids". He was the lead guitarist with the Wendy Oldfield band. Played guitar with Ian Lawrence on the "4 Jacks and a Jill show". Performed with Aubrey and Beryl Ellis on the "Night of a hundred stars".

He recently did 3 tribute shows at On Broadway in Cape Town;  The Creedence show, Berties garage and The Police, show which he compiled and produced. He was the lead guitarist with Tommy Dell and Roadhouse and did drum parts, guitars and backing vocals on the last two Albums. He has been doing the Club and Pub circuit around South Africa for the last ten years.