Some Interesting Ventriloquists

Jack Coats

November, 1997

Any ventriloquist who has known me for any length of time has heard of Jack Coats, who is pictured here with Leroy and Barney. Jack was certainly my biggest influence in the field of ventriloquism and certainly one of the best figure makers I've ever known.

Leroy Jack Coats was born in 1931 in Detroit, Michigan. He took an early interest in ventriloquism and when he was 10 years old received a stuffed body Charlie McCarthy figure as a present. Jack was always inquisitive and mechanical and it didn't take long before he began work on adding a moving head with the head stick being made from the handle of his dad's hoe. As Jack used to say, "I used half of the handle to make Charlie's head move and dad used the other half to make sure I didn't cut up any more of his hoes!" Jack soon found work performing in the neighborhood for his friends and sometimes for parties and get togethers the neighbors would have. He said, "I knew I had hit the big time when the neighbors were paying me a dollar a minute! That was great. Of course they would only use me for two to five minutes, but a dollar a minute..."

Jack's first good figure was a Turner figure he purchased from Abbott's Magic Company. He kept on performing, but also began trying to carve his own figures. The figure at left is in the Vent Haven museum. According to the records it is the first figure that Jack carved from wood. According to Jack it was his second... the first being resigned to a bon fire after being completed and painted, but not living up to its makers expectations. Jack spent years trying to talk W.S. Berger into doing the same to this little guy and promising to make him a new figure to replace it... Jack felt it was a bad example of his work and would hurt his business if anyone saw it. W.S. refused and I'm glad he did as this is a wonderful example of Coats earliest works. The hand painted ping pong ball eyes and crepe hair and the unmistakable influence of his Turner figure are a definite contrast to his later Marshall influences.

After serving time in the military, while looking for work, Jack began carving figures on a more serious level. Eventually he landed a job as a pattern maker for the Chrysler Corporation and continued to carve figures in the evening. With a carving schedule of 3 hours a night on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and another 4 hours on Saturday, Jack Coats carved about 40 figures a year plus all the repairs and repaints that his shop generated. Jack's wife Pat did all the wigging and covered the animal figures with the material. Jack's clients during the late 60's and early 70's included Paul Stadleman, Jimmy Nelson, former Miss America Vonda Kay Van-Dyke, Bill DeMar, and many of the top vents in the business.

Not only was Jack an accomplished carver, but an excellent ventriloquist as well. I'll never forget his performance of the baby cry in the middle of a crowded restaurant during a convention in Colon, Michigan or demonstrating his whistle in the bottle in his living room. In the mid to late 60's, Jack had a local weekly television show in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his figure 'Homer'. When the show ended another ventriloquist wanted to buy his 'Homer' figure and Jack agreed to sell him. Jack repainted the figure and when the other vent came to pick up the figure invited him in. While Jack was in the other room, the vent walked out the door with 'Homer' without paying. Three years later while Jack was judging a junior ventriloquist contest a 13 year old walked out on stage with the figure and performed. The next day the teenage vent asked Coats to pose for a photograph and later ordered 3 other figures from him. Jack decided against telling the young vent about the stolen figure for a year and a half... and I was always glad that he gave me a chance to get to know him before breaking it to me!

Jack was an accomplished sleight of hand artist, a musician, an artist, and on his way to his pilots license when he passed away in his sleep during July of 1973 just prior to his 42nd birthday. He left behind a 31 year old wife, three daughters, and a multitude of characters which are treasured by ventriloquists around the world.

Some Coats figures. Left to right: Ray Guyll and Heart Throb, Warren Channey and Danny O'Kay, Gary Koepke and Pete Brooks, Georgie, and Paul Brooks.