Whatever Happened To Terry Fator From America's Got Talent?
With 15 seasons already done, American's Got Talent has definitely seen a wide variety of performers grace its center stage. Since the show's inception in 2006, AGT has catapulted everyday people with extraordinary talent to superstar status — like ventriloquist Terry Fator, for example. If you're wondering whatever happened to Terry Fator from America's Got Talent, well, chances are you might be able to see his act live and in person in a venue near you.
For those who don't know, Terry Fator won the second season of America's Got Talent. While some AGT winners have faded into obscurity, the same can't be said of Fator. After snagging the season 2 title, Fator went on to land a multi-million dollar deal with The Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas (via Forbes). The show featured many of his fan-favorite puppets like Winston the Impersonating Turtle (with whom he performed on AGT), Maynard Tompkins (aka the world's greatest living Elvis impersonator), as well as Walter T. Airdale (a country music legend), and Vikki the Cougar, whose over-the-top antics and prowess need no further explanation.
After his 10-year residency at The Mirage, Fator returned to the Las Vegas Strip in 2020 for a limited engagement at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino (via the Las Vegas Sun). He's also set for a national tour, aptly titled: "Terry Fator: Who's the Dummy Now?" (via Terry Fator). The tour kicks off March 12 in Kansas City, Missouri, and will run through most of 2021, wrapping up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 12.
But Fator isn't the only ventriloquist to win AGT
To date, there have been three ventriloquists who have won AGT, although Terry Fator was the first. Season 10 winner Paul Zerdin won in 2015 with his combo of comedy and ventriloquism (via Insider). He currently has a U.K. tour called "Paul Zerdin's Puppet Party" (via Paul Zerdin). And in 2017, Darci Lynne Farmer won the season 12 title with her ventriloquist dolls and impeccable singing skills. She was a runner-up on America's Got Talent: The Champions and has 2021 dates lined up for her "Fresh Out of the Box" Tour (via Darci Lynne).
As for Fator, who's able to impersonate over 200 voices and whose fans are affectionately known as Fator Tots, he will continue his limited stop at the New York-New York Hotel and Casino before setting off on his national city tour (via MGM Resorts). And so, with a tour, merch, his residency, and Fator Tots, it would seem that Fator, for sure, isn't the dummy now.