Since I cover a lot entertainment events in Las Vegas I thought I would introduce my readers to some of the wonderful people in Las Vegas.
GABE GINSBERG: Who is Elisa Furr?
ELISA FURR: Elisa Furr is an international singer who travels all over the world headlining concerts with her “Tribute to Celine” and “Elisa Furr” shows. She is one of the top Celine Dion tribute artists in the world and she is also one of the headliners in the new “Icandy the show” at the Saxe theater.
Elisa is not only a singer but she is also a Jingle writer and a TV and Film music composer. With over 5000 placements on television and at the theaters, she seems to have many more successful years of songwriting ahead of her. She owns and operates “ELISA FURR PRODUCTIONS”, a small scale home recording facility that can produce most any type of audio production. She writes, produces, arranges and plays/programs the instruments herself. She can also mix and master the music but is still learning!
One of her additional hobbies she really loves is that of being a vocal coach trained under Los Angeles’ renowned Seth Riggs. Helping others realize their dream of becoming a professional singer is a wonderful reward for not only her students but for Elisa as well. She believes there is much more to being a vocal teacher then just running scales.
With a fire in her heart for new ventures, she decided to open up a weight loss business in 2011, create her own product and go into business as an HCG coach. She created a website and was in business 2 weeks after she got the idea. Currently to date she has helped over 350 people realize their dreams of becoming fit and taking control of their weight. Elisahcgweightloss.com
She has also just opened up her new talent and production agency and is currently designing the business website herself and is ready to hurl herself out the window. (wait, did she just say that out loud?) Yes, designing a website is a challenge! Soon to be published and open for business: ELISAFURRTALENTANDPRODUCTIONS.COM
Always one to revel in challenges and soak up new experiences, she has just begun a love affair with learning photography and all things surrounding it. She is really enjoying being “behind” the scenes for the first time.
But most of all, one of her happiest jobs is being the fiancée of Chet Virata and playing Mommy to a beautiful seven year old son.
Last but certainly not least (but in this interview it will be), she is very involved in charity work and philanthropy. Helping others has always been something that has given her much happiness.
So first lets get some easy questions out of the way.
GABE GINSBERG: What is your best Las Vegas memory?
ELISA FURR: Kicking it in the hospital after giving birth to Brandon and waking up and seeing the nurse rolling my little bundled beauty in the doorway. When my eyes locked with his for the first time it was the most beautiful experience of my life!!
GABE GINSBERG: What is your favorite thing to do in Las Vegas?
ELISA FURR: To go support and watch our friends perform like Michelle Johnson, Skye Dee Miles, Lorena Peril or the Red Light band. We also love doing charity and red carpet events because all of our friends are always there!
GABE GINSBERG: Favorite place to eat in Las Vegas?
ELISA FURR: We love Ferraro’s! The atmosphere is so cozy and swanky and they always have the coolest old school classic Vegas entertainment like “Kent Foote and the Vegas Goodfellas!”
GABE GINSBERG: What must someone see while they are in Las Vegas? ( Show, Attraction, Place,)
Elisa Furr: Well I would be fired if I didn’t say this so Icandy of course (shameless self plug)!
No fair Ginsberg, you have to let me say more then one! The cirque show “LOVE” and also we love Carrot Top and Skye’s shows are always a fun time! Also, Mount Charleston Ski Resort! We have snow skiing 45 minutes away! It’s a shame if people don’t utilize these Vegas perks!
GABE GINSBERG: Now lets get personal. What makes you happy?
ELISA FURR: Being in good health first and foremost. Last year was really bad for me and I just kind of fell apart in so many ways physically and I really lost hope. I think my friend Michelle J could testify to that as I used to call her up having melt downs telling her if I had to talk to or see one more doctor I was going to lose it! LOL! I saw every specialist known to man and thought it would never get better but I am doing so much better and I am so thankful! I am still dealing with stuff but I am way better, so yes long story longer, definitely just feeling like a human being first and foremost is most important to me! I can’t be a good friend, mother or wife if I don’t feel good or can’t function!
GABE GINSBERG: How would you describe yourself?
ELISA FURR: Haha, wouldn’t this be a better question to ask my friends? Wait scratch that. I am afraid of the answers. Hmmm. Well I’m very self deprecating yet very loving. I set to accomplish anything I can get my hands on or head around whether it’s learning a new software or application, language or skill/trade. I am obsessed with knowledge and challenges. Also, I am so passionate about everything and honestly Gabe, I could give a damn about what people think of me at this point in my life. When I first moved out here 13 years ago I was just a kid. I was single and alone and having fun and living it up!! I think the people that don’t know me still accuse me of being that same person but it’s called growing up! Yeah, I finally had to grow up! But I’ll still be that person that goes out to hear a band and get on the dance floor by myself. I don’t wait for the party, I AM the PARTY. I can say that because its true! I am the party because I love people and I love promoting a good time and making new friendships and dancing and just being free and laughing and loving! And if I love you, I will just about do anything for you. (Last notes of meatloaf tune) “But I won’t do that”.
GABE GINSBERG: Who’s had the greatest influence on your life and why?
ELISA FURR: Jonathan Cain. Because he wrote all the Journey songs that made me turn up the radio in 1984 and say “I know what I want to be! I want to be a singer and sing songs like this!” Fast forward to the present and he is now a great friend and mentor to me and he even brought Ross Valory out to see me in Icandy a few months ago. I was getting to be a muse back to the people that have always been my MUSE growing up my whole life. That my friends, is the stuff that dreams are made of! Because of the influence he had on me musically, I am now able to give that gift back to those around me and throughout the world! If you think it, then so it shall be!
GABE GINSBERG: What is a secret ambition of yours?
ELISA FURR: I have no secret ambitions. I am either attempting to or am making them all a reality. If I want it to happen, I set out to make it happen. Nike couldn’t have made it any more simple. “Just do it”.
GABE GINSBERG: What do you want to accomplish?
ELISA FURR: Besides the things that I am doing right now, I want to open up my own organizations to help children that are abused and/or suffer from mental illness and/or with suicidal tendencies and work with the homeless. Also, I definitely pray that I can somehow help be a part of helping stop human trafficking! It’s horrific! The crime that goes on in this city and all around the world is unmentionable. We have to all pull together to help stop it! It is up to us to change things. I am not being cliche’. We are all we got folks. Not meaning to be depressing but this stuff is so important!
GABE GINSBERG: What is the best job you had and why?
ELISA FURR: My best job (gig) was performing for the King and Queen of Malaysia. I come from a modest home and upbringing. I didn’t have a lot of luxury growing up and that was one trip that was unusually luxurious and I was treated like royalty. From the cars and the estate that held a party for me as guest of honor to the jewelry store that adorned me in millions of dollars worth of jewels for my show, (yeah I had to give it back haha) I felt, just for one week, what it would feel like to never have to worry about bills again. It felt good because I have worked so hard, through so many obstacles and pain and tragedy, to get where I am today and I felt it was so wonderful to finally get treated with some dignity and respect. The whole trip from beginning to end was fit for a Queen but I got it instead! HA!
GABE GINSBERG: Best advice you would give to a person and why?
ELISA FURR: You are never too old to accomplish whatever your dreams are. Both my Mom and fiancée went for their dream of becoming an attorney at 46 years old! 46 years old! People used to die at this age in the old days. (laughing). Trust me when I tell you, it is never too late! I am just getting started and I am um… 23!
GABE GINSBERG: What is the kindest thing you’ve done for someone else? (Did they know?)
ELISA FURR: Well, I think it’s safe to say that those here in town that know me know that I love helping people that are going through hardships. So I have to think. But I think most recently I was really torn up over our friend Michaelina Bellamy getting turned away from the hospital because she had no insurance and they were literally killing her by denying her treatment. The most immediate thing that was helping her was that she simply needed these injections to sustain her immune system while she was doing her chemo treatments or in between them and so I went mad trying to raise money for her so we could help her be with us longer. It totally consumed me. I have an almost incapacitating depth of empathy for people and I think probably 200 people un-friended me during those few months but I didn’t give a damn. We ended up raising a sizeable amount for her. She is really missed.
GABE GINSBERG: How would you describe the perfect day?
ELISA FURR: Well it would start waking up in my dream home on the ocean. Preparing breakfast for my son and hubby (or better yet having it fixed for me, cooking is not one of my stronger points), going to the gym for a workout to stave off those hideous fat cells that seem to love me so much. Take our dogs and run on the beach and play in the sand. Then working on one or several of my ventures. (photoshoot or writing a song etc). Nap of course cause a diva need her sleep, ( and by Diva I mean old) and then either a divine meal out on the town or a charity event in the evening upon which I was easily able to donate a check for $10.000 to the charity and not even miss that money. You said perfect day, not a realistic day Gabe.
GABE GINSBERG: What is that one thing you could not live without?
ELISA FURR: Hmmm these questions are not easy! I would have to say my son of course. Or did you mean makeup? Because that was my second choice. I am still waiting for the natural older showgirl look with no eyelashes and pale skin to be popular so I can ditch wearing makeup and these damn annoying spray tans but I think there will be snowballs down under before that happens. One can dream…
GABE GINSBERG: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
ELISA FURR: I will be on the beach in Malibu in my new home with my husband and I will be singing only sometimes and working on all of my other stuff. I will be heavily involved in charity work and one of the top songwriters in Los Angeles. I will be rolling with my new peeps (that I have never met yet but someone needs to tell them we are going to be BFF)) like the gals from the rock band Heart and perhaps Meryl Streep and I will go have a cup o’ tea in Brentwood. My son will be there with me of course and Chet will be a successful attorney and make 4 trillion dollars a year. Yes, b/c the more money we make the more we can help other people! We will have a HUGE Ranch house in Malibu because quite simply I am going to go rescue all of the animals at the shelters and either let them live on our big ranch or find them good homes! J
GABE GINSBERG: Ok fun question to end with. If your life was a movie what would it be called?
ELISA FURR: Elisa Furr: Musings of an unconventional showgirl.
GABE GINSBERG: Thank you so much for your time Elisa.
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