Bart Rockett (his real name, by the way), dreamed of
being an entertainer since he was seven years old.
Growing up in the small town of Junction City, located
right on the Arkansas/Louisiana border, he was fascinated
by watching magicians David Copperfield and Doug Henning
on television.
After checking out books on the subject at the local
library, he began to learn the craft and combine it
with his musical talents that he was developing through
piano and trombone lessons.
At the age of seven, Bart began telling everyone that
would listen that he was going to grow up and be an entertainer
with his own show. Most thought it was cute, but few
actually believed that it would one day become reality!
At the age of 10, Bart was performing close-up magic
well enough to be booked at area library story hours
for his first paid shows. Parents that saw him
at these performances began booking him to appear at
their children’s birthday parties. A business was
born and with a phone line and business cards, he began
to perform before civic organizations, church groups,
banquets and just about anywhere he was invited. By the
age of 12 he had also learned to do ventriloquism and
was beginning to combine comedy, magic, ventriloquism
and music together in one show.
Through his teenage years, Bart went on to win numerous
awards at talent contests on both the regional and state
levels. At the age of 14, he became the youngest person
in the history of ventriloquism to win the “Distant
Voice Award” (Best at throwing ones voice) and
beat out seasoned professionals from around the world
for this title. It was his first international
award and in addition to this he won Jr. Ventriloquist
of the year at the annual ventriloquist convention in
Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. Media outlets from all over the
globe covered this unique event where approximately 400
ventriloquists from around the world gather for competitions,
learning and fun. He was featured on ABC News,
Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, just to
name a few. In addition, he was shown on numerous foreign
television networks as well as other regional media outlets
in the states.
By the age of 16, Bart had his own agent and was
traveling regularly throughout a 5 state area. He had
been showcased in both Boy’s Life and Southern
Living Magazines and had continued to be honored with
awards as well as recognized for his work with area
nursing homes and children’s charities. Stage
illusions were being added to his act and a full scale
production show was under development.
After graduating from high school, he began college
at what was then Northeast Louisiana University in
Monroe, Louisiana. He majored in Broadcasting / Performance
and represented the college in numerous promotional
appearances both in person and through the media. He
was the afternoon drive deejay for KNLU radio and had
his own weekly segment on KNOE TV 8’s, (the local
CBS affiliate) weekly show called “Kidsworld”.
During all of this, he was still traveling regularly
to perform at functions throughout the year in surrounding
states.
At the age of 19, Bart relocated to Dallas, TX to
be closer to his booking agent. By then, his show had
grown to a full scale stage illusion show and he was
traveling with a crew of 9 people, a bus and a truck
to carry all of his props. He appeared in several commercials
on the local and regional level for radio and comedy.
He was honored by being the keynote speaker at a national
youth convention where he appeared before 8,000 young
adults from around the United States. He was recognized
by magic fraternities as the youngest working illusionist
with a show of his size in the world. Bart continued
to perform and raise money for charity events, as he
was honored by being named an Outstanding Young Man
in America before an audience of over 10,000 people
in the El Paso Convention Center.
Meanwhile, Bart’s weekly segment on the
television show “Kidsworld” had been
extended to the point that he was doing most of the
show. A pilot
episode was created for Bart’s very own television
show, The Bart Rockett Show. It actually aired on the
station that gave him his first break. A large communication
company that owned a group of stations around the United
States offered to air Bart’s weekly show on all
14 of their stations on Saturday mornings. This was
his first taste of syndication. Over the next several
years, Bart’s show would grow to have a live
band, studio audience and full production set. His
weekly 30 minute broadcast aired in syndication at
ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX and cable affiliates in 72 markets
throughout the United States. Production shoots took
him literally all over the world. From the beaches
of Bermuda and the streets of Hollywood to the bottom
of the Grand Canyon, Bart produced shows that would
not only entertain but educate as well. During his
run he had the opportunity to meet and work with
such people as Tim McGraw, Nolan Ryan, Vanna White,
Ed McMahon, William Shatner, Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Tony Curtis just to name a few.
As his television show aired, demand for appearances
grew and Bart began developing a program entitled, “Live
Your Dream” that would be placed in schools by
sponsors of his television show. In this program, Bart
used ventriloquism, comedy, music and magic to hold
students attention as he taught and encouraged students
to work hard, get their education and make good choices
in life by saying no to drugs. It was seen by schools
in 28 states and featured on numerous television and
radio stations and newspapers throughout the United
States. In Bart’s home state of Arkansas, this
program appeared in over half of the schools grades
K-12 both public and private. The Bart Rockett Fan
Club was formed and grew to over 32,000 members. At
its peak, Bart received more daily mail than the average
television sitcom star.
During his twenties, Bart secured his very own theater
in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, a small tourist town in
the Ozark Mountains that sees approximately 1.5 million
visitors per year. There, he produced a nightly live
show during the season, giving his television audience
a chance to see him live in the production he had always
dreamed about. After two seasons of performing at this
theater, a producer offered him his own theater in
Branson, Missouri.
Billed as “The Live Entertainment Capital of
the World”, Branson Missouri boasts over 53 theaters
that showcase a variety of shows to between 6.5 and
8 million visitors every year. The small town in the
Ozarks has more theater seats than New York City and
Las Vegas combined! While still only in his twenties,
Bart became the youngest person in the history of Branson
to headline a theater there. His show was voted Best
New Show and nominated for numerous awards such as
best lighting, dance troupe and best variety act.
Bart continued to tour, performing for corporate
groups and in theaters he designed. Gulf Shores, Alabama
was the first place where Bart designed and oversaw
the construction of a 200 seat dinner theater where
he made regular appearances. He also oversaw the renovation
of an 800 seat theater in Panama City Beach, Florida
where he made regular appearances throughout the season.
He was a consultant on a Gulf Coast theater.
In 2003, Bart married his lead assistant, Kami. In
September of 2005, Kami gave birth to the couple’s
first child, Kadan Bart Rockett. In July of 2007, they
welcomed Brooklyn Nicole Rockett to the family.
Currently, Bart is appearing regularly at his
own theatre in Branson Missouri, overseeing his other
business interests and touring.
He continues to live out his childhood dream and
enjoys sharing that dream with his family and with
yours!
