Beryl Davis
Big-band vocalist who sang with Django Reinhardt as a child.
via Wikipedia: Beryl Davis · see source
Beryl Eileen Mary Davis (16 March 1924 – 28 October 2011) was a vocalist who sang with British and American big bands, as well as being an occasional featured vocalist at a very young age with the Quintette du Hot Club de France between 1936 and 1939. She was still performing in her 80s, into the 2000s, and was thought to be one of the last surviving and performing singers of the generation of popular entertainers from the 1930s and wartime years.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Beryl Eileen Mary Davis
- Born
- 16 March 1924
- Birthplace
- Plymouth, England
- Died
- 28 October 2011
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Genre
- Vocal jazz, big band
- Occupation
- Singer
- Years active
- 1942–2007
Facts from the source article.
Career
Davis began singing professionally at age eight with the Oscar Rabin Band, co-led by her father. From age 12, accompanied by a chaperone, she performed and recorded with Django Reinhardt in Paris and on European tours. She was the featured singer with the Quintette du Hot Club de France during their 1939 UK tour, including a BBC Television broadcast of which no copy survives. During World War II she sang for British and Allied troops; Glenn Miller discovered her in London and she sang for the Army Air Force Orchestra. After the war she moved to Los Angeles with her father's band and appeared on Your Hit Parade with Frank Sinatra for a year. She later joined the Four Girls singing group with Jane Russell, Rhonda Fleming, Della Russell, and Connie Haines, recording sixteen singles and best-selling albums.
Personal life and death
On October 24, 1948, Davis married William Mann Moore, a disc jockey and host of the Emmy-winning Jukebox Jury. They had three children and divorced in 1965. She then had a 35-year relationship with Glenn Miller drummer Buck Stapleton; together they created cruise ship package tours for over 20 years. He died in 2003. In 1996 a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars was dedicated to her. Still performing in her 80s, she appeared at concerts in the mid-2000s with guitarist John Jorgenson, reprising a Django Reinhardt recording on his 2007 CD. Davis died in Los Angeles from complications of Alzheimer's disease at age 87.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Beryl Davis born?
Beryl Davis was born on 16 March 1924 in Plymouth, England.
When did Beryl Davis die?
Beryl Davis died on 28 October 2011 in Los Angeles, California, U.S.
When was Beryl Davis active?
Beryl Davis was active from 1942 to 2007.
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