Terry Devon
British jazz singer who turned to artist management.
Teresa Devon, born Toby Teresa Dekovnick in London in 1922, started out cutting hair in her father’s shop. After winning a singing contest on Radio Luxembourg, she switched careers. At sixteen, she joined Billy Thorburn’s orchestra and cut her first record in 1938. Later, she sang weekly on the BBC comedy show Take It From Here. As a vocalist for Tito Burns’ jazz septet, she mastered scat singing. She married Burns in 1948 and left professional singing behind, instead helping him manage artists like Cliff Richard. She died in London in 2013 at age ninety.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- Toby Teresa Dekovnick
- Born
- 19 May 1922
- Birthplace
- London, England
- Died
- 5 April 2013
- Occupation
- Jazz singer
- Years active
- 1938–1950s
- Children
- 2
Facts from the source article.
Career
Devon switched to singing after winning a crooning competition on Radio Luxembourg. At the age of 16, she auditioned for the Billy Thorburn orchestra, known as The Organ, the Dance Band and Me. He initially considered her too young, but recognised her abilities and made her the band's female vocalist. Her first record, "Any Old Hearts to Mend" was released in 1938, and her first radio broadcast came the following year.
Devon toured with Thorburn in the 1940 revue Ssh… Keep It Dark. The singer then joined the Oscar Rabin Band as a vocalist, and entertained British Armed Forces troops overseas. Devon recalled in her later years that the ship she was performing on sailing through minefields and then hitting the pier which separated it into two. After the war, she joined The Keynotes harmony group, and broadcast weekly on the BBC radio comedy programme Take It From Here.
Devon became a vocalist for the Tito Burns jazz band and developed a skill for scat singing. She sang ballads, and her voice was occasionally used instrumentally alongside the trumpet and saxes in arrangements. On occasion, Burns and Devon sang together as a duo, in the manner created by the American husband and wife team Jackie Cain and Roy Kral. Among her recordings for Decca were "Be Bop Spoken Here", a duet with Burns, and "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles". She also worked with other bands in this period, including Geraldo, and toured as a duo with Len Camber.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Terry Devon born?
Terry Devon was born on 19 May 1922 in London, England.
When did Terry Devon die?
Terry Devon died on 5 April 2013.
More in British Women Jazz Singers
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced