Savannah Churchill

Savannah Churchill (born August 21, 1920 in Colfax, Louisiana as Savannah Valentine , † April 19, 1974 in Brooklyn , New York City ) was an American rhythm and blues and jazz singer.

Live and act

Savannah Churchill came from a Louisiana Creole family and grew up in Brooklyn, where she began performing to support her family in 1941 after her husband was killed in a traffic accident. First recordings, such as her song "Fat Meat Is Good Meat" appeared in 1942 on Joe Davis ' Beacon Records label. The following year she had the opportunity to record several pieces for Capitol with the Benny Carter Orchestra, as well as her first hit "Hurry, Hurry" .

In 1945 she signed a contract with the Manor Records label ; her song "Daddy Daddy" hit # 3 on the Rhythm & Blues charts. In 1947 Churchill recorded her only number 1 hit; "I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You)" stayed at the top of the R&B charts for eight weeks . The 78er was released under the band name of the vocal group The Sentimentalists , which was soon renamed The Four Tunes . Churchill's other songs with The Four Tunes , such as “Time Out for Tears” (# 10 R&B, # 24 pop charts) and “I Want to Cry” , both released in 1948, were also successful in the charts.

Savannah Churchill also appeared successfully in various films, such as Miracle in Harlem (1948) and Souls of Sin (1949). With her title (It's No) Sin , she achieved a top 10 hit in 1951. On tours, which also took her to Hawaii (1954), she was accompanied by the vocal group The Striders . From 1949 she recorded for the label Regal , RCA Victor and Decca , in 1956 she was one of the first artists of the new label Argo .

A tragic accident ended her career in 1956 when a drunk man fell on her from a dais at a club performance and injured her so badly that she never fully recovered. Although she still recorded a few songs in 1960, her health deteriorated noticeably; she died in 1974 at the age of 53 years at a pneumonia .

Discographic notes

Queen of R & B (Jazz Classics)
Una Mae Carlisle & Savannah Churchill: 1944 (Harlequin)
Portrait (Bygone Days, ed. 2009)

Individual evidence

^ Whitburn, Joel: Top Pop Records 1940-1955 . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, 1973, p. 13.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Churchill, Savannah
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Valentine, Savannah
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American rhythm and blues and jazz singer
DATE OF BIRTH	August 21, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH	Colfax, Louisiana
DATE OF DEATH	April 19, 1974
Place of death	Brooklyn , New York City

[1] Whitburn, Joel: Top Pop Records 1940-1955 . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, 1973, p. 13.