Willy DeVille

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Willy DeVille 2008

Willy DeVille (born August 25, 1950 in Stamford , Connecticut , † August 6, 2009 in New York City , actually William Paul Borsey junior ) was an American singer-songwriter . With his band Mink DeVille and as a solo artist, he experienced an eventful career over many years with his style influenced by rhythm and blues , soul , Cajun music and various Latin American varieties.

Life

Willy DeVille was born William Borsey in Stamford and grew up there. At fourteen, he moved to the West Village in New York City . The musical heroes of his youth were u. a. Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix performing in the clubs on MacDougal Street where he lived. In 1971 he returned to New York after spending several years in London; traveled on to the west coast and formed the band Lazy Eights in San Francisco .

In 1974 he founded the band Billy De Sade & The Marquis , which he renamed Mink DeVille in 1975 . At the same time, William Borsey became "Willy DeVille". In 1977 their debut album appeared in Europe under the name Cabretta and in the USA under the name Mink DeVille . The album was named "Best Album of the Year" by Rolling Stone . The Musikexpress commented: “Willy is the prototype of a rock'n'roll person. His voice is rough, dry, exciting and dirty, and it resonates with the sensual turn-on that makes us listeners tremble. "

His appearance with an over-long jacket, a gold-tooth smile with diamonds set in the incisor, at times Menjou mustache and shoulder-length hair was unusual. The course of his career was changeable: sometimes honored for the best singer of the year, then again disputes with the record company. His single storybook Love was nominated as the soundtrack for the movie The Prince's Bride for an Oscar, then again DeVille was without a record deal. DeVille was only granted continued success in Europe.

On his 25th stage anniversary, Willy DeVille returned to his roots and in 2002 went on a search for his origins with pianist Seth Farber and bassist David Keyes. The blues album The Willy DeVille Acoustic Trio In Berlin was recorded on March 21, 2002 at a concert in Berlin.

His 2004 album Crow Jane Alley was the first studio release since Horse Of A Different Color in 1999. The Crow Jane Alley tour of Europe took place from March 15 to April 18, 2005. Willy DeVille gave a concert in America on April 29, 2005 at the BBKing Club in New York City. With Live In The Lowlands a DVD was released for the corresponding promotional tour, which was recorded in autumn 2005 in the Amsterdam Paradiso .

From October 18 to November 18, 2006 he went on a European tour with the Willy DeVille Acoustic Trio . There was a change of line-up on the piano. For a short time Jeff Levine was on the piano, who u. a. played for Joe Cocker , to the band.

In 2007 he recorded the song It's So Easy for the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's film Death Proof .

In 2008 another studio album was released with Pistola . DeVille continued his successful collaboration with producer John Philip Shenale ( The Bangles , Tori Amos , Robert Cray ).

A tour planned for 2009 was canceled for health reasons; He was diagnosed with hepatitis C and later pancreatic cancer. On August 6, 2009, he died in a hospital in New York.

It was the artist's wish to draw attention to hepatitis C and the possible success of treatment with early detection.

Musical influences

Before DeVille became interested in R'n'B or Rock'n'Roll, he said he danced cumbia and bolero . Spanish elements also appear several times in his music (Spanish Stroll, Spanish Harlem, Carmelita) . Ballads, paired with blues elements, Cajun sounds and rock'n'roll were his musical home, which he accompanied with harmonica, cowbells, fiddle and percussions. But DeVille also played Latino songs, Tex-Mex, and Southern rock .

He was influenced by the greats of the 1950s and 1960s: “When I talk about great music, I mean people like Buddy Holly , Édith Piaf or Muddy Waters . People like you hardly exist today ... There were times when you would hear Brenda Lee , Elvis Presley , James Brown and Conway Twitty ... "When asked who impressed him in his youth, he replied in an interview:" John Hammond , John Lee Hooker ... not the Beatles . "

Discography

Singles (Vinyl 45)

  • 1977: Spanish Stroll / Mixed Up Shook Up Girl (edit 3:15), Capitol 85 220
  • 1977: Spanish Stroll / Gunslinger, Capitol CLX 103 (UK)
  • 1977: Little Girl / She's So Tough, Capitol 85 276
  • 1977: Little Girl / Cadillac Walk, Capitol 85 351 (NL)
  • 1977: Cadillac Walk / Can't Do Without It, Capitol 15 952 (UK)
  • 1978: Cadillac Walk / Gunslinger, Capitol 85 411
  • 1978: Just Your Friends / One Way Street, Capitol 85 517
  • 1978: Just Your Friends / Easy Slider, Capitol 85 748 (Esp)
  • 1978: Guardian Angel / Easy Slider, Capitol
  • 1978: Soul Twist / Rolene (pink vinyl), Capitol 16 005 (UK)
  • 1980: This Must Be The Night / Mixed Up Shook Up Girl + Lipstick Traces, Capitol 16 134 (UK)
  • 1980: Lipstick Traces / Just To Walk That Little Girl Home, Capitol
  • 1980: Just To Walk That Little Girl Home (white double sided promo stereo / mono!), Capitol F 4938 (US)
  • 1980: Mazurka / Just To Walk That Little Girl Home, Capitol (US)
  • 1980: Heat Of The Moment / Pullin 'My String, Lorimar / CBS 8527 (Sdtr.Cruising)
  • 1981: You Better Move On / She Was Mine (!)
  • 1981: Love And Emotion / So In Love Are We, Atlantic 11 691
  • 1982: Maybe Tomorrow / So In Love Are We, Atlantic
  • 1983: Demasiado Corazon (Too Much Heart) / Are You Lonely Tonight + Stand By Me, Atlantic 78 9679
  • 1983: Each Word's A Beat Of My Heart / River Of Tears, Atlantic 78 9750
  • 1985: Italian Shoes / Pride And Joy, Polydor 881 938-7
  • 1985: In The Heart Of The City / Pride & Joy, Polydor POSP745 (UK)
  • 1985: I Must Be Dreaming / In The Heart Of The City, Polydor 883 344-7
  • 1987: Miracle / I Call Your Name, Polydor 887 063-7
  • 1987: Assassin Of Love / Spanish Jack, Polydor 887 312-7
  • 1987: Storybook Of Love /? Polydor (Mark Knopfler & Willy DeVille - Sdtr. Princess Bride)
  • 1990: Hello My Lover / Ruler Of My Heart, Sky Ranch 657 004 (F)
  • 1990: Beating Like A Tom Tom / Big Blue Diamonds, Sky Ranch 657 304 (F)

First recordings (Mink DeVille)

  • 1976 Live at CBGB's (Omfug / Atlantic) with three songs (also as B-side of the maxi single Love and emotion ): Cadillac moon, Let me dream if I want to, Change it comes

Albums (incl. Maxis & Singles)

With Mink DeVille

  • 1977: Cabretta (USA: Mink DeVille) (Capitol)
  • 1978: Return To Magenta (Capitol)
  • 1980: Le Chat Bleu (Capitol)
  • 1981: Coup De Grace (Atlantic)
  • 1983: Where Angels Fear To Tread (Atlantic)
  • 1983: Each Word's A Beat Of My Heart (Single) (Atlantic)
  • 1985: Sportin 'Live (Atlantic / Polydor)
  • 2014: Live at Rockpalast 1978 & 1981 (Repertoire Records)

As Willy DeVille (Solo)

  • 1987: Assassin of Love (single; with Mark Knopfler) (Atlantic / Polydor)
  • 1987: Miracle (Atlantic / Polydor)
  • 1990: Victory Mixture (Orleans Rec./Sky Ranch)
  • 1992: Backstreets Of Desire (Fnac / East West / Tabata)
  • 1993: Live (Fnac / East West / Tabata)
  • 1995: Loup Garou (East West / Discovery)
  • 1995: Still (Maxi) (East West)
  • 1998: Big Easy Fantasy (Warner)
  • 1999: Horse Of A Different Color (East West)
  • 2002: Live in Berlin (eagle records)
  • 2004: Come A Little Bit Closer (Maxi) (eagle records)
  • 2004: Crow Jane Alley (eagle records)
  • 2008: Pistola (eagle records)
  • 2011: Willy DeVille - Unplugged in Berlin, Trio Concert 2002 (Meyer Records)
  • 2012: Willy DeVille - Live at the Metropol • Berlin, Band Concert 2002 (Meyer Records)
  • 2012: Willy DeVille - In New Orleans (Big Beat)

Compilations

With Mink DeVille

  • 1981: Savoir Faire (Capitol)
  • 1996: Mink / Willy DeVille Greatest Hits (EMI)
  • 1996: Spanish Stroll (Disky)
  • 1996: Cabretta / Return To Magenta (Raven - two original Mink DeVille albums)
  • 1997: The Best Of Mink DeVille (EMI 100)
  • 1997: Premium Gold Collection Mink DeVille (EMI)
  • 1998: Coup De Grace / Where Angels Fear To Tread
  • 2002: Spanish Stroll 1977–1980 (Raven)

As Willy DeVille (Solo)

  • 1994: Miracle (Raven)
  • 1995: Les Inoubliables Willy DeVille
  • 1996: Love & Emotion (East West)
  • 1996: Best Of (Willy DeVille - Arcade)
  • 1997: His Greatest Hits (Willy DeVille - Arcade)
  • 2007: Quentin Tarantino's: Death Proof (Maverick / Warner)

DVDs

  • 2002: The Berlin Concerts
  • 2005: Live In The Lowlands, Paradiso / Amsterdam (0000500ERD eagle vision 5034504950078)
  • 2008: MinkDeVille - Live At Montreux 1982 (0000684ERD eagle vision 5034504968479)
  • 2009: Willy DeVille - Live At Montreux 1994
  • 2012: Willy DeVille - Still Alive (3-disc DVD box set, Meyer Records no.184)

Movies

Feature films

Documentaries

Alongside Marianne Faithfull and Leonard Cohen, Willy DeVille is one of the artists portrayed in Diethard Küster's documentary Beautiful Losers (1997).

Web links

Commons : Willy DeVille  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Willy DeVille, Mink DeVille Singer and Songwriter, Is Dead at 58 , in the New York Times
  2. Biography on willydevillemusic.com (artist website). www.willydevillemusic.com, accessed October 16, 2011 .
  3. Willy DeVille , Guardian, August 11, 2009
  4. Keep Willy In Your Thoughts. www.willydevillemusic.com, June 15, 2009, accessed October 6, 2011 .
  5. ^ Willy Forced To Cancel 2009 Plans. www.willydevillemusic.com, February 18, 2009, accessed October 6, 2011 .
  6. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092145/ IMDb entry on Va Banque .
  7. http://www.imdb.de/title/tt0424833/ IMDb entry on Beautiful Losers .