Elisabeth Margaret Welch (February 27, 1904 – July 15,
2003) was an American singer, actress, and entertainer, whose career spanned
seven decades. Her best-known songs were "Stormy Weather", "Love
for Sale" and "Far Away in Shanty Town". She was American-born
but was based in Britain for most of her career.
Welch was born in Englewood, New Jersey, where her father
was chief gardener of an estate. Her father was of indigenous American and
African American ancestry; her mother was of Scottish and Irish descent. Welch
was brought up in a Baptist Christian family, and began her singing in a church
choir.
She first intended to go from high school into social
work, but instead chose to become a professional singer. She started her career
in America, in New York, in 1922, but in 1929 she went on to Europe - first to
Paris and then to London, which became her base for the rest of her life.
After her first appearance in America in Liza in 1922,
Elisabeth Welch was the initial singer of the Charleston in the show Runnin'
Wild (1923). During the 1920s she appeared in African-American Broadway theatre
shows, including Chocolate Dandies (1924) and Blackbirds of 1928 (1928-9). She
made relatively few recordings. Before moving to Europe she made only one
record – "Doin' The New Lowdown", b/w 'Digga Digga Do", as
vocalist for the Irving Mills-assembled Hotsy Totsy Gang (Brunswick 4014, 27
July 1928).
One of these was taken to Paris, where in 1929 and 1930,
following artist Josephine Baker, she was in cabaret shows, including
performances at the Moulin Rouge.
She was asked to return to New York, where she replaced a
singer in The New Yorkers (1930–1931) and sang Cole Porter's controversial song
"Love for Sale". The composer met her afterwards in Paris, and later
invited her to perform his song "Solomon" in Nymph Errant in London
in 1933. That year, before this show was available, Welch was given permission
to perform in London in Dark Doings, in which she sang "Stormy
Weather", newly written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler. She subsequently
took the song as her signature tune.
Welch's show-stopping performance in Nymph Errant was
seen by Ivor Novello, and in 1935 he gave her a part in his show Glamorous
Night, in which she stood out again singing his blues song "Far Away in
Shanty Town". In 1931 she had included in her cabaret act the new song
"As Time Goes By", almost a dozen years before it achieved screen
fame in Casablanca.
In the late 1930s Welch entered two media: she appeared
in films – usually as a singer, including two with Paul Robeson – and was also
one of the first artists to perform on television, appearing on the BBC's new
TV service from Alexandra Palace.
During World War II she remained in London in spite of
the Blitz. She entertained the armed forces along with many other artists.
After the war she was in many West End theatre shows,
including revues. She continued on both television and radio, and was even in
one pantomime, Aladdin. She also had a series of one-woman shows, until 1990.
She was in the Royal Variety Performance in 1979 and 1986. In 1979 her
recording of "Stormy Weather" was used by Derek Jarman in his film
version of Shakespeare's The Tempest.
In 1980 she returned to New York to appear in Black
Broadway after an absence of nearly fifty years, and she appeared there again
in 1986, when her one-woman show earned her an Obie Award. She was nominated
for a Tony Award for her performance in Jerome Kern Goes to Hollywood.
She was the subject of This Is Your Life in October 1985
when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews outside London's Palace Theatre.
Her final performance was in 1996, for a television
documentary, in which she sang "Stormy Weather", at the age of 93. She died at the age of 99 in Northwood,
London, on July 15, 2003. (Info Wikipedia)
4 comments:
For “The Best of Elisabeth Welch” go here:
http://www.mediafire.com/file/qonmj2w63xbqb60/Elisabeth_Welch-Best-Of.rar
1. Solomon 3:08
2 Soft Lights And Sweet Music 6:30
3 Far Away In Shanty Town 4:39
4 I Still Suits Me 2:53
5 That's How The First Song Was Born 3:09
6 These Foolish Things / Nightengale Sang In Berkeley Square 3:15
7 Harlem In My Heart 3:10
8 Drop In Next Time You're Passing 3:01
9 Diga Diga Doo 2:54
10 The Girl I Knew 4:40
11 Doin' The New Low Down 2:49
12 The Nearness Of You 3:28
13 One Kiss 2:54
14 The Man I Love 2:55
15 Sleepy River 3:04
16 Poor Butterfly 3:00
17 I Gotta Go 3:06
18 When Lights Are Low 2:54
19 Dark Music 3:21
20 And So Do I 2:51
21 Much More Lovely 3:20
Another singer who is new to me. Thanks again!
Thanks Bob. Great to hear her voice again.
Regards Theo
Never heard of her but look forward to it. Thank you.
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