Savannah Churchill

Savannah Churchill (born Savannah Valentine Roberts, August 21, 1920[1] – April 19, 1974)[2] was an American rhythm and blues singer in the 1940s and 1950s. She is best known for her number-one R&B single "I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You)."

Savannah Churchill
Background information
Birth nameSavannah Valentine Roberts
Born(1920-08-21)August 21, 1920
Colfax, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedApril 19, 1974(1974-04-19) (aged 53)
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
GenresR&B, blues, pop
Occupation(s)Singer, musician
Instrument(s)Piano
Years active1942–1960
Labels

Life and career

Born to Creole parents Emmett Roberts and Hazel Hickman in Colfax, Louisiana, her family moved to Brooklyn, New York when she was three. Growing up, Churchill played violin and sang with the choir at St. Peter Claver Catholic School in Brooklyn. She graduated from Brooklyn's Girls' High School.

In the 1930 and 1940 United States Census she and her parents are listed as Negro, as Louisiana Creoles were required to do at the time. Churchill never denied her African American ancestry even as she attained fame, and she appeared in black publications such as Jet magazine.[3]

In 1939, Churchill quit her job as a waitress to pursue a singing career. She began singing at Small's Paradise in Harlem, earning $18 a week.[4] She performed with the Crystal Caraverns in Washington, D.C., and then toured with Edgar Hayes band in 1941.[5]

Her first recordings, including the risqué "Fat Meat Is Good Meat", issued on Beacon Records in 1942. These were followed the next year by recordings on Capitol with the Benny Carter Orchestra, including her first hit "Hurry, Hurry".

In 1945, Churchill signed with Irving Berman's Manor Records, and that year "Daddy Daddy" peaked at No. 3 on the R&B chart. Two years later, reached No. 1 on the R&B chart with "I Want To Be Loved (But Only By You)", which topped the charts for eight weeks. The record was billed as being with vocal group The Sentimentalists, who soon renamed themselves The Four Tunes. Subsequent recordings with The Four Tunes, including "Time Out For Tears" (No. 10 R&B, No. 24 pop) and "I Want To Cry", both in 1948, were also successful.

Billed as "Sex-Sational", Churchill performed to much acclaim, and appeared in the movies Miracle in Harlem (1948) and Souls of Sin (1949). The films feature African American casts.

From 1949, Churchill recorded with Regal, RCA Victor and Decca Records, recording the original version of "Shake A Hand", later a big hit for Faye Adams, and also recording with the Ray Charles Singers.

By 1952, Churchill became one of the top box-office attraction at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, the Regal Theater in Chicago, the Howard Theater in Washington, D.C., and the Palladium in London.[4] She toured widely with backing vocal group The Striders, including a visit to Hawaii in 1954.

In 1953, Churchill released gospel tunes on Decca Records.[6] In 1956, she was one of the first artists signed to the Argo label, set up as a subsidiary to Chess Records.

Churchill's career ended in 1956 when, as she was singing on stage in a club, a drunken man fell on top of her from a balcony above, causing severe, debilitating injuries from which she would never fully recover. Although she did some recording in 1960, releasing her debut album Time Out For Tears on Jamie Records, her health declined greatly until her death from pneumonia in Brooklyn in 1974.[7][8]

Personal life

Churchill had two children with her first husband, David Churchill, who was killed in a car accident in 1941.[9] On May 19, 1952, Churchill remarried to Jesse Johnson in Franklin, Ohio.[10]

Discography

Chart singles
Year Single Chart Positions
US Pop[11] US
R&B[12]
1945 "Daddy, Daddy" - 3
1947 "I Want to Be Loved (But Only by You)" 21 1
1948 "Time Out for Tears" 20 10
"I Want to Cry" - 14
1951 "(It's No) Sin" 5 -
1953 "Shake a Hand" 22 -

Filmography

References
  1. Some sources state 1919 or 1920.
  2. Eagle, Bob; LeBlanc, Eric S. (2013). Blues - A Regional Experience. Santa Barbara: Praeger Publishers. p. 305. ISBN 978-0313344237.
  3. "Savannah Churchill, a vocalist who merged R&B and jazz". Amsterdam News. October 3, 2019.
  4. "Savannah Churchill Crashes Hit Parade". Jet: 46. February 28, 1952.
  5. Bastin, Bruce (2012). The Melody Man: Joe Davis and the New York Music Scene, 1916-1978. Univ. Press of Mississippi. p. 113. ISBN 978-1-61703-277-6.
  6. "Savannah Churchill Quits Blues For Gosep Singing". Jet: 61. September 10, 1953.
  7. Talevski, Nick (2010). Rock Obituaries - Knocking On Heaven's Door. Omnibus. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-85712-117-2. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  8. Savannah Churchill Biography at Black Cat Rockabilly. Retrieved 29 November 2013
  9. Warner, Jay (2008). Notable Moments of Women in Music. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 16. ISBN 978-1-4234-2951-7. savannah churchill husband 1941.
  10. "This Week's Census: Married". Jet: 16. May 29, 1952.
  11. Whitburn, Joel (1986). Pop Memories 1890-1954: The History of American Popular Music. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. pp. 83. ISBN 0-89820-083-0.
  12. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 81.
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