Sallie Blair (1934 – February 17, 1992) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

singer. She began her career performing as a band act with Johnny Otis and Duke Ellington before joining Cab Calloway's Cotton Club Revue. Blair recorded for

Bethlehem Bethlehem (; ar, بيت لحم ; he, בֵּית לֶחֶם '' '') is a city in the central West Bank, Palestine, about south of Jerusalem. Its population is approximately 25,000,Amara, 1999p. 18.Brynen, 2000p. 202. and it is the capital o ...

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

, Scepter, and Bell Records, but she was best known for her live performances. Because of her voluptuous figure and blonde hair,

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

called her the "brown

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

Life and career

Blair was born Sarah Bolling Mason Hutchins in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

in 1934. She was the daughter of Sarah (Pat) Mason and pro golfer Carlos Hutchins. She attended Douglass High School and began performing at 16 in 1950. Accompanied by her mother, she used the stage name Sally Blair (also spelled Sallie), while performing at local clubs such as Gamby's, the Casino, and Eddie Leonard's Spa. She performed in clubs in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

before replacing an ailing act at New York's

Waldorf-Astoria The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schult ...

. After graduation, she toured with Duke Ellington and Johnny Otis. In 1953, tired of one-nighters, she left the band business in Los Angeles to work as a single. In 1956, Blair won the talent competition ''Chance of a Lifetime'' on ABC-TV hosted by

Dennis James Dennis James (born Demie James Sposa, August 24, 1917 – June 3, 1997) was an American television personality, philanthropist, and commercial spokesman. Until 1976, he had appeared on TV more times and for a longer period than any other telev ...

. She sang " Cry Me A River" and " It's Alright With Me," winning the top prize of $1,000 and a one-week engagement at the Versailles nightclub Miami. During her gig, Blair's electrifying performances captivated her audiences especially during her closing number of "

That Old Black Magic "That Old Black Magic" is a 1942 popular song written by Harold Arlen (music), with the lyrics by Johnny Mercer. They wrote it for the 1942 film '' Star Spangled Rhythm'', when it was sung by Johnny Johnston and danced by Vera Zorina. The song ...

" when she would kick off her shoes. Celebrities who attended her shows included syndicated columnist

Walter Winchell Walter Winchell (April 7, 1897 – February 20, 1972) was a syndicated American newspaper gossip columnist and radio news commentator. Originally a vaudeville performer, Winchell began his newspaper career as a Broadway reporter, critic and co ...

and jazz bandleader Cab Calloway. Calloway hired her to become the featured female vocalist in his Miami Beach Cotton Club Revue. Blair received rave reviews, but despite offers of a raise, she left the revue while they were in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

because she "found the treatment of colored artists too objectionable to stay." Blair relocated to California and gained some acclaim, performing in South America, the Middle East, and Europe. She appeared in various publications, including ''Life'' magazine, ''Esquire'', ''Ebony'' and ''Jet''. She also appeared on ''

The Ed Sullivan Show ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in September 1971 by the '' CBS Sunday Night M ...

'' and ''Johnny Carson''. Blair sang the role of Serena in the jazz version of

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

's opera ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', it ...

'', released by

Bethlehem Records Bethlehem Records was an American jazz independent record label, founded by Gus Wildi in 1953. History Bethlehem is remembered for its jazz releases from the 1950s. Producers included Creed Taylor and Teddy Charles. Bethlehem released the first ...

in 1956. She released her debut album ''Squeeze Me'' on Bethlehem in 1957. In 1958, Blair headlined

Donn Arden Donn Arden (1916 or 1917 – November 2, 1994) was an American choreographer and producer. Biography Born Arlyle Arden Peterson Arden to a railway executive and a housewife, he grew up in St. Louis. By the age of nine he was already making mo ...

's production at New York's

Latin Quarter The Latin Quarter of Paris (french: Quartier latin, ) is an area in the 5th and the 6th arrondissements of Paris. It is situated on the left bank of the Seine, around the Sorbonne. Known for its student life, lively atmosphere, and bistro ...

. That summer,

Ed Sullivan Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the ''New York Daily News'' and the Chicago Tribune New Yor ...

signed her to appear on his variety show televised from the Desert Inn in Las Vegas from Jul 1 to 28. Blair's second album, ''Hello, Tiger!'', arranged and conducted by

Neal Hefti Neal Paul Hefti (October 29, 1922 – October 11, 2008) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer, and arranger. He wrote music for '' The Odd Couple'' movie and TV series and for the ''Batman'' TV series. He began arranging professionally in his ...

, was released on MGM Records later in 1958. The album was chosen as one of ''Billboard'''s spotlight winners of the week (November 3, 1958): "A striking cover (featuring the sultry thrush on a tiger-skin rug) gives this package sock 'sic''display value; while the canary's sexy, intimate vocalizing makes the LP's sure-fire Jockey programming. Gal shines on a group of standards and show tunes, including the infectious '

Daddy A father is the male parent of a child. Besides the paternal bonds of a father to his children, the father may have a parental, legal, and social relationship with the child that carries with it certain rights and obligations. An adoptive fathe ...

,' '

Fever Fever, also referred to as pyrexia, is defined as having a temperature above the normal range due to an increase in the body's temperature set point. There is not a single agreed-upon upper limit for normal temperature with sources using val ...

' and '

Witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have ...

.'" Blair didn't achieve success on the charts with her records, but she gained a following for her sensual barefoot performances. While performing at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in the famous area of Soho. The theatre holds 2,286 seats. Of the roster of stars who have played there, many have televised performances. Between 1955 a ...

, Blair kicked of her shoes in front of the royal family. She became more known for her voluptuous figure and her sexy stage appearance than her music. Her natural hair color was auburn, but she dyed it different colors such as platinum blonde, silver, red, green, black, and white. Early in Blair's career, the press referred to her as the "blonde bombshell," but by 1963, when she appeared at her nightclub gig at New York's Living Room, she was sporting dark brown hair and her stage persona became more sophisticated. Blair performed with Larry Steele's ''Smart Affairs'' of 1960. As her popularity waned, Blair continued to appear on TV Shows throughout the 1960s, including ''

The Danny Kaye Show ''The Danny Kaye Show'' was an American variety show, hosted by the stage and screen star Danny Kaye, which aired on Wednesday nights from September 25, 1963, to June 7, 1967, on the CBS television network. Directed by Robert Scheerer, it premi ...

'', ''Away We Go'', and ''The Rosey Grier Show''. After suffering from an illness and undergoing corrective surgery, Blair returned to Baltimore to be with her mother in 1990. Blair spent three weeks in the

intensive care unit 220px, Intensive care unit An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU), is a special department of a hospital or health care facility that provides intensi ...

shortly before returning to her mother's apartment where she died at the age of 57 on February 17, 1992.

Personal life

In 1963, Blair married pianist and arranger René DeKnight,

widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has died. Terminology The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed ''widowhood''. An archaic term for a widow is "relict," literally "someone left over". This word can so ...

er of Freda DeKnight and formerly of

The Delta Rhythm Boys The Delta Rhythm Boys was an American vocal group active from 1934 to 1987. The group was formed at Langston University in Langston, Oklahoma, in 1934 by Carl Jones, Traverse Crawford, Otha Lee Gaines, and Kelsey Pharr. They moved to Dillar ...

, in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

where DeKnight was heading his own trio. She was romantically linked to actor

Warren Beatty Henry Warren Beatty (né Beaty; born March 30, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker, whose career spans over six decades. He was nominated for 15 Academy Awards, including four for Best Actor, four for Best Picture, two for Best Director, ...

in the late 1970s.

Discography

Studio albums

* 1957: ''Squeeze Me'' (

) * 1958: ''Hello, Tiger!'' ( MGM Records)

Compilations

* 2015: ''Sallie Blair: Complete Albums And Singles 1957-1962''

Album appearances

* 1956: '' George Gershwin's Porgy & Bess'' (Bethlehem Records) *1958: ''Meet The Girls'' (AAMCO Records) * 1976: ''Bethlehem's Finest Volume 10'' (Bethlehem Records) * 2000: ''Jazz Vocal On Bethlehem'' (Bethlehem Records) * 2013: ''Love Me Or Leave Me: The Bethlehem Records Story'' (One Day Music)

Singles

* 1957: "

Ain't She Sweet "Ain't She Sweet" is a song composed by Milton Ager, with lyrics by Jack Yellen. It was published in 1927 by Ager, Yellen & Bornstein, Inc. It became popular in the first half of the 20th century and typified the Roaring Twenties. Like ''Happy ...

" / " How Long Has This Been Going On" (Bethlehem 6009) * 1958: "

Whatever Lola Wants "Whatever Lola Wants" is a popular song, sometimes rendered as "Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets". The music and words were written by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross for the 1955 musical play ''Damn Yankees''. The song is sung to Joe Hardy by Lola, ...

" / "

" (MGM 1000) * 1958: " Don'cha Go 'Way Mad" / "

When The Sun Comes Out "When the Sun Comes Out" is a song composed by Harold Arlen, with lyrics written by Ted Koehler, in 1941. It was introduced in 1941 by Helen O'Connell with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra (Decca 3657A). Barbra Streisand recording Streisand recorde ...

" (MGM 2673) * 1958: "She Serves A Nice Cup Of Tea" / "Daddy" (MGM 2725) * 1960: "More Than Anything" / "That Remains To Be Seen" ( Top Rank International 2029) * 1960: "

It's A Sin To Tell A Lie "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" is a 1936 popular song written by Billy Mayhew, introduced early that year on records by many dance bands including Dick Robertson on the 78rpm record Champion 40106, and later popularized by Fats Waller on Victor 2534 ...

" / "A Kiss A Day" ( Top Rank International 2045) * 1961: "Keep An Eye On Your Man" / "In The Still Of The Night" ( Scepter 1216) * 1962: "Come By Sunday" / "Then I'll Be Tired Of You" (Bethlehem 3010) * 1971: "Let Me Come In" / "Walk, Proudly Walk" (

Bell A bell is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient resonator. The strike may be made by an inte ...

967)

References

External links

Sallie Blair
on

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

Sallie Blair: Barefoot Bombshell
on Bob's Whirl-A-Go-Go {{DEFAULTSORT:Blair, Sallie 1934 births 1992 deaths American women jazz singers American jazz singers 20th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American women singers Musicians from Baltimore Singers from Maryland Jazz musicians from Maryland Bethlehem Records artists MGM Records artists Scepter Records artists Bell Records artists Nightclub performers Swing singers 20th-century American singers