Lovelace Watkins
Encyclopedia
Lovelace Watkins was a Las Vegas
-based singer and performer who achieved fame in America
as well as in Europe
and Australia
.
Watkins was born in New Jersey when his mother was only fourteen years old and was raised by his grandmother in New Brunswick
. He studied microbiology at Rutgers University
and also trained as a boxer. His operatically trained and signature booming voice, reminiscent of a swinging Paul Robeson
, took him to Europe where he gained fame. He became so popular in Europe that he was invited to entertain at the Royal Command Performance
for the Queen of the United Kingdom. The Times
called him “the best entertainer on earth.” In South Africa
he received two gold albums and was so celebrated that a public parade was held in his honor – an unprecedented reception for a black entertainer at the height of Apartheid. He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
in 1961 while promoting his album "The Big, Big Voice of Lovelace Watkins", music arranged and conducted by Ray Ellis
. In addition to appearing on The Ed Sullivan show Lovelace also appeared on the Johnny Carson and Mike Douglas shows. Lovelace recorded nine albums in the United States and in Europe and gained more notoriety in Europe and Australia than in the States.
Also nicknamed "The Black Sinatra" one of the greatest male pop singers of his time.
His stage personality was earthy and electric, and he could hold audiences spellbound in the palm of his hand. However this charisma and the power and quality of his voice never quite came over on his record releases. As a result of this, plus poor management decisions and a Hollywood screen test that never transpired Lovelace never reached his full potential in the United States; this man truly had one of the "greatest voices in the world".
The discerning Liverpool public made his debut at their Wookey Hollow's night club an overnight sensation and he was recalled for a second show one week later. Being hailed the new "Elvis" for his looks, charisma and powerful voice, these appearances at Liverpool's famous cabaret club made him an immediate national star. His third Wookey Hollow caberet appearance was recorded and televised on BBC1 at 11.35pm on 8 May 1974. Following this, Lovelace Watkins at one time held the attendance record at the "Talk Of The Town" in London, England at the height of its prominence as an entertainment venue and did a "Command Performance" for Queen Elizabeth II
. He appeared on Jesse Yate's "Songs of Praise", and after his last reappearance at the Wookey Hollow when he introduced his blonde wife, Lovelace sadly disappeared into obscurity as far as his UK fan base was concerned. Whether that was significant or not, Britain for some reason have been deprived of a remarkable voice and talent. Nearing the end of his music career Lovelace started a successful company that preped apartments and commercial buildings for rental companies in the Las Vegas area, and continued singing at various functions in Las Vegas. Lovelace died of leukemia in 1995.
Documentary Short on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvq9srRz3SA
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
-based singer and performer who achieved fame in America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as well as in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Watkins was born in New Jersey when his mother was only fourteen years old and was raised by his grandmother in New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
. He studied microbiology at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
and also trained as a boxer. His operatically trained and signature booming voice, reminiscent of a swinging Paul Robeson
Paul Robeson
Paul Leroy Robeson was an American concert singer , recording artist, actor, athlete, scholar who was an advocate for the Civil Rights Movement in the first half of the twentieth century...
, took him to Europe where he gained fame. He became so popular in Europe that he was invited to entertain at the Royal Command Performance
Royal Command Performance
For the annual Royal Variety Performance performed in Britain for the benefit of the Entertainment Artistes' Benevolent Fund, see Royal Variety Performance...
for the Queen of the United Kingdom. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
called him “the best entertainer on earth.” In South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
he received two gold albums and was so celebrated that a public parade was held in his honor – an unprecedented reception for a black entertainer at the height of Apartheid. He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
in 1961 while promoting his album "The Big, Big Voice of Lovelace Watkins", music arranged and conducted by Ray Ellis
Ray Ellis
Ray Ellis was an American record producer, arranger and conductor. The orchestration for Billie Holiday's Lady in Satin is probably his best known work in the jazz vein.-Biography:...
. In addition to appearing on The Ed Sullivan show Lovelace also appeared on the Johnny Carson and Mike Douglas shows. Lovelace recorded nine albums in the United States and in Europe and gained more notoriety in Europe and Australia than in the States.
Also nicknamed "The Black Sinatra" one of the greatest male pop singers of his time.
His stage personality was earthy and electric, and he could hold audiences spellbound in the palm of his hand. However this charisma and the power and quality of his voice never quite came over on his record releases. As a result of this, plus poor management decisions and a Hollywood screen test that never transpired Lovelace never reached his full potential in the United States; this man truly had one of the "greatest voices in the world".
The discerning Liverpool public made his debut at their Wookey Hollow's night club an overnight sensation and he was recalled for a second show one week later. Being hailed the new "Elvis" for his looks, charisma and powerful voice, these appearances at Liverpool's famous cabaret club made him an immediate national star. His third Wookey Hollow caberet appearance was recorded and televised on BBC1 at 11.35pm on 8 May 1974. Following this, Lovelace Watkins at one time held the attendance record at the "Talk Of The Town" in London, England at the height of its prominence as an entertainment venue and did a "Command Performance" for Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
. He appeared on Jesse Yate's "Songs of Praise", and after his last reappearance at the Wookey Hollow when he introduced his blonde wife, Lovelace sadly disappeared into obscurity as far as his UK fan base was concerned. Whether that was significant or not, Britain for some reason have been deprived of a remarkable voice and talent. Nearing the end of his music career Lovelace started a successful company that preped apartments and commercial buildings for rental companies in the Las Vegas area, and continued singing at various functions in Las Vegas. Lovelace died of leukemia in 1995.
External links
Documentary Short on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvq9srRz3SA