Savannah (pornographic actress)
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Not to be confused with the pornographic actress Savanna Samson
| Savannah | |
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| Born | Shannon Michelle Wilsey October 9, 1970 Mission Viejo, California, U.S. |
| Died | July 11, 1994 (aged 23) |
| Other names | Silver Cane, Silver Kane, Savanah, Silver |
| Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) |
| Weight | 105 lb (48 kg; 7.5 st) |
| No. of adult films | 119 (per IAFD) |
Shannon Michelle Wilsey (October 9, 1970 – July 11, 1994), commonly known by her stage name of Savannah, was an American pornographic performer, starring in more than 100 pornographic videos during her career. One of the most prominent adult-industry models of her time, she achieved notoriety within her short (1990–1994) career due to her on-screen presence and personal life. Savannah committed suicide in 1994 after a car accident.[1][2][3]
Wilsey reportedly took her stage name from Savannah Smiles, a 1982 movie she enjoyed.
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[edit] Career and relationships
Wilsey signed an exclusive contract with Vivid Entertainment in 1991 and quickly became famous. She began using drugs and spending huge amounts of money, and reportedly had severe financial troubles despite her substantial income. She also garnered a reputation for being temperamental, leading Vivid to sever its association with her in 1992.
Wilsey became involved in a long-term lesbian relationship with fellow porn model Jeanna Fine, with whom she later claimed to have fallen deeply in love.[4] She also had relationships with musician Gregg Allman, comedian Pauly Shore, bassist Billy Sheehan, guitarist Slash,[3] and Vince Neil of Mötley Crüe.[5]
[edit] Death
Around 2:00 a.m. on July 11, 1994, Wilsey drove herself and a friend, Jason Swing, home from a night of partying. According to reports, both were intoxicated. One block from her home, she drove her Corvette into a fence, suffering lacerations to her face and breaking her nose. When she and Swing got to her house, she sent him out to walk her Rottweiler, Daisy.
She was found in a pool of blood, but still breathing, by her friend, Nancy Pera. She had shot herself in the head with a 9 mm handgun she kept in her home. After almost nine hours in a coma, she died at 11:20 a.m. on July 11, 1994, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank, California.
After her death, Wilsey's family traded angry public statements of blame with her friends in the porn industry. Police investigators concluded that she was deeply depressed due to several factors, including her drug use, financial difficulties, and failed relationships. The accident in which she sustained injuries that might have seriously hurt her career, police theorized, was the final factor that led her to take her own life.
[edit] In popular culture
The Austin-based rock band Okkervil River has written three songs based on the life and times of Savannah. They are entitled "Red" on the album Don't Fall in Love with Everyone You See, "Savannah Smiles" on The Stage Names, and "(Shannon Wilsey on the) Starry Stairs" on The Stand-Ins.
[edit] References
- ^ "Suicide of Young Superstar Weighs on Porn Industry Tragedy: Pampered, wild Shannon Wilsey, known as Savannah, was the third actress to take her life.", by John Johnson, July 16, 1994, Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
- ^ "'I don't blame the industry for mistreating her. If anything, they spoiled her rotten.' Porn Star Puts an End to Her Life in the Fast Lane", by John Johnson, July 16, 1994, Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
- ^ a b "Getting Mellow: The Evolution of Pauly Shore Acting: The death of his ex-girlfriend, a porn film actress, may be the turning point in the comedian's life. He wants to shed his party-boy persona.", by James Grant, August 9, 1994, Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-10-02.
- ^ Sager, Mike (2003), Scary Monsters and Super Freaks: Stories of Sex, Drugs, Rock 'N' Roll and Murder, Thunder's Mouth Press, p. 45, ISBN 1560255633
- ^ Sager, Mike, Tattoos & Tequila
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Savannah (pornographic actress) |
- Savannah at Find a Grave
- Savannah at the Internet Movie Database
- Savannah at the Internet Adult Film Database
- Savannah at the Adult Film Database
- 1970 births
- 1994 deaths
- American female adult models
- Bisexual pornographic film actors
- Female pornographic film actors
- Female suicides
- LGBT people from the United States
- People from Mission Viejo, California
- Pornographic film actors from California
- Pornographic film actors who committed suicide
- Suicides by firearm in California
