Lovelace Watkins
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2010) |
Lovelace Watkins | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Watkins in 1974 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Lovelace Allen Watkins |
| Born | March 6, 1933 New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | June 11, 1995 (aged 62) Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1960s to 1990s |
| Labels | MGM, York Records |
Lovelace Watkins (March 6, 1933 – June 11, 1995)[1] was an American, Las Vegas-based singer and performer (also nicknamed "The Black Sinatra").
Biography
[edit]Watkins was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in 1933. He was of African, Indian, and Spanish heritage.[2] His mother gave birth to him at fourteen, and he was raised by his grandmother.
He studied microbiology at Rutgers University and trained as a boxer. He was invited to the Royal Command Performance for the Queen of the United Kingdom. He appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1961 while promoting his album, The Big, Big Voice of Lovelace Watkins. Lovelace also appeared on the Johnny Carson and Mike Douglas shows.
He made his debut at the Wookey Hollow nightclub; he was later recalled for a second show one week later. He performed at the London Palladium on November 15, 1971, in front of Queen Elizabeth II.[3] His third Wookey Hollow cabaret appearance was recorded and televised on BBC One at 11:35 pm on May 8, 1974. Following this, Lovelace Watkins at the attendance record at the "Talk Of The Town" in London, England. Watkins appeared on the British religious variety series Stars on Sunday. In 1974, Lovelace did a ten-week long summer season at the ABC Theatre in Blackpool. The shows were sold out.
Australia
[edit]Watkins had a long association with Australia's Gold Coast. He helped raise money for the city following the floods in 1974. He was named "Ambassador at large" by Gold Coast Mayor Keith Hunt. Watkins recorded two songs; they were "We Love The Gold Coast" by Clyde Collins and "On The Gold Coast" by Tom Louch from Victoria.[4] The single was released on the Finooks Folly label.[5]
South Africa
[edit].jpg)
In South Africa, he received two gold albums, and a public parade was held in his honor. In apartheid South Africa, Watkins was the guest of honor at a woman's banquet. He was pictured in The Sunday Express dancing with a white woman; the hotel almost lost its license.[6]
Personal life and death
[edit]In March 1972, he married Anna Marie Fitzsimmons of Salford, Lancashire, and their son was born in 1972; the marriage later ended. Nearing the end of his music career, Watkins started a company that prepared apartments and commercial buildings for rental companies in the Las Vegas area, and continued singing at various functions in Las Vegas. He died of leukemia in 1995.[7]
releases
[edit]| Title | Release info | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Hello Young Lovers" / "When I Fall In Love" | MGM K 12875 | 1960 | United States release |
| "Tender Love" / "Ma Cherie Au Revoir" | Groove 58-0016 | 1963 | United States release |
| "I Won't Believe It" / "He's Lookin' Out For The World" | Groove 58-0023 | 1963 | United States release |
| "Who Am I" / "Dreams" | Sue 10-003 | 1964 | United States release[8] |
| "I Apologise Baby" / "You Can't Stop Love" | Fontana TF 879 | 1967 | United Kingdom release |
| "Now You're Gone" / "You Made Me So Very Happy", "Spinning Wheel" | York SYK 504 | 1971 | United Kingdom release |
| "Someday Man" / "Take My Hand" | York SYK 509 | 1971 | United Kingdom release |
| "Angel She Was Love" / "Get Ready" | York SYK 513 | 1972 | United Kingdom release |
| "Rain Falls Anywhere It Wants To" / "Sing No Sad Songs For Charlie" | York SYK 522 | 1972 | United Kingdom release |
| "Country Road" / "Tell Her That It's Snowing" | York SYK 533 | 1972 | United Kingdom release |
| "Let Them Play A Sad Song" / "Sing No Sad Songs For Charlie" | York SYK 546 | 1973 | United Kingdom release |
| "My Love Forgive Me" / "The Single Man" | York YR 213 | 1974 | United Kingdom release |
| "The Way I Am" / "Everybody Wants To Call You Sweetheart" | York YR 217 | 1974 | United Kingdom release (Charted in South Africa, released on the Gallo Label[9]) |
| "We Love The Gold Coast" / "On The Gold Coast" | Finooks Folly FF 1001 | 1980 | Australia only release[8] |
| Title | release info | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Big, Big Voice Of Lovelace Watkins | MGM Records E3831 | 1960 | |
| Love Is | UNI Records 73068 | 1969 | |
| Recorded Live At The Talk Of The Town | York Records LYK 901, York Records LYK 902 | 1971 | |
| Love Makes The World Go Round | York Records FYK 404 | 1972 | |
| Live In South Africa | Gallo – GL 1759 | 1974 | |
| Lovelace 'Live' 77 | Polydor 2398 014 | 1977 | |
| A Gift Of Love | J & B Records JB 273 | 1986 | Australia only release[10] |
Notes
[edit]- ^ "Lovelace Watkins | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved January 9, 2020.
- ^ Chicago Tribune, November 14, 1971 - Lovelace did it his way By Arthur Veysey
- ^ Limited, Alamy. "Queen Elizabeth II meets singer Lovelace Watkins Stock Photo - Alamy". www.alamy.com. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Gold Coast Bulletin, October 1, 2016 - Flashback Feature: Remembering the Gold Coast’s famous promotional songs of decades past - Andrew Potts
- ^ Discogs - Lovelace Watkins – We Love The Gold Coast
- ^ Mail Guardian, 04 Apr 1997 - News, Those were the days
- ^ Weatherford, Mike. Lure of obscure performer. Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 15, 2003. Retrieved December 1, 2006.
- ^ a b Discogs - Lovelace Watkins Discography Singles & EPs
- ^ Billboard, December 21, 1974 - Page 57 Week Ending 21/12/74, Billboard Hits of the World, South Africa
- ^ Discogs - Lovelace Watkins Discography, Albums
External links
[edit]| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
