Kay Davis facts for kids
Kathryn Elizabeth Wimp, known as Kay Davis, was an American jazz singer. She was born on December 5, 1920, and passed away on January 27, 2012. Kay Davis became famous for singing with the amazing Duke Ellington orchestra.
Early Life and Education
Kay Davis was born in Evanston, Illinois. She went to Evanston Township High School. Later, she studied singing and piano at Northwestern University. She earned her first degree in 1942 and another degree in 1943. Her grandfather, William H. Twiggs, was an important person in their community. A park in Evanston is even named after him!
Singing with Duke Ellington
In 1944, Kay Davis joined Duke Ellington's famous orchestra. She sang with other talented singers like Joya Sherrill and Al Hibbler. Kay Davis was best known for her special "wordless vocals." This means she sang melodies using sounds instead of words. You can hear her unique style in songs like "Transbluency" and "On a Turquoise Cloud." She also sang songs that had lyrics.
Duke Ellington rarely let anyone else sing a famous part from his song "Creole Love Call." But he trusted Kay Davis to sing the wordless vocal part that Adelaide Hall had originally performed. On November 13, 1948, Kay Davis and Billy Strayhorn performed "Lush Life" for the very first time at Carnegie Hall. While with Ellington's orchestra, she also appeared in two short films: Symphony in Swing (1949) and Salute to Duke Ellington (1950).
Tours and Later Life
Kay Davis traveled a lot with Duke Ellington's orchestra. In 1948, she toured England with Ellington and Ray Nance. In 1950, she toured all of Europe with the full orchestra. After leaving the orchestra in 1950, she got married to Edward Wimp in 1952. They had one son, Edward L. Wimp. Later in their lives, Kay and Edward retired to Florida.
