Lobo Nocho facts for kids

Ernest Leroy Nocho (born January 14, 1919 – died September 4, 1997) was an American artist and singer. He was better known by his stage name, Lobo Nocho. He became famous in Europe as a jazz singer and painter. After serving in World War II, he decided to live in Europe. In 1950, he gave up his American citizenship to become a French citizen. He was also known for his friendship with Sarah Churchill, who was the daughter of Winston Churchill.

Early life of Lobo Nocho

Nocho was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1919. He was one of six children. His parents were Samuel Nocho and Mary Jackson. He grew up in Philadelphia and went to Simon Gratz High School.

Lobo showed a talent for painting and drawing from a young age. He was a quiet boy who spent a lot of time drawing pictures of adults with crayons. His teachers at Gratz High School remembered him as a great art student. His paintings even won awards and were shown in big department stores.

However, Nocho did not like living in Philadelphia. He felt that people often judged him only by his race, not by his artistic skills or who he was as a person. After high school, he moved to Quebec, Canada. There, he joined the Canadian Army. He used his art skills as a draughtsman, drawing plans for military buildings. In Canada, he also met Phyllis La France, a Canadian woman. They got married in December 1941.

Career in Europe

After serving in the Canadian Army, Nocho joined the United States Army. He served during the 1944 Normandy landings in France. He reached the rank of Technical Sergeant. After World War II ended, Nocho chose to stay in Europe. In 1950, he became a French citizen.

Lobo Nocho had a successful career in Europe. He worked as a jazz singer in nightclubs in Paris, Malta, and Rome. This helped him earn money while he continued to paint. He was one of many African Americans in France who pursued careers in the arts during those years. A year after the war, he had a regular singing job at Schubert's club in Paris. He sang in both English and French. In 1952, he performed at Jean's Intrigue in Paris with another American artist, Aaron Bridgers.

In 1971, Nocho visited New York City. He watched Hazel Scott play piano at a fashion show. He also saw singer Freda Payne there. They talked about the African American music scene in Paris during the 1950s. Later, musician David Amram praised Lobo Nocho. He called him "one of the finest jazz singers I had heard in Paris." Amram also noted Nocho's skills on the drums and in dance. He said Nocho knew a lot about jazz music. A book of Nocho's poems was published in September 1997. He passed away just a few days later. He was buried at the Calverton National Cemetery in Suffolk County, New York.

Friendship with Sarah Churchill

In 1964, Lobo Nocho met British actress Sarah Churchill. She was the daughter of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill. By early 1965, their friendship became widely known. News reports showed him with her when her father was very ill. Nocho moved into a villa in Rome, Italy, which Sarah rented for him. Italian newspapers even reported that they might get married. However, Nocho did not answer questions from the media about this.

They were still close in July 1966. Sarah Churchill helped organize an exhibition of Nocho's paintings in London. The exhibition was held at the home of Edwina Dixon. Nocho gave some of his paintings to Sarah's friend, Pete Ballard. Ballard later donated these paintings to North Carolina Central University in 2013.

In the end, Sarah Churchill and Lobo Nocho never married. In her 1981 autobiography, she described him as a "vision in Levis, a jet-age troubadour and a one-man debating society."