Willy DeVille facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Willy DeVille
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Willy DeVille in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | William Paul Borsey Jr. |
| Born | August 25, 1950 Stamford, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Origin | New York City |
| Died | August 6, 2009 (aged 58) New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Roots rock, Americana, soul, New Orleans R&B, blues, Cajun, Latin rock, Tex-Mex, mariachi, Louisiana Creole music |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter |
| Instruments | Vocals, guitar, harmonica, dobro, wooden flute |
| Years active | 1968–2009 |
| Labels | Capitol, Atlantic, Polydor, Sky Ranch, Orleans Records, Fnac Music, Rhino, New Rose, EastWest, Discovery, Eagle |
| Associated acts | Mink DeVille, Fast Floyd, Jack Nitzsche, Dr. John, Doc Pomus, Van Morrison, Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Ben E. King, Mark Knopfler, Eddie Bo, Ernie K-Doe, Brenda Lee, Tom Waits, Los Lobos |
Willy DeVille (born William Paul Borsey Jr.; August 25, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter. He had a career that lasted 35 years. First, he was part of his band Mink DeVille (1974–1986). Later, he performed on his own.
Willy DeVille created songs that mixed many traditional American music styles. He worked with famous musicians like Jack Nitzsche, Doc Pomus, Dr. John, and Mark Knopfler. His music included Latin rhythms, blues, doo-wop, Cajun music, French cabaret, and early 1960s soul.
His band, Mink DeVille, was a regular band at CBGB. This was a famous New York City club where punk rock music began in the mid-1970s. In 1987, his song "Storybook Love" was nominated for an Academy Award. After moving to New Orleans in 1988, he helped bring back classic New Orleans R&B. His soulful songs and use of Latin sounds helped create a new music style sometimes called "Spanish-Americana."
Willy DeVille died on August 6, 2009, when he was 58 years old. Many musicians, like Mark Knopfler and Peter Wolf, have been influenced by his songs.
Contents
Early Life and Music Beginnings
Willy DeVille was born in Stamford, Connecticut. His father, William Paul Borsey, was a carpenter. His mother was Marion Elizabeth Meritt. Willy grew up in a working-class area of Stamford.
His grandmother on his mother's side was a Pequot Native American. He also had Basque and Irish family roots. He once said he was "a little of this and a little of that; a real street dog."
Willy quit high school and spent time in New York City's Lower East Side and West Village. He said he always wanted to play music. He was interested in blues guitarists like Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. He especially liked John P. Hammond. Willy said Hammond's 1965 album So Many Roads "changed my life."
Music Career
As a teenager, Willy DeVille played in blues bands with friends from Stamford. These bands were called Billy & the Kids and The Immaculate Conception. When he was 17, he married Susan Berle, also known as Toots.
In 1971, DeVille went to London to find other musicians. He wore his pompadour hair and looked very American. But he didn't find the right people and returned to New York City after two years.
His next band, The Royal Pythons, also didn't work out. DeVille then decided to go to San Francisco. He traveled around the country looking for musicians who played with "heart."
The Mink DeVille Years
By 1974, Willy DeVille (then called Billy Borsay) was singing in a band. The band included drummer Thomas R. "Manfred" Allen, Jr., bassist Rubén Sigüenza, guitarist Robert McKenzie (Fast Floyd), and Ritch Colbert on keyboards. They first called themselves Billy de Sade and the Marquis. A year later, they changed their name to Mink DeVille. At the same time, Billy Borsay started using the name Willy DeVille.
DeVille convinced the band to move to New York City. Guitarist Fast Floyd and keyboard player Ritch Colbert stayed in San Francisco. In New York, the band hired guitarist Louis X. Erlanger. His blues style helped shape Mink DeVille's sound.
From 1975 to 1977, Mink DeVille was one of the first regular bands at CBGB. This was a famous New York nightclub where punk rock music started in the mid-1970s. Their music from this time can be heard on Live at CBGB's. This was a 1976 album featuring bands that played at the club. Mink DeVille had three songs on it.
In December 1976, Capitol Records signed the band. They were paired with producer Jack Nitzsche. He had learned from Phil Spector and helped create the "Wall of Sound" recording style. With saxophonist Steve Douglas and singers the Immortals, they recorded their first album, Cabretta, in 1976. This album had many styles, including soul, R&B, rock, and blues. Its song "Spanish Stroll" became a hit in the United Kingdom.
The band's next album, Return to Magenta (1978), continued with similar styles. Willy DeVille and the producers used string instruments on some songs. Dr. John played keyboards on this album. Mink DeVille toured the United States in 1978 with Elvis Costello. Return to Magenta was Willy DeVille's highest-charting album in the U.S.
In 1979, Willy DeVille changed the band's direction. He recorded an album in Paris called Le Chat Bleu. For this album, DeVille wrote songs with Doc Pomus. DeVille also hired Jean Claude Petit for string arrangements. He brought in new musicians, keeping only guitarist Louis X. Erlanger from the previous band.
Capitol Records was not happy with Le Chat Bleu. They thought American audiences wouldn't like songs with accordions and many strings. So, they first released the album only in Europe in 1980. However, the album sold very well in America as an import. Capitol finally released it in the United States later that year. Rolling Stone magazine even called Le Chat Bleu one of the best albums of 1980.
By this time, Willy DeVille was the only original member left in Mink DeVille. But he kept recording and touring under that name. He then made two albums for Atlantic Records: Coup de Grâce (1981) and Where Angels Fear to Tread (1983). Both sold well in Europe but not as much in the United States.
Mink DeVille's last album, Sportin' Life, was recorded in 1985. DeVille wrote two more songs with Doc Pomus for this album. It was a hit in some European countries. In 1986, DeVille decided to start a solo career. Mink DeVille played its last concert on February 20, 1986.
Solo Career and "Storybook Love"
Willy DeVille had been recording and touring as Mink DeVille for ten years. But by 1987, he started recording and touring under his own name. He said, "Ten years with the band was enough for Mink DeVille; everyone was calling me 'Mink.' I thought it was about time to get the name straight."
DeVille recorded his first solo album, Miracle, in London. Mark Knopfler helped him as a musician and producer. Knopfler's wife suggested they work together. "Storybook Love," a song from Miracle, was the theme song for the movie The Princess Bride. This song was nominated for an Academy Award in 1987. DeVille performed the song at the Academy Awards show.
He said that the Academy called him about the nomination. He thought it was a joke and hung up! They called back, and his wife Lisa told him it was real. He was surprised to perform at the Academy Awards with Little Richard.
Life in New Orleans
In 1988, DeVille moved from New York City to New Orleans. He felt very at home there. He said in 1993, "I had the feeling that I was going back home. It was very strange." He lived in the French Quarter and loved hearing the music from the streets.
In 1990, DeVille made Victory Mixture. This was a tribute album of classic New Orleans soul and R&B. He recorded it with some of the original musicians who wrote the songs. They recorded the album without extra sounds or editing. This was to capture the true feeling of the original recordings.
He brought in musicians like Earl King, Dr. John, and Eddie Bo. Allen Toussaint also played piano. He said, "We call it the 'little' record." He was proud that it was recorded live, just like the old days. Victory Mixture sold over 100,000 copies in Europe very quickly.
In the summer of 1992, DeVille toured Europe with Dr. John and other New Orleans musicians. This was part of his "New Orleans Revue" tour. He said the shows were great. They even threw Mardi Gras throws (like beads) to the audience, which the Europeans loved.
Recording in Los Angeles
In 1992, DeVille recorded Backstreets of Desire. This was the first of four albums he made in Los Angeles with producer John Philip Shenale. DeVille often complained about recording in Los Angeles. But working there connected him with many talented Latino musicians. These musicians helped create his unique Spanish-Americana sound.
For Backstreets of Desire, he worked with David Hidalgo from Los Lobos, Efrain Toro, and Mariachi los Camperos. The album mixed roots rock, New Orleans music, 1950s doo-wop, and Spanish soul ballads.
Backstreets of Desire included a new mariachi version of the Jimi Hendrix song "Hey Joe." This version was a big hit in Europe, reaching number one in Spain and France. DeVille said he tried to make the song sound like it originally might have, with mariachis.
Continued Success in Europe
In 1984, DeVille married his second wife, Lisa Leggett. She was a very good business manager. Because he was so successful touring and selling albums in Europe, they bought a horse farm in Picayune, Mississippi. They also lived in their apartment in the French Quarter of New Orleans. He said he got into horses because his wife loved them.
In the mid-1990s, DeVille didn't have a recording contract with an American label. His next two albums, Willy DeVille Live (1993) and Big Easy Fantasy (1995), were for a French label. Willy DeVille Live was a number one record in Spain.
In 1995, he went back to Los Angeles to record Loup Garou. This album connected all of his musical influences. Loup Garou included a duet with Brenda Lee. DeVille said he just called her, played the song, and she loved it. Recording with her was one of the most memorable experiences of his career.
The cover of Loup Garou showed DeVille dressed in old New Orleans clothes. It included voodoo chants and a song called "Vampire's Lullaby." He had truly embraced the culture of New Orleans.
Before moving to the Southwest in 2000, DeVille recorded Horse of a Different Color in Memphis. This 1999 album included a chain-gang song and covers of blues songs. Critics said it was one of his most brilliant recordings. Horse of a Different Color was the first of his albums since 1987 to be released in both Europe and the United States at the same time.
Willy DeVille had hip surgery in 2006. After living in the Southwest, DeVille became more interested in his Native American heritage. On the cover of his 2002 album, Acoustic Trio Live in Berlin, he wore long hair. He started wearing Native American clothing and jewelry on stage.
In 2004, DeVille returned to Los Angeles to record Crow Jane Alley. This album continued his Spanish-Americana sound. It featured many famous Los Angeles Latino musicians. On the cover, DeVille wore a Native American headdress.
Return to New York City
After living for 15 years in New Orleans and the Southwest, DeVille moved back to New York City in 2003. He lived there with Nina Lagerwall, his third wife. He continued to tour Europe, often playing at music festivals in the summer.
In 2008, Pistola, DeVille's sixteenth album, was released. Critics said he was very artistic on this album.
Personal Life
Willy DeVille married Susan Berle (known as Toots Deville) in 1971. They had known each other since they were kids in Stamford, Connecticut. Willy adopted her son, Sean.
In 1984, DeVille married his second wife, Lisa Leggett. They met in California. She became his business manager. They lived near New Orleans and on a horse farm in Picayune, Mississippi. After she passed away in 2001, he married Nina Lagerwall, his third wife. They met in New York in 2000. They moved back to New York City, where he lived for the rest of his life.
Death and Influence
Willy DeVille passed away in New York City on August 6, 2009. He was almost 59 years old.
About his influence, DeVille once said, "I know that I'll sell much more records when I'm dead."
Producer Jack Nitzsche said DeVille was the best singer he had ever worked with. Music critic Robert Palmer wrote that DeVille was a "magnetic performer" with "acute musical intelligence." He said DeVille's songs were rich in different rhythms and sounds.
In 2015, Bob Dylan suggested that DeVille should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Dylan said, "(DeVille) stood out, his voice and presentation ought to have gotten him in there by now."
Critic Thom Jurek said DeVille's music covered many styles. He wrote, "From early rock and rhythm and blues styles, to Delta-styled blues, from Cajun music to New Orleans second line, from Latin-tinged folk to punky salseros, to elegant orchestral ballads—few people could write a love song like DeVille."
His friend and collaborator Mark Knopfler said, "Willy had an enormous range. The songs he wrote were original, romantic and straight from the heart."
Marc Meyers wrote in Wall Street Journal that DeVille's music inspired many British pop bands in the 1980s. He called DeVille "a punk eclectic with a heart of golden oldies."
Discography
- For a complete list of Willy DeVille's recordings, see Willy DeVille discography.
With Mink DeVille:
- 1977: Cabretta (in Europe); Mink Deville (in the U.S.) (Capitol)
- 1978: Return to Magenta (Capitol)
- 1980: Le Chat Bleu (Capitol)
- 1981: Coup de Grâce (Atlantic)
- 1983: Where Angels Fear to Tread (Atlantic)
- 1985: Sportin' Life (Polydor)
As Willy DeVille:
- 1987: Miracle (Polydor)
- 1990: Victory Mixture (Sky Ranch) 1990 (Orleans Records)
- 1992: Backstreets of Desire (Fnac Music) (Rhino, 1994)
- 1993: Willy DeVille Live (Fnac Music)
- 1995: Big Easy Fantasy (New Rose)
- 1995: Loup Garou (EastWest) (Discovery, 1996)
- 1999: Horse of a Different Color (EastWest)
- 2002: Acoustic Trio Live in Berlin (Eagle)
- 2004: Crow Jane Alley (Eagle)
- 2008: Pistola (Eagle)
See also
In Spanish: Willy DeVille para niños
