Evelyn Knight (singer)

American singer

Evelyn Knight (born Evelyn Davis, December 31, 1917, Reedville, Virginia – September 28, 2007, San Jose, California) was an American singer of the 1940s and 1950s. Damon Runyon, in one of his newspaper columns, described Knight as "a lissome blonde lassie with a gentle little voice and a face mother would not mind having brought home to her."

Knight's father was "head of a geodetic survey for the government". After her father's death, Knight and her mother moved to Arlington County, Virginia, in 1926. Later that year she recorded "Powder Your Face with Sunshine"; which also reached nmuber one and remained on the chart into the following year. She had other hits including "Buttons and Bows" in 1948, which Bob Hope also sang in the film The Paleface. A list of some of her hits appears below. In 1950, she released "Candy and Cake", originally sung by Mindy Carson, and "All Dressed Up to Smile" with the Ray Charles singers. In 1951, she recorded a duet with country singer Red Foley called "My Heart Cries for You", as well as a pair of titles with Bing Crosby.

Knight appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Colgate Comedy Hour and a 1951 television appearance with Abbott & Costello.

Knight began her career in high school when she would sing at Washington D. C.'s Station WRC as “Honey Davis” twice a week over NBC for $16 a broadcast. Knight was the female vocalist on the Tony Martin Show, which began March 30, 1947. In 1948, she co starred with Gordon MacRae on Star Theater on CBS. She also was featured on Barry Wood's Million Dollar Band program and starred in a weekly program broadcast over CBS shortwave for Latin America. Happy Island, and The Lanny Ross Show.

One of Knight's early bookings was in the King Cole Room in Washington, D. C. An initial two week contract eventually turned into a five year stay. Knight moved to New York City, where she began headlining at Manhattan nightclubs the Blue Angel She launched her recording career in 1945 by signing with Decca records, and moved to Los Angeles in the late 1940s where she headlined at Ciro's and Coconut Grove.

Knight was among the original 1,500 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her star, dedicated February 8, 1960, is at 6136 Hollywood Boulevard, in the "Recording" section. A 1947 newspaper article reported, "She has given three 'command performances' for President Truman."

Divorced from Knight, she married Johnny Lehmann, a songwriter, in 1951. Her son, Andrew Knight Jr. became a concert tour lighting technician. Her second child, Fran, worked in California radio.