Kitty Stevenson
By Marv Goldberg
© 2024 by Marv Goldberg
Kitty Stevenson, a big part of the Detroit club scene for several years, had a career that was cut short by an early death.
Katherine Louise Moore was born on May 30, 1920, in Thomson, Georgia. Her parents were Frank Moore and Annie Bell Montgomery.
She supposedly came to Detroit in 1929, but I can't find the family in the 1930 census. I therefore don't know if Katherine had any siblings.
The first we hear of her is in the November 28, 1936 Detroit Tribune, when Katherine L. Moore (18), applied for a license to marry William Stevenson (21). Of course, if you've been following along, you know that she lied about her age and was only 16 at the time.
She and William were married on December 7, 1936, in Detroit. While she named her father as Frank Moore, her mother's name shows as "Georgia Montgomery". That was probably a recording error, since she came from Georgia.
Finally, the emergence of "Kitty Stevenson". There's an ad in the July 8, 1939 Detroit Tribune for "Kitty Stevenson And Her Idols Of Swing", appearing at Uncle Tom's Plantation in Detroit, a venue owned by Thomas E. Washington, the "Mayor Of Peaceful Valley". Although it sounds like a band, there's never another mention of the Idols Of Swing (and never another ad for the club). Later on, Kitty would sometimes play the bongos, but that's the only instrument ever associated with her.
But now she was "out there". There's a November 25, 1939 ad for Detroit's Midway Club, where she was part of a dance act with Renaldo Cortez. However, it only lasted a couple of weeks and her name was never linked with his again. Possibly this had something to do with it: the November 25 Michigan Chronicle had a review of the show and said "Renaldo comes on with an Apache dance, have seen better." While it doesn't mention his partner's name, an Apache was a routine for two. [For you non-dancers, it's pronounced ah-PASH.] That same edition had a photo of all the acts at the Midway; Kitty and Renaldo are pictured.
William and "Catharine" Stevenson are in the 1940 census, along with three children: Elaine (6), William (3; the future "Mickey Stevenson" of Motown fame), and Alonzo (2; future actor and director "Lonny Stevenson"). Presumably she's taking care of the children, since she gives no occupation.
A January 8, 1942 ad for the "Harlem Follies '42" show at Detroit's 3 Trees has Kitty Stevenson, "Hotcha Mama", as the star. However, a January 10 write-up in the Detroit Free Press credits dancer Bobby Campbell as the star of the show; Kitty is referred to as a "swing singer".
A change of occupation: the March 14, 1942 ad for the Champion New Theatre-Bar (Detroit) has Kitty Stevenson as a "shake bombshell" (that is, a shake dancer). The star was Clara "Dolly" Rogers, "formerly of the famous Rogers Sisters".
Not sure what this means, but the June 27, 1942 Michigan Chronicle talks about the show at Enrico's Cabaret: "Priscilla Dean, Motor City's most respectable and outstanding female impersonator, is responsible for the gaiety you receive at Enrico's Cabaret. She brings you the fastest and the oddest show in town starring little Kittie [sic] Stevenson, lady of the evening."
From September 12 through November 14, 1942, Kitty was advertised as one of the "Versatile Girls" in the show at the B-C Theater Bar ("Paradise Valley's Fun Center"). The review of that show in the October 10 Chicago Defender called Kitty one of the B-C "atmosphere girls", whatever that meant. These are not starring roles.
In October 1943, she was at Little Sam's Bar in Detroit. There was some sort of contest, won by two male singers. Kitty Stevenson was included in the phrase "other contestants also making the cash customers happy...."
However, she must have impressed someone, because a November 13, 1943 ad for Little Sam's Bar has her in a review called "Cow-Cow Boggie" [sic; the spelling had been fixed by the time of the November 27 ad].
Now it gets a bit complicated. We've seen that Kitty was a dancer as well as a singer, and Sam's ads now have "Kitty Stevenson, Soubrette" (defined as "an actress or other female performer playing a lively, flirtatious role in a play or opera") and "Cathrine Moore and the Barrow Dancing Ladies". Was Kitty also the dancer named "Cathrine Moore"? While "Cathrine Moore" was first mentioned in Sam's October 2, 1943 ad, once again as a dancer, Kitty (the singer or soubrette) wasn't mentioned in that one. I'm reasonably certain that Kitty Stevenson and Catherine Moore were the same person, but I can't say for sure.
The December 4 Michigan Chronicle might help us. Talking about the "Cow Cow Boogie" show, it said: "The opening has the title song as vocalized by Catherine Moore and tapstuff by her...." I'm certainly willing to believe that she was wearing two hats; a singer and a dancer (sometimes both). And, the December 18 Chronicle said:
"Choo Choo Baby" is the title of the Catherine Moore show.... Catherine doing sweet songs.... The show opens with Catherine Moore singing.... "Choo Choo Baby is the finale with Kitty Stevenson doing up the lyrics.
By the time of its review in the December 25 Michigan Chronicle, Sam's show had mostly a different cast. However, the paper said:
"Choo Choo Baby" is the title of the opus as staged by Catherine Moore. The skit opens with chorines offering a dance routine while bedecked in abbreviated Santa costumes, leaving Catherine Moore to bring up some soft shoe work....
Finale "Choo Choo Baby" has Kitty Stevenson singing the vocals while the chorines background her.
In Sam's January 15, 1944 ad, Catherine Moore is still there, but not Kitty. Catherine seems to now be the producer of their current floor show, which still had the dancers called the "Moorette Dancing Ladies". She was still producing on January 22, January 29, and February 5 (and was back on December 30). She then completely disappears.
And so does Kitty for a while. We next meet her in October 1945, when she was playing Ruby's 440 Club in Indianapolis. The star was Honey Brown, but the ad didn't say what Kitty actually did.
And then, she turned soubrette again when she appeared in the Rhapsody Revue at the Cafe St. Michel in Montreal in November 1945. Possibly they just didn't know how to spell the word, but when she appeared at the Club Deliese (Detroit) on December 29, she was called a "singing and dancing superette".
The March 9, 1946 Pittsburgh Courier said: "Kitty Stevenson, who closed last Sunday night at the Polka Dot in Richmond [Virginia], has returned to Detroit, but is being mentioned as possible N. Y. club talent." This is one of her very few documented appearances outside of Detroit, but there'd never be an ad for her appearing at any club in New York.
Around 1946, she turned her three sons loose on the music world as the Stevenson Trio. (This would have been William "Mickey" Stevenson, Alonzo "Lonny" Stevenson, and the youngest, Martin Stevenson.) However, I can't find a single ad for them (although there was a different group called the Bobby Stevenson Trio).
In April 1947, Kitty ("Blues Stylist") was at the El Sino in Detroit, along with the Sweethearts Of Rhythm.
Later that year, she became the vocalist with T. J. Fowler's Orchestra at Uzziel Lee's Club Sensation (Detroit). The first ad was on November 23.
She and Fowler's band traveled to Chicago, in December 1947, to cut eight sides for Vitacoustic Records, at United Broadcasting Studios. Remember that the musicians' ban was due to go into effect on January 1, 1948 and companies were recording around the clock in order to have product to sell during the strike (when union musicians would be prohibited from recording).
The December 20, 1947 Detroit Tribune had an article titled "Singing Star Records Her Own Numbers":
Miss Kitty Stevenson, singing star discovery of Uzziel Lee of Club Sensation, announced this week that she had just returned from Chicago, where she recorded eight numbers with the Vita Coustic [sic] Chicago recorders, famous for their rendition of "Peg Of My Heart".
Along with Duke Ellington's "[I'm] Satisfied", she recorded seven of her own compositions, including "With You", "Hold 'Em Joe", "Train No. 1", "Then Comes A Day", "Things Will Change Someday", "Sleeping By Myself", and "That Jive". [Note that some of these songs would have different titles in the future.]
Accompanying her on the trip was T. J. "After Hours" Fowler and his orchestra, appearing currently at Lee's Club Sensation. [Note that none of these tunes have the Todd Rhodes Orchestra, although many sources say that's who's behind her.]
Miss Stevenson was discovered by Lee when she appeared on one of the weekly Club Sensation Amateur Hours. She is currently the featured star of the club's show [and would remain there through New Year's Eve].
However, none of these were released at the time, since Vitacoustic went out of business shortly thereafter. Here's the story, which I've adapted from Robert Campbell's Red Saunders Research Foundation.
Vitacoustic was a Chicago-based label that had been active from late March 1947 through February 1948. All this recording was part of the pre-ban recording binge.
Vitacoustic's first ad ran on May 10, 1947. The company's address ("offices and studios") was 20 North Wacker Drive, 42nd floor, which just happened to be the address of Bill Putnam's Universal Recording Studios. The company was formed by Lloyd Garrett and Jack Buckley, with Bill Putnam; George Tasker was in charge of a&r. Vitacoustic, reflecting Putnam and Tasker's preferences, was originally oriented toward White pop music, with a special emphasis on harmonica players. (In its Billboard ad of October 4, 1947, the company boasted of being the "house of harmonica hits.")
The launch of the new label was announced in an April 5, 1947 Billboard story datelined March 29. The story, titled "Putnam Springs New Waxing Technique With 'Vitacoustic'", focused on reporting the new "third-dimensional" recording technique devised by Universal Recording Studios. The Billboard scribe said, "Putnam's gimmick, while hard to describe, is said to make a band sound as if it were in the listener's room, similar to a good wired music system in a restaurant with four or five speakers set at the right places."
While Vitacoustic made its splash in White pop music, scoring a huge hit with its first release by the Harmonicats, the company launched an ambitious "race" series in September 1947. Because the management of Vitacoustic had fallen out with Bill Putnam of Universal Recording, most of the "race" material was cut at Egmont Sonderling's United Broadcasting. After recording vigorously in October through December 1947, Vitacoustic fell victim to overexpansion and declared bankruptcy in February 1948, at which time it owed United Broadcasting $13,800.
I would add to the Vitacoustic summary [says Robert Campbell]: yes, the company recorded way too many masters in 1947 (400, according to its bankruptcy filing; 36 of these were by one harmonica player), but it found other ways to blow money, such as ridiculous advances on royalties. And whaddaya know, the big advances went only to white pop artists, not to Christine Randol, or Kitty Stevenson, or the 4 Shades Of Rhythm, or Todd Rhodes.
The original jazz and R&B material that Vitacoustic had recorded was impounded by Egmont Sonderling and formed the basis for his future Old Swing-Master venture with Al Benson (launched in January 1949), at which time some of Kitty's tunes were released.
The only mention of Kitty in all of 1948 was when she was one of the acts slated to appear at the Old Newsboys Christmas gift collection affair on November 25 at Convention Hall in Detroit. When T. J. Fowler had appeared at the Duke Theater on May 4, but Kitty's name wasn't mentioned. (That doesn't prove anything, however; no vocalist's was.)
1949 started with Kitty's appearance at Raymond "Sportree" Jackson's Sportree Music Bar. She was keeping good company: the headliner was Joe Turner. T. J. Fowler's orchestra was the band, but it doesn't seem like Kitty was actually a part of their act any longer. The January 8 Detroit Tribune said: "Kitty Stevenson, the darling of song, comes on with a smooth version of 'Jingle Bells', which is followed by an ear-pleasing medley that includes 'A Little Birdie Told Me', 'Train Blues' ['Train No. 1'?], and rumba-tempoed 'We On Our Way'."
Remember all those masters that Kitty had recorded for Vitacoustic back in December 1947 (it was only a few paragraphs ago)? As I said, Vitacoustic had gone out of business owing lots of money to Egmont Sonderling, the owner of United Broadcasting (where they had all been waxed). He had taken over all her masters (and many others) and now tried to get back some of that money. The result was a new record company called Old Swing-Master (the nickname of Chicago DJ Al Benson). As the Red Saunders Research Foundation says:
Sonderling was very much an accidental record company owner. He had held onto a pile of masters that the Vitacoustic company had recorded in his studios during the last quarter of 1947, as well as some that had been recorded elsewhere but were entrusted to his operation for mastering and pressing. In October 1948 he refused to turn them over to the receivers to be auctioned off with Vitacoustic's other assets, citing liens that he held over masters that he had not been paid for (Vitacoustic owed him $13,800). If he was to get any of his money back, he would have to issue and sell the material himself. He must have figured that bringing in powerful local DJ Al Benson would give his records a head start in the market. The name, Old Swing-Master, Benson's favorite moniker for himself, was designed to butter him up, and the equity he was probably given in the label was an obvious incentive as well. The general manager was reported to be Leonard Davis, who previously worked as purchasing manager for Mercury. The owners took pains to discount Benson's involvement ("Davis... denied that Benson was financially interested"). That Benson's role was made an issue in the story was very telling.
Upon its founding, Old Swing-Master reported that its first releases would be all be recovered from the Vitacoustic operation: sides by Kitty Stevenson, Howard McGhee's All-Stars, the Four Shades of Rhythm, and Christine Randol, "with others set by Miss Cornshucks, Johnny Bothwell, and Ed McAfee" (Billboard, January 29, 1949, p. 40)....
The January 29, 1949 Billboard reported that the first releases on the new Swingmaster [sic] label would be by Kitty Stevenson, Howard McGhee's All-Stars, the Four Shades of Rhythm, and Christine Randall [sic; should be "Randol"].
And they were right. Old Swing-Master released "Sleeping By Yourself", backed with "I'm Satisfied" in late January 1949. However, the title "Sleeping By Yourself" was seen to limit potential radio play and by March it had been re-issued as "Blues By Myself". Either way, T. J. Fowler's name didn't appear on the labels. The disc was reviewed in the March 26 Billboard:
Blues By Myself (78): Gal intones an earthy, moody blues here. Drag orking gives a strong assist.
I'm Satisfied (70): She's less successful with this ballad side, but reveals a distinctive, sincere style. Hearty tenor sax is a strong point.
The April 9 Detroit Free Press said: "Swing-Master also has issued 'I'm Satisfied' by a songstress well-known in Detroit, Kitty Stevenson. A riff-style band aids Kitty in her torchy, restrained vocalizing."
In May, Old Swing-Master issued two more of the Vitacoustic masters: a somewhat lackluster "Hold 'Em Joe" (on the label as "Hold Them Joe") and "With You". They were reviewed in the June 25 Billboard:
Hold Them Joe (61): Miss Stevenson shows some sparkling voice quality in her handling of a neat calypso bit in the "Run Joe" groove. [Actually, it seems to be confused as to whether it wants to be a Spanish song or a calypso.]
With You (42): Melodically, this is practically verbatim "Exactly Like You". That's the only good thing about the disk.
Note that Kitty claimed authorship of "Hold 'Em Joe". When Harry Belafonte released the song in 1954, he, too, claimed to have written it (with Millard Thomas, as "Harry Thomas"). In fact, it was a traditional Jamaican song and had been recorded as early as 1926 by Trinidadian Sam Manning's Orchestra, on Columbia. As "My Donkey Want Water", it had been released in 1946, on Musicraft, by "Mac Beth, The Great, with Gerald Clark and His Original Calypsos".
June 24, 1949 marked the start of a long-term engagement for Kitty. That was the night Detroit's Flame Show Bar opened, with headliner Nellie Lutcher. Others on the bill were Slam Stewart (once part of Slim & Slam), Snookie Young's Orchestra, and MC Emile Jones. Acts would come and go, but Kitty would be there for the next six months, generally referred to as the "Bombshell Of Song".
There are many ads over this period, but it's easier to just summarize who was there with Kitty in 1949:
July 27: Maurice Rocco, 3 B's & A Honey, Slam Stewart, Snookie Young.
August 5: Dinah Washington, the Caldwells, Slam Stewart, Snookie Young.
September 28: Wynonie Harris, Do-Re-Me Trio, Lillian Fitzgerald.
October 7: Erroll Garner Trio, Herb Lance, Lillian Fitzgerald, Todd Rhodes.
November 18: Slim Gaillard Quintet, Mabel Hunter, Betty Logan, Todd Rhodes.
November 30: Calypso Boys, 4 Blazes, Betty Logan, Todd Rhodes.
December 2: Harry Belafonte, Calypso Boys, Forrest Sykes, Betty Logan, Todd Rhodes
December 31: George Bias, Terry Timmons, Todd Rhodes
The November 11, 1949 Detroit Free Press said: "Ever since the Flame Show Bar opened last June, Kitty Stevenson has been singing there. She's recently recorded 'Blues By Myself' and 'I'm Satisfied', among other songs." Well, obviously, "recently" was relative; the songs had been recorded nearly two years previously and had been released eight months in the past.
At the same time as the Flame engagement, Kitty usually took part in a program called "Jazz At The Broadway Capitol", staged each Saturday night. The first of these was on November 19, starring Candy Johnson and His Peppermint Sticks, Billy Mitchell's Be-Boppers, and Paul Williams ("Huckle Buckster"). She was even there on New Year's Eve (as well as performing at the Flame), along with Gene Ammons.
Her last Flame appearance in the series was advertised on January 13, 1950. She appeared along with T. J. Fowler, George Bias, and Rosita "Chicken" Lockhart.
From there, she switched to the Club 509 (also in Detroit). At least, this time, you could also see Chiquita & Her Puppets. The February 7, 1950 Detroit Free Press said: "Playing bongo drum accompaniment to her own songs, Kitty Stevenson has been added to the Club 509 show."
On February 17, she ("Bombshell Of Song") began a week at Detroit's Paradise Theater, along with Charlie Ventura's Orchestra, Stump & Stumpy, and the Shadows. The February 20 Detroit Free Press said: "Detroiter Kitty Stevenson completes the entertainment with a group of songs in her own softly bombastic style. 'It Ain't Right' is one of her best." [I dunno; "bombastic" isn't a compliment in my world.]
Since she'd worked with the Todd Rhodes Orchestra at the Flame Show Bar, she now did some recording with them. Sometime in early 1950, she recorded at least four songs for Bernard Besman and John S. Kaplan's local Sensation Records: "It Ain't Right" (written by Emitt Slay), "It Couldn't Be True", "Make It Good", and "That's The Guy For Me". ("Make It Good" and "It Ain't Right" were arranged by Maurice King, who would become the bandleader at the Flame.
[Note that there's a recording, "Evening Sun", that turns up on a compilation called "Mellow Cats 'N' Kittens", but its history is unclear. The CD attributes it to Kitty, along with Todd Rhodes and his Toddlers, but the three other songs with that same attribution were Vitacoustic masters, done with T. J. Fowler. I'll note it here, since I'm not sure where else to put it. If it was a Vitacoustic cut, it wasn't mentioned in that 1947 article about her.]
On February 27, 1950, she was back at Club 509. The February 28 Detroit Free Press said: "Kitty Stevenson has returned to bombard the Club 509 bill with her songs." Again, that doesn't sound like a compliment to me.
Kitty appears in the 1950 Census as "Catharine Stevenson". By now, she's separated from William Stevenson and her age is correct (29, indicating a 1920 birth). Her mother-in-law, Roxie, is living with the family and was probably the one who answered the questions. That's why, since she and her son had been born in Alabama, she answered that Kitty had been born there too. By this time, Kitty had four children: Elaine (16), William (13), Alonzo (11), and Martin (9). Kitty's occupation was "entertainer - private club".
In late March, Sensation released "It Ain't Right", backed with "It Couldn't Be True". The April 4, 1950 Detroit Free Press said: "Kitty Stevenson's newest records have orchestra background played by Todd Rhodes and his men from the Flame Show Bar."
Here's one that confused me. The April 22, 1950 Pittsburgh Courier said: "The famous Todd Rhodes and his band wound up a terrific stint at the Flame Show Bar in Detroit on April 12, and start on a national tour that will also bring them here to Hollywood [it was a column about Los Angeles doings] for some pictures [none that I can find]. With their new sensational vocalist, Kitty Stevenson, they are under the booking of Jimmy Daniels, one of the best agents in the country." It doesn't exactly say that Kitty would go with them, but she didn't. Also, as far as I can tell, neither did Rhodes. He was advertised at the Rio Theater (Detroit) on May 4 and was the band at the opening of the new Club Juana (also Detroit) on May 12; he'd be there for the next four months.
Kitty had returned to the Flame Show Bar on April 21, along with Maurice King & His Wolverines and the Calypso Boys. She was advertised through May 29.
Kitty's Sensation record was reviewed in the May 13, 1950 Billboard:
It Couldn't Be True (62): Thrush shows little as she knocks out a mediocre bounce ballad with firm ork support from Rhodes.
It Ain't Right (76): Rocking beat thumps solidly all the way thru this enthusiastic slicing of a light, catchy rhythm piece which is warbled adequately by the chirp. [They failed to mention that members of Rhodes' band, the Toddlers, do background vocals.]
In June, Sensation issued "Make It Good", coupled with "That's The Guy For Me". On June 23, Kitty opened at the Club Juana, joining Todd Rhodes for a week. She replaced Bobbe Caston, who'd been the female singer there since the middle of May.
"Make It Good" was reviewed in the July 1 Cash Box, although the sides weren't rated:
Pair of sides by chirp Kitty Stevenson, and the set up of some effective wax for rhythm and blues ops [juke box owners]. Both sides have Kitty purring nice and easy, behind some excellent ork backing by Todd Rhodes and his group. Top deck ["Make It Good"] shows the gal's pipes a bit better, although the flip should do more than hold its own too. Ops should listen in.
August 18 found Kitty at the Handy Theater in Memphis, Tennessee for three days. Also on the bill was the Lowell Fulson Orchestra, featuring that up-and-coming "blind pianist and vocalist", Ray Charles.
On August 28, Kitty was back with Todd Rhodes at the Club Juana for at least two weeks.
Then, it was off to Toledo, Ohio, where she married Theodore Moore on September 16, 1950 (and got her maiden name back). She was appearing at the Trocaveria, in Columbus, Ohio, and I guess that Toledo was a compromise between Columbus and Detroit. It's hard to read, but it looks like he was a carpenter. She abandoned the Katherine, marrying as "Kitty Stevenson". This time, she told the truth about her age, saying that she'd become 30 on May 30, 1950. Other information: her occupation was "singer"; she was divorced from William Stevenson; and her mother was Annie Bell Montgomery. So far so good, but then she names her father as "Will Moore", instead of the "Frank Moore" that she gave at her first marriage. Since there were people named "Willie Frank Moore" (even in Thomson, Georgia), I suppose that could have been his full name.
By late September, she was at the Sportsman's Club in Newport, Kentucky.
Sometime in the fall of 1950, the Braun Brothers' Regal Records, of Linden, New Jersey, re-issued her first Sensation disc: "It Ain't Right", backed with "It Couldn't Be True".
In early 1951, son William ("Mickey") Stevenson was with the original incarnation of Detroit's Imperials, but he left long before any of their 1954 Great Lakes recordings.
In April 1951, Kitty, along with Todd Rhodes, journeyed to New York to spend the week of April 20 at the Apollo Theater. (Owner Frank Schiffman's comment on the band: "Very mediocre." His comment on Kitty: "Hefty girl. Blues and calypso. Good.") Probably during or soon after that engagement, they did some recording for King Records. The known songs are: "Gin Gin Gin" (band vocals), "I Shouldn't Cry (But I Do)" (Kitty), "Red Boy Is Back" (Rhodes instrumental), and "Good Man" (Kitty). By the time of his next session (which included "Evening Breeze" and "Rocket 69"), probably only a month later, Connie Allen had become his vocalist.
The May 19 Detroit Tribune talked about the new show at Lee's Club Sensation:
If there's one girl in town who knows how to keep people happy by just singing to them, it's Kitty Stevenson, the bouncy soubrette [there's that word again] who holds down the feminine song slot at Lee's popular Club Sensation on Owen.
Miss Stevenson, who once scored big hits with her recordings of "I'm Satisfied" and "That Ain't Right", recently returned to Lee's after a big show success at the Apollo Theater in New York City, a booking which brought happy days to her agent, Al Green.
With Miss Stevenson on the Sensation show line is Charles "Be-Bop" Brooks, the young man of the blues and torch songs.
The band of T. J. Fowler provides music for shows and for dancing at Lee's.
However, by the time a photo of Fowler's band appeared in the June 16 Detroit Tribune, his singer was Alberta Adams.
Why? Because Kitty had become ill (probably the beginning of her breast cancer). The August 4 Detroit Tribune had an article titled "Big Show At Lee's Saturday For Kitty":
Kitty Stevenson, Detroit's gift to songdom, will be honored with a big benefit party Saturday night, August 4, at Lee's Club Sensation, Owen at Russell [their street address].
The bouncy and friendly singer, who was a long-time star at the Flame Show Bar before going on the road, underwent a series of medical setbacks recently.
Known as the "Brown Bombshell Of The Blues", Kitty established a big name for herself songwise around the Motor City. She racked up many accolades when she toured the South with Todd Rhodes' band and went into the Blue Angel in New York City. [I can't find any documentation for either event.]
It was at Lee's Sensation that Kitty got her singing start and she became a long-time song favorite at the spot. It was only recently that she began a repeat appearance at the Sensation, with the band of T. J. Fowler and the companion voice of Charles Brooks.
Appearing on the mammoth program at Lee's will be Charles "Be-Bop" Brooks, Louis "Singing Waiter" Sanders, blues lady Alberta Adams, exotic dancer Gypsy Lee and many other talented friends of Kitty.
T. J. Fowler and his Midnight Clippers will provide music.
The August 18, 1951 Detroit Tribune reported that Kitty was supposed to go to the Sportsman's Club in Covington, Kentucky with Todd Rhodes, as soon as she recovered from her "recent incision". But Kitty was often too ill to perform and had been replaced in Rhodes' outfit by Connie Allen (who would subsequently be replaced by Lavern Baker).
King released "I Shouldn't Cry (But I Do)", backed with Rhodes' "Gin, Gin, Gin" in August. They were reviewed in the September 1, 1951 Billboard:
I Shouldn't Cry (But I Do) (67): Kitty Stevenson sings this rambling vehicle well enough to a booming beat backing.
Gin Gin Gin (72): The Rhodes crew rocks crisply on a catchy beat opus which tells of the pleasures and evils of drinking gin.
The September 15, 1951 Detroit Tribune had a small article titled "Kitty Joins Bradshaw's Band On Tour":
Kitty Stevenson, the local brown bombshell of song, has been signed to go on tour with the band of Tiny Bradshaw, according to reports from her manager, Al Green. [Al Green was the manager of the Flame Show Bar, as well as the manager of Lavern Baker and Johnnie Ray.]
Miss Stevenson, who was "discovered" in song at Lee's Sensation Club some time ago, is a top favorite with Detroit audiences.
She scored her first recording success with the Sensation platter, "I'm Satisfied". Her current selling recording on the King label is "I Shouldn't Cry", which features the band of Todd Rhodes.
Miss Stevenson has been recovering from a recent operation.
As far as I can tell, her tour with Bradshaw never happened. When he played the Lyric Theater in Lexington, Kentucky on October 4 (with the Swallows), Bradshaw's vocalist was Peggy Thomas (as she was in subsequent ads).
But, on November 6, Kitty appeared at the Ritz Theater in Akron, along with Percy Mayfield and the Larks. That show moved to the Lyric Theater (Lexington, Kentucky) on November 8; the Bijou Theater (Nashville) on November 13; and the Handy Theater (Memphis) on November 22.
Then, it was back to New York for another appearance at the Apollo Theater, the week of November 30, 1951. Others on the bill were the Arnett Cobb band and Larry Darnell. This time, owner Frank Schiffman wrote: "Second appearance. Only fair."
In December, King released "Good Man", backed by the Rhodes instrumental, "Evening Breeze".
The January 5, 1952 Chicago Defender said: "Songstress Kitty Stevenson, who wowed 'em at Harlem's Apollo Theatre recently, is songsational at the New Era, Nashville, Tennessee."
She joined up with Todd Rhodes again for a three-day appearance at the Circle Theater in Cleveland: February 16-18.
And then, the kind of drivel I expect from press agents. This is from the March 15, 1952 Cash Box: "Kitty Stevenson, the Detroit Bombshell, reveals that her savings are being put aside for a business venture, one of those 3-hour cleaning and dyeing establishments."
But there was trouble ahead: from the May 3 Detroit Tribune: "Vibrant Kitty Stevenson is getting well now at Detroit Memorial Hospital and all her countless friends in Detroit's show world have been keeping an ear turned toward the musical scene to hear Kitty's lush singing tones again."
The May 22 California Eagle wasn't optimistic: "DETROIT - Kitty Stevenson, sensational blues singer is seriously ill at the Detroit Memorial Hospital here. The singing star is a favorite in nightclubs and theaters throughout the Middle West and in the East."
And then, the Detroit Tribune of June 7, 1952:
Detroit's show world again was shocked for the second time in recent weeks when they heard of the death of Kitty Stevenson Saturday morning [May 31; the day after her 32nd birthday] in Memorial Hospital, where she had been hospitalized for about five months. [Actually, no earlier than mid-February.]
Kitty, managed by Al Green, was former vocalist with the Todd Rhodes band and it was with this outfit that she recorded "I'm Satisfied" on Sensation, which rocketed her to national fame as a new chirper with an entirely new style. [OK, OK, so it was Old Swing-Master, with the T. J. Fowler band, and it was never a hit; but at least they tried.]
Her last record was "I Shouldn't Cry, But I Do", a tune penned by King recording director, Henry Glover....
Al Green and the gang around Flame Show Bar are throwing a benefit for Kitty's four children Wednesday night [June 11] at the popular John R. nitery where she starred before her illness. Why not attend?
According to the June 14 Chicago Defender, the benefit for her children "was a big success, and every performer who knew the 'good girl' was on hand at the Flame Show Bar last Wednesday night."
After her death, husband Ted Moore seems to have abandoned his step-children, who were then raised by their grandmother, Roxie Stevenson. William "Mickey" Stevenson would become a famous Motown A&R man, songwriter, and producer. Alonzo "Lonny" Stevenson became an actor and director. Daughter Elaine would also die from breast cancer, around 1962. I don't know what happened to son Martin.
Back on December 28, 1952, Old Swing-Master (in the person of either Egmont Sonderling or Al Benson) sold Kitty Stevenson's Vitacoustic tracks (including the four that had been issued on Old Swing-Master) to Art Sheridan of Chance Records. Chance never issued any of them, but they all appeared, 25 years later, on a P-Vine Special LP of Chance-derived material (except for the mysterious "Things Will Change Someday"). Chance's documentation mistakenly had her name as "Kitty Stevens", but it's important to remember that she never recorded anything for Chance.
It's not hard for me to sum up Kitty Stevenson: I like most of her recordings and I'm sorry there weren't many more of them.
Special thanks to Jay Bruder. Much credit goes to Robert Campbell of the Red Saunders Research Foundation. The alternate Swing-Master label came from Sampson's Spontaneous Lunacy page.
OLD SWING-MASTER (Vitacoustic masters recorded December 1947 with T. J. Fowler's band)
10 Sleeping By Yourself / I'm Satisfied - 1/49 (original issue)
10 Blues By Myself / I'm Satisfied - 3/49 (reissue)
20 Hold Them Joe / With You - 5/49
UNRELEASED - all had been recorded for Vitacoustic in December 1947
Train No. 1 (aka "How Long, How Long, How Long")
Comes The Day (later called "Then Comes The Day")
That Jive (later called "How About That Jive")
Things Will Change Someday
SENSATION (with Todd Rhodes & His Toddlers)
32 It Ain't Right / It Couldn't Be True - 3/50
37 Make It Good / That's The Guy For Me - 6/50
UNRELEASED (it's unclear when and for whom this was recorded)
Evening Sun
REGAL (Sensation masters)
3289 It Ain't Right / It Couldn't Be True - fall 1950
KING (Todd Rhodes Orchestra, vocal by Kitty Stevenson)
4469 I Shouldn't Cry (But I Do) / [Gin, Gin, Gin - Todd Rhodes; band vocals] - 8/51
4486 Good Man / [Evening Breeze - Todd Rhodes (I)] - 12/51
P-VINE
PLP-708 Chance Vintage Blues/R&B Crops - Vol 4 - 1977
[All old Vitacoustic masters, they weren't recorded for Chance.]
That Jive
With You
Comes The Day
Sleeping By Yourself [the original title of "Blues By Myself"]
Train No. 1 [aka "How Long, How Long, How Long"]
Hold 'Em Joe [originally released as "Hold Them Joe"]
I'm Satisfied
Other tracks were by Tampa Red, Bobby Prince, and the Al Smith Orchestra
ACE
CDCHD 1087 More Mellow Cats 'n Kittens - 2005
How Long, How Long, How Long [the same song as "Train No. 1"]
Then Comes The Day [originally "Comes The Day"]
Evening Sun [unknown history]
How About That Jive [originally "That Jive"]
