Notebook Cover


Shirley Haven


By Marv Goldberg

© 2025 by Marv Goldberg


Shirley Haven is an oddity. As far as I can tell, she only made three recordings in her entire career: one I really like, one I consider just so-so, and the third is (to my ears) one of the most horrendous recordings ever made.


Shirley Haven



The future "Shirley Haven" was born Shirley Juanita Hackett on May 3, 1925, in Santa Cruz (on the California coast, south of San Francisco). She was the daughter of Roy Herbert Hackett & Lyllian Compton.

The 1930 census shows the family living in Alameda City, California, an island off the coast of Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco (and the home of the Pacific Pinball Museum). Shirley has two younger siblings: Roy Henry Hackett, Jr and Jacquelyn Ramona Hackett.

Shirley Hackett - 1937 The April 4, 1937 Oakland Tribune had a photo of students at the Westside School. Included was an 11-year-old Shirley Hackett. By this time, the family had moved to Oakland, where (I'm sure you need to know) Shirley was one of the children who attended Gold Hollow Camp over the summer of 1938.

When the family was enumerated in the 1940 census in Oakland, Shirley and her two siblings were living with her mother, who was now divorced from her father. Although Roy, Jr was born in March 1927 and Jacqueline in July 1928, they were both listed as being 7 years old in the 1940 census. (Aren't censuses fun?)

Shirley Hackett - 1941 The March 1, 1941 Pittsburgh Courier had a photo of 15-year-old Shirley with the following caption:

Shirli [a common way she spelled her name] Hackett, charming young lady of Oakland, Calif., who will make her debut in society sometime in May. Majoring in foreign languages, she is working hard in school to achieve her goal.

The May 21, 1942 California Eagle asked a question of lasting importance: "Why did Manuel Hollman and Harry Davis quit the best job they ever had at Mare Island Navy Yard [northeast of San Francisco]? Was it because of Lou Sue of Richmond, Calif., and Shirley Hackett of Oakland, Calif.? Don't let the femmes make a tramp of you." I'll have to ponder that.

The August 2, 1942 Oakland Tribune listed Shirley as a member of the C Sharp Music Club, which was giving a musical-tea at the Masonic Hall that very afternoon.

Another photo was in the April 19, 1945 California Eagle, showing the 16 members of the "Colettes" (a Nat "King" Cole fan club), who "sponsored a charity dance to raise funds for a teen-age club and recreation center". Shirley was called the club's "advisor". Two other members of the Colettes were Shirley's sister, Jacquelyne, and "Damita Jo Le Blanc" [sic; should be "DeBlanc"], some years away from joining the Red Caps.

While we don't know why she changed her name, we know when. The July 5, 1945 California Eagle said: "Shirley Hackett is definitely thinking professionally. (Singing you know.) Her new handle is Shirley Haven." The August 23 Eagle said: "Side mention, Shirley Hackett, oh pardon me (Shirli Haven) has a voice out of this world. The deb sings, and I do mean very well."

There was a photo of Shirley in the January 17, 1946 Los Angeles Sentinel, with this caption:

Shirley Haven glamorous young "discovery" will play the feminine lead in "Jump, Jive And Jam", action-packed musical play produced by Clarence Muse and Bob Spikes, and scheduled to open in Hollywood early in February. Miss Haven, a native of New Orleans, is a graduate of the University of Southern California, and includes in her accomplishments singing and dancing.

I'm not sure where the story of her coming from New Orleans originated, but it will also appear again in a couple of years. Although it says she's a graduate of USC, four years later, in the 1950 census, she only claimed two years of college. (Ah, to be a press agent in the Spring.) In the revue (in which all the characters had musical names), she played "Operetta" and Ernest "Bubbles" Whitman played "Clef". It also featured two siblings of Eddie "Rochester" Anderson: Dave, as "Syncopation", and Zelda, as "Discord".

The point of the show, according to producer Clarence Muse (in that same issue of the Sentinel):

[It's not] just another musical show. Rather, it is the result of a tough struggle for a long time in an attempt to give a promising outlet to the plentiful talent going to waste for lack of encouragement, training and direction into the proper channels.

Shirley Haven - 1946 Shirley's photo was in the April 1946 Ebony, with this caption:

Nineteen-year-old Shirley is seen preparing for the stage show "Jump, Jive N' Jam" in Los Angeles. The characters in the script, all known by musical terms such as Syncopation, Discord, Downbeat, Operetta, etc., meet at Rhythm Town. Shirley portrays Miss Operetta.

(NOTE: She wasn't 19 years old, but just shy of 21 when that article was run.)

A wedding: on May 7, 1946 "Shirli J. Hackett" married Milton Paul Welch.

ad for Rhythm Town However, "Jump, Jive N' Jam" didn't open in February. The name of the show was changed to "Rhythm Town" just prior to its premiere, at the Beaux Arts Theater, on June 6, 1946, after several opening delays. The most recent one was due to "transportation delays", whatever that means.

The show was reviewed, but not well, in the June 7, 1946 Los Angeles Evening Citizen News, although Shirley came off relatively unscathed:

The Beaux Arts Theater, which has not been blessed with anything resembling worthwhile entertainment in some time, can add another theatrical casualty to the list.

The latest attraction, "Rhythm Town", is a musical comedy with an all-Negro cast. In all fairness to the people involved, it must be admitted that they try very hard, often too hard, to put the show across, but the sum total of their collective attempts provides only a good example of wasted energy.

The costumes, which could do much to put this type of show over, often detract from the production values. One musical number in particular, a sort of jury trial of jitterbugs, is completely neutralized by the overly grotesque outfits worn by the dancers. [They were dressed as bugs.] The latter part of this number, however, if taken by itself and polished up, could well be the basis for standout entertainment.

The revue's comedy is spotty and pulls hard for its laughs, although Dave Anderson and J. C. Wade look like promising comedians. The original music is jivey at times, but quite unspectacular. And trying to understand the lyrics, in our particular case anyway, proved no simple task.

Shirley Haven, the ingenue, has a very pleasing voice, and after some needed rehearsing with her accompanist, will probably be the highlight of the show. Zelda Anderson's singing of the blues also deserves mention. There is a story line running through the production, but it is basically a musical revue. Perhaps, with a lot more rehearsal all around, it could be whipped into a good, fast-paced show, but in its present condition it offers little, box office appeal.

The June 7 Los Angeles Times treated it a bit more kindly, calling the jitterbug number "outstanding"; "The comedy is comic strip"; "The book [script] frequently is forgotten and its story is thin, dealing with an impresario's efforts to get a show together"; and "The attraction, as a whole, is spotty, some scenes and numbers being highly professional, others amateurish...".

Shirley Haven and Sonny Woods - 1946 Of Shirley, that review said: "There are some excellent voices among the singers, the lovely soprano of Shirley Haven coming first, with Sonny Woods' tenor also scoring...." [This is not the Sonny Woods who'd be with the Midnighters, but Percy "Sonny" Woods, who'd been with the orchestras of Andy Russell and Louis Armstrong. (Russell and Woods had had a hit with what I consider to be a really annoying version of "Old Man River" in 1934.) Sonny would later record with the Twigs and the 4 Winds.]

But then, there was David Hanna's review in the June 7 Los Angeles Daily News:

The dubious pleasure of watching a dancer tap while toting a table in his teeth is one of the few entertaining moments to be found in "Rhythm Town", an operetta with an all-Negro cast which opened last night at the Beaux Arts.

I have no quarrel with Ralph Metcalf, the gentleman who performs this specialty to perfection. But it certainly is a feeble musical comedy that can claim only an acrobatic variety turn as its highlight.

"Rhythm Town" has a plot but one is hard pressed to find it against the opposition of a loud four-piece band, an endless milling in and out by the cast, and dialogue that simply doesn't make sense. As near as can be gauged, it deals with the adventures of a Broadway producer who comes to a place called "Rhythm Town" to cast a show. While there he ensnares the affections of his former girl friend.

Sonny Woods and Shirley Haven are the romantic leads. When not engaged in singing off key, they indulge in histrionic outbursts that must have been learned at "The Drunkard".

Dave Anderson and De Forest Coven are the comics, offering a brand of humor that happily hasn't been since the unlamented days of minstrely.

Zelda Anderson does about the best of the company with two songs that go over in spite of horrible mannerisms which could only have been foisted on the singer by the director.

If "Rhythm Town" is not the least distinguished show to hit town in the last months, it can claim the honor of being the one with the most atrocious costuming within memory. The outlandish outfits conceal some very attractive people who, it is to be hoped, will never get mixed up in anything like this again.

From the June 15, 1946 Pittsburgh Courier:

'RHYTHM TOWN' SCORES HIT IN LOS ANGELES - The unyielding perseverance and determination, despite months of rehearsals, heart-breaking disappointments and postponements by the cast of "Rhythm Town," an operetta of "Jump, Jive And Jam", was finally rewarded here Thursday night when the show opened with a creditable performance at Beaux Arts Theatre.... Winning the plaudits of first nighters in standout fashion were winsome Shirley Haven, "Miss Operetta" who possesses a soprano voice of great possibilities;....

And, finally, from the June 27 California Eagle:

RHYTHM TOWN, the subdued version of what was to have been "JUMP, JIVE N' JAM, after 8 months of "preparation", did an "el-fold" after 7 "weak" nites, another SHIP OF ZION that hit the rocks. [That is, it lasted for seven days.]

In December 1946, Shirley and Milton Welch had a daughter, Shirli Carol; however, she only lived a month. The marriage didn't last (but don't forget him; he'll be back).

There was nothing at all about Shirley (either as "Haven", "Welch", or "Hackett") in 1947.

No Time For Romance ad for No Time For Romance In 1948, Shirley was cast in a movie, "No Time For Romance", supposedly the first all-black cast movie filmed in color. Hers was a straight acting part; singing was done by Eunice Wilson. She would appear in other movies over the years, sometimes as "Shirle Haven", but this was her only major role (and the only time she was billed as "Shirley Haven").

The September 30, 1948 California Eagle had this, with the title "Chirps Like A Bird, Looks Like Lena!":

Lovely and talented Shirley Haven, San Francisco born actress-singer, who was chosen out of a cast of 700 University students to sing at the World's Fair in 1939, has been given a supporting role in the soon-to-be-released all-Negro picture, "No Time For Romance", starring Eunice Wilson. Shirley has been around Hollywood for quite some time, appearing in several MGM roles, and was last seen in "The Show Off."

She has one of the best voices in show business and was advisor of the first King Cole Trio fan club. Miss Haven's picture also adorned the pages of Ebony magazine in 1946.

She's lovely to look at and chirps like the nightingale who sang in Berkeley Square!

This is the only reference to her singing at the World's Fair. If she'd been in any MGM shorts (which is possible), it was as an unbilled extra. Same goes for "The Show Off" (a Red Skelton/Marilyn Maxwell film, released by MGM in December 1946).

The September 23, 1948 California Eagle said "No Time For Romance" would be released "on or about October 5". On September 30, they said it was "slated for a Hollywood premiere showing within a few weeks". The October 14 Eagle had a little ad saying that "No Time For Romance" was "Soon to be Released". Their December 24 edition said this:

The long awaited all-Negro film, "No Time For Romance", scheduled to have a world showing last month but held up because of misrepresentation on the part of one of the "producers" will hold its premiere in New York in early January.

The Technicolor [it was in color, but not Technicolor] all-Sepia film, the first of its kind made in Hollywood motion picture history, hit a snag upon completion of the full-length musical when Gilbert Corey, misleading the backers of the film into believing he was a legitimate producer, turned out to be a person unworthy of membership in the Motion Picture Directors guild, having been arrested and convicted, according to police reports, of making and showing obscene pictures, and therefore causing the picture to be held up until a legitimate director was called in to re-edit and cut the picture for legitimate release.

The picture stars Eunice Wilson, former member of Lew Leslie's famed "Blackbirds" revue, Shirley Haven, Joel Fluellen, and introducing Austin McCoy.

Shirley Haven - 1948 After all the Great Expectations, the film wasn't heard of again until the July 22, 1949 ad for the Apollo Theater, which touted the "World Premiere" of "No Time For Romance" (along with the Bull Moose Jackson stage show). Aside from a single showing at the Plaza Theater (Buffalo, New York) on April 9, 1950, it was the only time the film was advertised anywhere! I guess the world wasn't ready for it.

Shirley Haven with her mother and sister In the 1950 census, "Sherli Welch" was living in Los Angeles, divorced, and a clerk at the county hospital. Regardless of prior claims of her being a college graduate, she, herself, said she'd only finished 2 years of college. On the 1950 California Voter Registration Rolls, Milton P. Welch and Shirli J. Welch were at the same address. However, that was due to an 1872 law that required California counties to publish a listing of all registered voters every two years (in even-numbered years). Therefore, since 1950 wasn't a presidential election year, the data probably came from 1948.

The Joe Harris column in the September 21, 1950 Los Angeles Sentinel repeated the NOLA error: "Most spellbinding moment over the week-end for 'yours truly' was meeting beautiful Shirley Haven. She's from gay ole New Orleans and SHE SINGS TOO."

He repeated this in his October 12 column:

'ORCHIDACIOUS' is the word for Shirley Haven, the New Orleans song-thrush. LILTING is the word for her voice. 'Combined' you’ve got a heavenly exception, and the audience is in for a million dollar preview of a debut when she opens at the Oasis soon, probably on the DIZZY GILLESPIE show. Don't say I didn't tellya.

I suppose he made up the word "orchidacious" as a take-off on Walter Winchell's "orchids" (his word of praise for some act). However, it's so badly-written that it hardly makes any difference. I can understand a press agent making this stuff up, but the writer claims to have met Shirley. Would she have lied about where she came from? In other blurbs she's correctly identified as being from the San Francisco area (or from California in general).

Shirley Haven's beer ad Henry J ad In October 1950, Shirley appeared in an ad for the new Henry J automobile ("Lowest priced car in the low priced field"). At some time in the 1950s, she also appeared in an ad for Falstaff Beer.

Charles Brown By April of 1951, Shirley had becomes part of Charles Brown's touring company; she'd stay with him for two years, until around May 1953. Considering that Brown was known for his romantic ballads while with Johnny Moore's 3 Blazers, he's now being billed as "Good Time Charlie [or Charley] Brown" (with his band, "the Smarties"). At the time, he was riding high on the charts with "Black Night", a ballad.

The first time they're mentioned together was in the April 14 Oklahoma City Black Dispatch, saying they'd appear at the Municipal Auditorium on April 13. Since it was a Saturday newspaper that was on newsstands on Friday, unraveling dates is confusing (making it worse, they mistakenly printed the date as March 13).

On May 21, they appeared at the Macon [Georgia] Auditorium. May 27 found them at the Sunset Terrace in Indianapolis. (The May 26 Indianapolis Recorder called her "the girl with the heavenly voice.") On July 13, they were back at the Municipal Auditorium in Oklahoma City, and back at the Sunset Terrace on July 22.

at the Ebony Lounge When they started a week at Cleveland's Ebony Lounge, the August 4 Cleveland Call And Press had this to say [newspaper space was really cheap in those days]:

Shirley Haven - 1951 Beautiful and scintillating Shirley Haven, opening with the renowned Charles Brown and his big orchestra at Ebony Lounge on Monday, August 6, will do much to off-set the terrific, feminine appeal Brown has by offering something "special" - besides music, that is, which will cause the men to say "ah" ... if milady is not watching and listening!

As a matter of fact, Shirley has been balancing the scales quite well, thank you, in one of those rare combinations that keep the guys and gals so happy they don't have time to get jealous of one another.

Shirley Haven has captured the hearts of men and women with her fine vocals and - with that plus value - how could she miss!

at the Paradise Auditorium On Sunday morning, August 12, they were at a Dawn Dance at Cleveland's Paradise Auditorium (3:00 AM to 8:00 AM), along with Foots Robinson's Combo.

Finally, some recordings. On February 26, 1952, in Los Angeles, Shirley recorded three sides for Federal Records: "Troubles Of My Own", "Sure Cure For The Blues", and "Stop Fooling Around". All three were written by Ravon Darnell and Mario Delagarde, Johnny Otis' bassist. The fourth song at the session was done by Cora Williams: "I Ain't Coming Back Anymore".

the 4 Jacks [All four songs feature a backing group, the 4 Jacks: Bowling Mansfield (first tenor), Buell Thomas (second tenor), George Comfort (baritone), and Ellison White (bass). They were a newly-formed group, put together by Buell Thomas at the request of Federal's Ralph Bass, for the purpose of backing up Shirley and Cora at that session. There were other Federal releases by the 4 Jacks and, with second tenor Cecil Dandy in place of Buell Thomas, they also recorded as the Bombers.]

The delightful "Sure Cure For The Blues", is basically a duet between Shirley and bass Ellison White. "Stop Fooling Around", which doesn't really do much for me, was Shirley fronting the group.

Then there's "Troubles Of My Own". If I were to die in Ireland, I would expect that the last thing I'd hear is the wailing of a banshee sounding somewhat like the off-key shrieking of Shirley (matched by the on-key shrieking of Bowling Mansfield). To my hurting ears, this is one of the worst recordings I've ever heard.

After this, the "Good Time Charlie" tour started up again, playing the Municipal Auditorium in Oklahoma City on April 11, 1952.

Federal 12079 In May, Federal issued "Sure Cure For The Blues", with Cora Williams' "I Ain't Coming Back Anymore" as the flip. "Cure" was reviewed in the May 31 Cash Box and the June 7 Billboard:

(CB; B): The chantress does a sock vocal with an exciting driving beat. Handclapping and a male vocal make this another potent platter. [Oddly, they thought that both sides were by Shirley.]

(BB; 68): Shirley Haven and the Jacks sing this bouncy item with spirit, and the ork backs them smoothly. However, tune is routine.

at Sunset Terrace at Gleason's On June 9, 1952, the Brown tour started a week at Gleason's Musical Bar in Cleveland. July 4 found them at the Sunset Terrace Ballroom in Indianapolis. The ad called her "The girl with the Havenly Voice". There were some other ads that spelled it that way, so it probably was done on purpose.

Federal 12092 In August, Federal issued "Troubles Of My Own", coupled with "Stop Fooling Around".

The August 9, 1952 Billboard said:

Charles Brown, Aladdin Record artist, has a big schedule mapped out for the next three months. He will play a one-nighter in Philadelphia on August 16 [at the Showboat], then go into Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona for one-nighters. He will be in California for one-night stands starting August 29 in San Diego. After the West Coast stretch, he will do a string of 25 one-nighters in Texas thru October 25, and on October 27 will start a Southern tour with Mr. Sadhead [William 'Sunny' Thurman] and Shirley Haven.

[Note that, in most write-ups and his publicity photo, his name was spelled "Sadhead". On record labels, it was always "Sad Head".]

at Riverside Park On August 28, they were at Riverside Park in Phoenix. On September 4, it was the Palomar Ballroom in Fresno, California.

On September 6, Billboard said:

Billy Ford & Mr Sadhead Billy Ford, [and his vocalist,] Mr. Sadhead, Charles Brown ork, and Shirley Haven go to San Antonio on September 30 to start a one-night tour thru the Southwest that will last until October 23 [in Little Rock, Arkansas]. From October 27 to November 20, the unit will play one-nighters thru the Southeast. The Charles Brown ork goes into Gleason's, Cleveland, for two weeks starting November 24.

at the Hippodrome Although October 25 wasn't mentioned, they were all at the Hippodrome, in Memphis. Once again, Shirley was called "The girl with the Havenly Voice".

"Stop Fooling Around" was reviewed in the September 6, 1952 Billboard and the October 4 Cash Box:

Stop Fooling Around (BB; 68): Shirley Haven, with the help of the Four Jacks turns in an effective performance of a routine jump item. Performance is better than the material.

Troubles Of My Own (BB; 60): Disking shows off a lot of vocal tricks on the part of the thrush and the Four Jacks as well. Vocal effects, however, don't cover up the weakness of the effort.

Troubles Of My Own (CB; C+): Shirley Haven, with the assistance of the Four Jacks sings a slow rhythmic item.

Stop Fooling Around (CB; B): The undersiding is a quick tempo number treated to a driving vocal by the chirp who comes off with an exciting end. [In this case, "end" means the side of the record.]

at the Auditorium in Atlanta at the Greenville Textile Hall at the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Macon Auditorium October 31 found the tour playing a Halloween show at the Macon Auditorium. On November 4, it was the Raleigh (Virginia) Memorial Auditorium. When they played the Greenville (South Carolina) Textile Hall on November 13, the ad called her "Shirley Raven" (they were so close). November 15 found them at the Durham, North Carolina Armory. On November 19, it was the Atlanta Auditorium (with the Clovers added for that show).

at Gleason's Then, it was on to Gleason's Musical Bar (Cleveland), where they (minus the Clovers) appeared the week of November 24. The November 29, 1952 Cleveland Call And Post talked about the show:

There's an advertisement somewhere on this page or the next page which announces that Charley Brown and his Smarties, which is how his band is billed, are held over at Gleason's musical Bar until Dec. 6.

In this reporter's estimation, nothing better than this could possibly happen to Charley, to "Jap" Gleason, and to the people who pay the freight at the Musical Bar [i.e., the customers]. I was in the place when the show opened Monday night - and what a show! There is Brown (himself) playing and singing those songs of his, there is "Mr. Sadhead Thurman", there is Billy Ford and his great personality - all this and beautiful Shirley Haven too.

You know, there are dozens of women who can sing as well as Shirley and there must be a few whom the Good Lord blessed equally as well with looks, but in Shirley Haven you get the combination of a beautiful voice, a beautiful physiognomy (that means 'face' you dope) and a sassy but classy chassis.

Yep, Miss Haven is quite a girl. Not only does she go over big with the male half of her lookers and listeners - the young lady is that gracious kind of woman whom other women pull for too.

Of course, leader of the band and star of the show is "Good Time' Charley Brown. Brown is the man whom you have heard (if you listen to records) singing "Drifting Blues", which first made him famous; "Get Yourself Another Fool"; "Gloria"; "Seven Long Days"; "Traveling Blues"; "Long Time"; and a large number of other smash hits. [Strange that they didn't mention "Black Night", which had been a tremendous hit the prior year. None of the ads listing his hits mentioned it either.]

Billy Ford and "Mr. Sadhead Thurman" are a couple of gentlemen who'll make you glad you dropped in to hear them. It was their work, along with that of Miss Haven and Charley Brown and his Smarties, which made "Jap" Gleason sign them through Dec. 6th Monday night after he had heard the show.

On December 26, the show appeared at Baker's Patio (Flamingo Bar And Grill) in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Fats Clark - 1944 Send out your tux to be cleaned and let's start off 1953 by going to a wedding. On January 26, in Los Angeles, Shirley married pianist Charles Nathan "Fats" Clark, who was Charles Brown's road manager (as he had once been for Maxine Sullivan). Fats had been with Hall Johnson in the early 1930s and Benny Carter's orchestra in the early 1940s. [Note: there was a drummer called Fats Clark, but his name was Ernest.]

The January 29, 1953 Jet Magazine was a bit behind the times: "The romance between vocalist Shirley Haven of the Charles Brown band and Fats Clark, Charley's manager, is due to end before a parson." (Yeah, yeah, I know that was written weeks before the magazine was actually printed.)

From the February 12, 1953 Signal (Santa Clarita, California): "The newly-decorated home of Miss Shirley Haven is quite an asset to the [Val Verde] community. By the way, Miss Haven is the featured soloist with the very well known George [sic] Brown band. This aggregation is on a short vacation, spending some of their time here at the beautiful home of Miss Haven." Keep in mind that she'd handled the home's decorating.

Shirley Haven - 1953 Shirley was pictured in the February 12, 1953 Jet with this caption:

After trying for a movie career and never getting anything but extra jobs, winsome Shirley Haven has deserted Hollywood and is striving for singing success with Charles Brown's orchestra on a Southern tour. The California-born vocalist features blues. Hollywood talent scouts told her she could not get movie roles because she "does not look Negro enough."

The last mention of Shirley with Charles Brown was when he returned to Gleason's Musical Bar (Cleveland). The May 16, 1953 Cleveland Call And Post said:

Coming in on Monday [May 18] is "Good Time" Charley Brown, his fine voice, his great piano, his rock-em and sock-em band . . . and beautiful Shirley Haven.

The word "beautiful" is here without reservation. Miss Haven has been compared with other highly rated lovelies - for example Lena Horne and Dorothy Dandridge - by this newspaper and by other publications.

She sings too . . . though her strong "blues" voice belies her demure appearance.

I don't know how long that engagement was for (probably a week), but she's not in Brown's July 3 ad.

A series of ads for the L. J. Brady Investment Company (a real estate agency) ran in the California Eagle from September 10, 1953, through October 1. In their list of personnel was Shirley Haven Clark, Interior Decorator ("Charming But Inexpensive Designs"). After October 1, Brady ads stopped listing their personnel, so I don't know how long she worked for them. However, a subsequent article in the December 2, 1954 Eagle was titled "L. J. Brady Arrested For Embezzlement".

When Charles Brown returned to Gleason's on March 15, 1954, the March 13 Cleveland Call And Post said: "And as for 'Good Time' Charley Brown, though he lost a fine member of his organization when pretty Shirley Haven quit his band for the movies, still has what it takes to please the people."

Whatever she may have done in the movies (if anything) during this period remains undocumented; there are no known movie roles between 1948 and 1958.

Shirley Haven - 1954 - in Korea Shirley Haven - 1954 - off to Korea Instead, she joined a USO troupe called "Operation Far East". They left on May 5, 1954 for a three-week tour to entertain troops in Honolulu, Wake Island, Tokyo, and Korea. The 10-member troupe was run by KOWL DJ Joe Adams and also had Suzette Harbin, Tommy Butler, Eddie Gomez, Amos Green, Clarence Metcalf, pianist Eddie Beal, saxman Eddie Davis, and guitarist Gene Phillips. They returned at the end of the month.

at the Hollywood Cafe The only club appearance I can find in 1954 was the Hollywood Cafe, where she was in the "Portraits 'n' Bronze" revue (staged by Bumps Blackwell), beginning on October 29. Since it was a revue, it should have run for weeks, but there was only the single ad.

Probably the most important thing ever printed about her appeared in the January 6, 1955 California Eagle: "Shirley Haven - the beautiful voice is armed with $5,000 worth of gowns to launch her singing career!"

However, the March 10, 1955 Santa Clarita Signal had this sad note: "Many friends in Val Verde [in Los Angeles County] and Los Angeles were shocked to learn of the sudden passing of the great musician 'Fats' Clark last Monday, Feb. 28 at 8:45 a.m., of a heart attack. Mr. Clark was happily married to Miss Shirley Haven, a great songstress in the music world."

However, a week before that, the March 3 California Eagle had a big article, which told us a lot about his history. There was only one teeny-tiny, minuscule error in the piece [see if you can find it], which was titled "Final Curtain Rings Down On 'Fats' Davis":

Musician "Fats" Davis died unexpected [sic] Monday at 8:45 a.m. of a heart attack, and is mourned by the great percentage of the musical world who knew and loved him. Fats was married to lovely songstress Shirley Haven.

Fats, who was listed with local union No. 47 as a piano player. achieved his greatest note as road manager for a galaxy of top musical performers who counted strongly on him for career guidance when embarking on one night stands throughout the nation.

His first job was with that amazing man of music Benny Carter, who perhaps knew him better than most. Of late he had been associated with Nat Cole, Floyd Dixon and Charles Brown. He was preparing to return to Brown for renewed chores in the managerial capacity shortly before he passed on.

The music-man's funeral will be held tomorrow. Friday, at one o'clock at Conner and Johnson mortuary.

Isn't it sad when an obituary can't even get the name of the deceased correct?

There was nothing further about Shirley until 1958, when she had bit parts in three movies: "Showdown At Boot Hill" (customer - as "Shirle Haven"), "Gunman's Walk" (dancehall girl - uncredited), and "Gang War" ("Nicki" - as "Shirle Haven").

In September 1958, she was part of another USO tour. The September 11 Los Angeles Sentinel said:

Shirley Haven, an attractive and shapely local doll who's currently a member of Cecil "Count" Carter's Far Eastern USO troupe, will get the "big buildup" when she returns home around Nov. 10. Cliff Erickson, noted Hollywood agent, will take her under his wing and book her into plush clubs across the country. Marie Bryant, Gerald Wilson, and Gerry Wiggins will groom her for the nightery circuit, says her press agent, Howard Morehead.

I guess Erickson wasn't very good at his job; there's not another report of her appearing anywhere for the rest of her life.

However, on December 31, 1958, Shirley J. Hackett married John Holiday in Los Angeles. The marriage didn't last, but I can't find the divorce record.

Shirley had more small parts in a couple of 1959 movies: "Lone Texan" (Nancy - as "Shirle Haven") and "The Beat Generation" (Mrs. Grant - uncredited).

Shirley Holliday - 1962 I'm not sure what to make of this. The May 7, 1962 Los Angeles Evening Citizen News said: "A woman is taking over one of the disc jockey spots on Los Angeles radio. She is Shirley Holliday of San Diego, now heard from 6 to 11 p.m. on Sunday night on KRLA." This was echoed in the May 19 Cash Box: "Shirley Holliday, who broke into radio on KDEO, San Diego [a Top-40 station], is now with KRLA-Los Angeles." Two problems: first, there's not a single listing for KRLA during that time slot, and second, the photo of Shirley Holliday doesn't really look like Shirley Haven (and, yes, the man she married was named "Holiday", not "Holliday"). And, by the way, I can't find any listing for her on KDEO either. I don't think it's her.

The May 14, 1964 Santa Clarita Signal had some notices of properties to be sold to Los Angeles County in order to satisfy delinquent taxes. One of those was "Parcel No. 65. Tract No. 8600. Lot 188. Assessed to Shirley Clark Holiday." Santa Clarita is a little north of Los Angeles.

The February 15, 1969 Cleveland Call And Post had this disquieting notice.

Beautiful (and we do mean BEAUTIFUL) little Shirley Haven did appear here in Cleveland, at Gleason's Musical Bar, in September, 1953, a short time before her untimely death in New York City. She looked like a ballad singer but she walloped the blues like a heavyweight, in front of Good Time Charlie Brown's band.

What can we make of that? Obviously, she hadn't died in 1953, but they really seemed to be talking about Shirley. However, neither Shirley nor Charles Brown appeared at Gleason's in September 1953. I really have no idea who they're talking about.

Dead or not, on March 27, 1970, Shirley J. Holiday re-married Milton P. Welch in Los Angeles. It still wasn't fated to work; they divorced again, on March 1, 1976).

Another mystery: Shirley was supposedly an extra in Michael Jackson's 1986 "Captain EO" video. However, I watched the entire thing and I can't imagine what she might have done in the film. At nearly 60, she wasn't going to be one of the energetic dancers, but there are no other women extras visible in the film. I suppose she might have been inside one of the guard costumes, but I can't think of any reason why they'd use her for that.

Shirley Haven died on December 29, 2011 in Grant County, Washington (as Shirley H. Welch). Grant County is between Seattle and Spokane, but no specific city was given. She left us with one more mystery: I have no idea when or why she'd moved there (if, indeed, she had). There was no obituary.

Shirley Haven's voice and performances were usually lauded in the press. If only she hadn't made "Troubles Of My Own".



FEDERAL (Shirley Haven & 4 Jacks)
12079 Sure Cure For The Blues / [I Ain't Coming Back Anymore - Cora Williams & 4 Jacks] - 5/52
12092 Troubles Of My Own / Stop Fooling Around - 8/52



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