Black Tie White Noise

Willy DeVille (August 27, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was an American singer and songwriter. First with his band Mink DeVille (1974–1985) and later on his own, DeVille in his 35-year career created songs that are wholly original yet rooted in traditional American musical styles. The typical DeVille song—if any of his songs can be called "typical"—is filled with romantic conviction and yearning. Latin rhythms, blues riffs, doo-wop, Cajun music, strains of French cabaret, and echoes of early-1960s uptown soul can be heard in DeVille's work. Mink DeVille was a house band at CBGB, the historic New York City nightclub where punk rock was born in the mid-1970s. Critic Mark Keresman wrote about Willy DeVille, "In some respects, DeVille is the rock & roll counterpart to Sinatra—both can rock, both stared down personal demons, both are capable of rousing memories sweet and sad, and both can navigate the mean streets with panache before winding up on Lonely Avenue at daybreak." Bottom/ For Le Chat Bleu (Capitol, 1980), Willy DeVille wrote several songs with Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Doc Pomus. Le Chat Bleu was recorded in Paris. As well as classic rock (“Savoir Faire," "Lipstick Traces"), DeVille delved into Cajun music (the accordion-dominated dance music of French-speaking Louisiana) and the French cabaret tradition ("Heaven Stood Still") for this album. Top/ After Sportin' Life (Polydor, 1985), DeVille dropped the "Mink" moniker and began recording under his own name. In 1992, Backstreets of Desire included a novel mariachi version of the Jimi Hendrix standard “Hey Joe” that was a hit in Europe, rising to number one in Spain and France. By 2000, DeVille had cured his two-decades-long addiction to heroin. On Mardi Gras Day, 2008, Pistola, DeVille's sixteenth album, was released. DeVille died from pancreatic cancer in the late hours of August 6, 2009 in a New York hospital. He was 58 years old.