Seger Ellis
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Seger Ellis (1904 -- 1995) was a jazz pianist and vocalist. He also made a few brief film appearances. (Notably in collaboration with director Ida Lupino.)
Ellis was born in 1904 in Houston, Texas.
In the late 20s and early 30s Ellis made several recordings for the OKeh label.
He sang in a bittersweet alto, with which he was uncomfortable early in his career, believing his voice to be too high. He had a pair of hit songs (Prairie Blues and Sentimental Blues) for Victor recordings, among the first to be recorded with an electric microphone. Although he didn't achieve the same degree of fame as his contemporaries as a singer or pianist, many of his recordings included such well-known jazz musicians as Louis Armstrong.
Later in his career Ellis focused on songwriting in preference to recording and performing.
His more well-known compositions include:
- No Baby, Nobody But You
- You Be You but Let Me Be Me
- You're All I Want For Christmas
- The Shivery Stomp
Ellis died in Houston in 1995.