De Lewellen
De Lewellen | |
|---|---|
 De Lewellen, January 20, 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Deborah Lewellen |
| Born | January 19, 1952 |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) | Singer, musician, performer, comedian, actor |
| Years active | 1977–2010s |
De Lewellen (born Deborah Lewellen, January 19, 1952) is an American performer from Austin, Texas. She is best known for her work as a singer, musician, comedian, and actor. She was the lead vocalist and founder of the New Wave band D-Day, was a performer with the musical-comedy revue Esther's Follies, and co-created the Cajun-style group Zydeco Ranch. Lewellen was also active in Austin’s improv scene through troupes such as the Laff Staff and the Hilarions. From the 1970s through the 1990s, she became a familiar presence in Austin’s interconnected music and comedy circles.[1][2]
Career
Austin music and comedy scene
Lewellen’s career developed in Austin during the late 1970s and 1980s, when some performers moved between musical and comedic work. During this period, Austin’s clubs and theaters hosted a wide mix of live entertainment, from bands and revue-style shows to improvisational comedy.[1][2] Comedy focused venues such as Esther's Follies, The Laff Stop, and the Velveeta Room provided spaces where performers with musical backgrounds could appear in comedic settings. The Velveeta Room, which opened adjacent to Esther’s Follies on Sixth Street in 1988, developed a reputation as a venue where comedians tested new material.[3][4]
Esther's Follies (1977–1990s)
Lewellen began her stage career with the Austin-based musical and comedy revue Esther's Follies. A retrospective feature in the Austin Chronicle noted that her “experiences date back to the first year” of the troupe in 1977.[5] She departed the company around 1980 but continued to return for appearances through the 1990s, most often performing with the vocal trio The Blandscrew Sisters—Shannon Sedwick, De Lewellen, and Linda Wetherby.[6] Lewellen rejoined the cast for reunion and tribute shows, including a 2014 alumni performance[7] and a 2023 event honoring Lyova Rosanoff.[8] She was also quoted in In Memoriam: George Wilkerson (2020), published by The Austin Chronicle.[9]
The Blandscrew Sisters
The Blandscrew Sisters originated as a comedy-music act within Esther's Follies. The trio—Shannon Sedwick, De Lewellen, and Linda Wetherby—performed in the style of a 1940s harmony group, combining close three-part vocals with vintage stage costumes and choreography. The routine proved popular enough to become a stand-alone act that played regularly at Austin clubs.[6] Articles in This Week in Texas and Connections from 1980 list the three performers as featured singers in local shows.[10][11] The group also continued to appear frequently on the Esther’s Follies stage.[6]
D-Day (1979–1983)
In 1979, while still performing with Esther's Follies, Lewellen founded the New Wave band D-Day. The lineup featured drummer David Fore, guitarist Stuart Hillyer, and bassist John Keller.[12] Lewellen co-wrote the group’s debut single “Too Young to Date,” which gained radio play on Los Angeles station KROQ but was pulled from Austin’s KLBJ-FM at the request of former First Lady Lady Bird Johnson because of its risqué lyrics.[12][13] Despite the controversy, the single sold steadily.[12] D-Day regularly performed at Austin punk venues such as Raul’s and Club Foot.[1] A 1982 Chronicle listing announced the band’s “only pre-album release performance.”[14] Lewellen placed third in the 1981 Austin Music Awards Best Female Vocalist category, published in the March 5, 1982 issue.[15] The band signed with A&M Records in 1982 and recorded an album in London with producer Bob Sargeant; the release followed in 1983.[16][12] According to journalist Michael Corcoran, D-Day opened for Talking Heads during the band’s Texas tour in September 1982, performing at Fiesta Gardens in Austin on September 7 and at Dallas’s Bronco Bowl on September 9.[17]
Zydeco Ranch (1986–1993)
By the mid-1980s, Lewellen co-founded the band Zydeco Ranch, which blended Cajun and zydeco influences with Austin’s club sound.[18] She performed both vocals and washboard, a traditional instrument in zydeco music. The group was featured at the 1986 Austin Music Awards.[19] Zydeco Ranch frequently appeared at Liberty Lunch and at regional music festivals.[20]
Laff Staff and comedy (1987–1990s)
Lewellen joined the Austin improv troupe Laff Staff in the late 1980s, performing regularly at The Laff Stop.[18][21] A Chronicle photo retrospective also identified her as part of an earlier improv group, the Hilarions, active in 1984.[21] She later performed sketch comedy with the troupe Jokers Wild.[22][23] In 2008, Lewellen appeared at the Velveeta Room’s 20th-anniversary celebration, honoring Austin’s long-running comedy scene.[24]
Miss Ima Butt
Under the satirical persona Miss Ima Butt, Lewellen wrote and sang humorous country songs. In a 1997 Austin Chronicle retrospective on former Esther’s Follies performers, she was listed as “Best known for: 'Ima Butt,' 'Blandscrew Sisters,’” referring to her most recognized roles within the troupe.[22]
Acting
Lewellen appeared in the independent film Never Leave Nevada (1990), credited under the name “De Llewelyn,” portraying the character Yola Pearlstein.[25] The film was screened at the Sundance Film Festival.[26] She later took on the role of Blanch in the 2012 film Spring Eddy.[27]
Career timeline
- 1977 – Performed in the debut season of Esther’s Follies as a member of the original troupe
- Late 1970s – Performed with The Blandscrew Sisters (Shannon Sedwick, De Lewellen, and Linda Wetherby), a spin-off vocal trio from Esther’s Follies
- 1979 – Formed D-Day; co-wrote debut single “Too Young to Date”
- 1981 – Ranked #3 Best Female Vocalist, Austin Music Awards[15]
- 1982 – Released “Right to Know”; taped for New Wave Theatre in Los Angeles; signed with A&M and recorded in England with producer Bob Sargeant
- 1982 – D-Day opened for Talking Heads in Austin and Dallas (per journalist Michael Corcoran)[17]
- 1982–83 – Ranked #5 Best New Wave Band (D-Day), Austin Music Awards[28]
- 1983 – D-Day won Best New Wave Band, Austin Music Awards[29]; A&M released the D-Day LP
- 1986 – Co-founded Zydeco Ranch; group recognized at Austin Music Awards[19]
- 1987 – Joined improv troupe Laff Staff at The Laff Stop in Austin
- Late 1980s – Performed sketch comedy with Jokers Wild
- 1990 – Portrayed Yola Pearlstein in the independent film Never Leave Nevada (credited as “De Llewelyn”); film selected for Sundance Film Festival[26]
- 1997 – Profiled in Austin Chronicle retrospective; noted for persona “Miss Ima Butt”[22]
- 2004 – Named in Austin Chronicle Music Awards “Class of ’78” reunion[30]
- 2012 – Portrayed Blanch in the independent film Spring Eddy[27]
See also
- Esther's Follies
- Music of Austin
- The Laff Stop
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hernandez, Raoul (July 26, 2002). "The Punkaroos". The Austin Chronicle.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Meat Joy Finds Their Way Back". KUTX. June 16, 2023.
- ↑ Brenner, Wayne Alan (July 16, 2021). "Esther's Follies Returns to Lighten Austin's Post-Pandemic Load". The Austin Chronicle.
- ↑ "Velveeta Room". The Austin Chronicle.
- ↑ Faires, Robert (October 10, 1997). "Pool Partiers: Taking Stock of the Esther's Follies Families". The Austin Chronicle.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Follies Faithfuls". The Austin Chronicle. July 14, 1995.
- ↑ "Cindy & Friends". The Austin Chronicle. April 4, 2014.
- ↑ Faires, Robert (September 22, 2023). "Free Show! Esther's Follies Pays Tribute to Lyova Rosanoff". The Austin Chronicle.
- ↑ "In Memoriam: George Wilkerson". The Austin Chronicle. June 17, 2020.
- ↑ "Blandscrew Sisters at Austin Country". Connections. April 11, 1980.
- ↑ "Listings". This Week in Texas. June 13, 1980.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 When We Were Young and There Were Rats on the Wall: Punk in Austin, the Raul's Years (PDF) (Report). Texas State University. p. 11.
- ↑ "Bill Carlson Rediscovers… D-Day "Too Young to Date"" (PDF). Discoveries. December 2004. pp. 52–53.
- ↑ "Music Listings – D-Day" (PDF). The Austin Chronicle (PDF). July 8, 1982.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "The Austin Chronicle, Vol. 1, No. 14" (PDF) (PDF). March 5, 1982.
- ↑ "Day of Reckoning – Austin group D-Day in London studio for A&M debut" (PDF). Cash Box. July 23, 1983. p. 29.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Corcoran, Michael (March 31, 2020). "Talking Heads in Austin". MichaelCorcoran.net.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 "Esther's Gene Pool". The Austin Chronicle. October 10, 1997.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Austin Music Awards 1986 – Best Performing Bands".
- ↑ "The Reivers – Gigs". Reivers.org. March 4, 2024.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Brenner, Wayne Alan (January 26, 2001). "Livin' Lavaca Loca: Laughing It Up at the Comedy Workshop". The Austin Chronicle.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 "Where Are They Now?". The Austin Chronicle. October 10, 1997.
- ↑ "Bill Carlson Rediscovers… D-Day "Too Young to Date"" (PDF). Discoveries. December 2004. pp. 52–53.
- ↑ Faires, Robert (June 13, 2008). "The Velveeta Room: Vive la Difference de le Fromage!". The Austin Chronicle.
- ↑ "Never Leave Nevada (1990)". IMDb.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 "Film Festival Schedule". Deseret News. January 25, 1990.
- ↑ 27.0 27.1 "Spring Eddy (2012) – full credits". IMDb.
- ↑ "Best New Wave: Standing Waves (D-Day #5)".
- ↑ "D-Day – Best New Wave (Winner)".
- ↑ Gray, Christopher (March 19, 2004). "2003–04 Austin Music Awards (Class of '78 reunion)". The Austin Chronicle.
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