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Winifred Atwell

Una Winifred Atwell (c. 1914 – 28 February 1983) was a Trinidadian-born and entertainer who achieved pioneering success in the during the 1950s, specializing in , , and styles played on an upright piano she dubbed her "other piano." Born in Tunapuna, Trinidad, as the daughter of a and a nurse, Atwell initially trained in before relocating to in 1946 to study music, where she honed her skills in classical and popular genres. Her breakthrough came with recordings for , including the instrumental hit "Black and White Rag," which showcased her virtuosic technique and helped propel her to stardom. Atwell became the first artist of African descent to top the with "The Poor People of Paris" in 1954, marking also the first piano instrumental to reach number one, and the first Black artist to sell a million records in the . She amassed over 20 million record sales worldwide across numerous hits, such as "Let's Have a Party" and "Coronation Rag," performing extensively on television, radio, and stage, including at the London Palladium. Later in her career, facing high taxes, she relocated to in the 1960s, where she continued performing and recording until her death from heart disease. Her innovative blend of classical training with accessible influenced subsequent generations of pianists and broke racial barriers in the British entertainment industry.

Early life

Childhood and family

Una Winifred Atwell was born on 27 April 1914 in Tunapuna, near , . She was the only child of a father who owned a local and a mother who worked as a district nurse, providing a stable middle-class environment with access to and practical skills. The family's pharmacy business in Jubilee Street exposed Atwell to pharmaceutical operations from an early age, leading her to receive brief training in the trade as a fallback profession. Atwell's initial interest in music developed in this family setting, where she began playing at a young age, drawing from local Trinidadian sounds and rudimentary self-practice before pursuing structured lessons. Her upbringing emphasized , as the pharmacy's demands and her parents' professional roles fostered practical independence without reliance on support.

Musical training and early influences

Atwell began piano lessons at the age of four under the guidance of her mother in Tunapuna, Trinidad, developing classical proficiency through rigorous daily practice that eventually reached ten hours. By age six, she performed Chopin recitals at charity concerts and began giving piano lessons herself, demonstrating early technical command acquired via repetitive skill-building rather than formal institutional programs. At eight, she served as the official at St. Charles' Roman Catholic Church in Tunapuna, further honing her keyboard technique in a liturgical context. Despite this aptitude, her family, owners of a local , directed her toward a practical career, leading her to train as a to degree level and join the business, reflecting societal pressures prioritizing over artistic pursuits. Her mother's influence tempered classical elitism, encouraging adaptability across styles to engage audiences effectively. During , Atwell performed regularly at the servicemen's club at the U.S. base in , entertaining American and British troops who requested and , genres absent from her initial classical . To meet these demands, she composed and mastered such pieces on the spot, blending them with her technical foundation through practical and audience feedback, marking a causal shift from pure classical focus to hybrid entertainment forms driven by performative viability. By the early 1940s, recognizing music's superior prospects over amid these experiences, Atwell abandoned the family trade for full-time pianism, a decision rooted in demonstrated talent and local validation rather than abstract ideals.

Career in the

Arrival and initial challenges

Winifred Atwell arrived in in 1946 from Trinidad via the , where she had studied piano technique with Borovsky, to enroll at the Royal Academy of Music for classical training. Amid Britain's post-World War , marked by rationing, fuel shortages, and limited employment opportunities until the early 1950s, she supported her studies by performing and in evening gigs at clubs and theatres. These demanding sessions, often in dimly lit, smoke-filled environments, required versatility and endurance, as audiences sought escapist entertainment during economic hardship. Despite achieving the Royal Academy's highest grading for female pianists in musicianship, Atwell encountered barriers to a career in , prompting a pragmatic shift toward popular styles where her technical skill and energetic delivery stood out. Her club appearances refined a approach blending classical precision with rhythmic improvisation, drawing on Trinidadian influences adapted for British variety circuits. This period of financial precarity and stylistic experimentation tested her resolve, yet her merit-based persistence built a local reputation by the late . A pivotal moment came in 1948 at a concert in the London Casino (now the Dominion Theatre), where her performance captivated the audience, leading to discovery by impresario and a long-term . This exposure facilitated her commercial pivot, culminating in signing her for sessions starting in 1951, with initial releases like "Jezebel" gaining traction before broader hits. Through self-reliant adaptation rather than reliance on patronage, Atwell navigated these early hurdles to establish a viable path in .

Breakthrough hits and peak popularity

Atwell's breakthrough came in 1954 with the release of "Let's Have Another Party", a medley of traditional that topped the for five weeks, marking her as the first black artist to achieve a number one hit in . This success followed the earlier popularity of "Black and White Rag" in 1951, which sold over one million copies and earned a gold disc as the first million-selling record by a black artist in the UK, though it predated the official charts' start in 1952. Her energetic and style resonated with post-war audiences seeking light-hearted , evidenced by her accumulating 11 top 10 singles and 51 weeks in the top 10 throughout the . The following year, Atwell secured another chart-topper with "The Poor People of Paris" (also known as "Poor John"), an adaptation of a that held the number one position for three weeks in 1956, further solidifying her commercial dominance as the era's top-selling pianist with reporting weekly exceeding 30,000 discs at her peak. These hits contributed to her overall career surpassing 20 million , a figure driven by her accessible, upbeat repertoire that bridged classical training with popular idioms. Atwell's live performances amplified her popularity, featuring a distinctive dual-piano routine where she alternated between a concert grand for polished renditions and a battered upright rolled onstage for flair, which drew large theater crowds during UK variety tours in the mid-1950s. This format, honed in venues like those hosting revues, empirically enhanced her draw by contrasting sophistication with raw energy, as seen in her frequent appearances on , including her own series The Winifred Atwell Show from 1956, which broadcast her act to mass audiences and reinforced her status as a household name.

Later career

International tours and relocation to Australia

Following her breakthrough in the , Atwell embarked on extensive international tours in the late and , performing across and to enthusiastic crowds that often filled venues to standing-room capacity. These outings capitalized on her established hits, adapting repertoire to local tastes while sustaining demand through her energetic live presentations. Her inaugural tour in 1955, arranged amid peak fame, shattered box-office records on the circuit and extended beyond a year, earning her AUS$5,000 weekly—equivalent to the highest fee for any performer at the time. Atwell's repeated visits to Australia highlighted the country's receptive market, contrasting with waning UK interest by the decade's end. In 1970, she relocated permanently to with her husband, Lew Levisohn, securing residency despite the due to her celebrity status and professional qualifications. This move reflected pragmatic adaptation to sustained opportunities abroad, as her Australian engagements provided stable income amid shifting British preferences. She formalized ties by becoming an Australian citizen in 1981, two years before her death. While occasional UK ties persisted, her career emphasis shifted decisively to , where she prioritized local performances through the 1970s.

Performances and recordings in Australia

Atwell's first tour of commenced in February 1955, under the management of Jack Neary, who described her as the first superstar he encountered and noted the enthusiastic reception at venues including the Tivoli Theatre in , where performances elicited prolonged curtain calls. The 14-week itinerary achieved complete sell-outs across its stops, capitalizing on her international renown from prior and recordings. Subsequent visits reinforced her appeal, with a third tour in 1960 featuring a recorded television series that amplified her visibility on Australian broadcasts. She headlined at prominent sites such as the circuit, where earlier shows had set attendance benchmarks, and in 1964 delivered an impromptu rendition of "" for workers at the construction site. Regional engagements extended to locales like and , utilizing local theaters and music stores for intimate performances. Establishing residency in 's Narrabeen area from the late , Atwell sustained activity through a 25-year presence, incorporating local backing ensembles such as elements of the Australian the Cherokees for tours and shows. She became a fixture on television variety programs, including regular spots that showcased her virtuosity, culminating in a 1978 edition of This Is Your Life taped at Channel 7 studios in and her retirement appearance on The Mike Walsh Show in 1981. Recordings during this period included live captures like At the Silver Spade (1965), taped at the Chevron Hotel in , blending her signature with audience interaction. Australian-market albums such as Queen of (1967) and Chartbusters (1968) adapted her repertoire for local distribution, prioritizing upbeat rags and medleys suited to antipodean variety circuits over experimental shifts. Performances at venues like Concert Hall in 1975 further evidenced her enduring draw, with crowds responding to familiar hits amid her established stage persona.

Musical style

Piano techniques and repertoire

Winifred Atwell's piano techniques drew from her classical training at London's in 1946, which she integrated with and conventions to create a propulsive, audience-engaging style. Central to her method were rapid left-hand ostinatos forming the rolling bass lines typical of , establishing a steady, percussive rhythm that underpinned her improvisational flair. In parallel, her right-hand work featured syncopation, with off-beat accents in melodic lines that amplified rhythmic drive and syncopated tension, fostering an irrepressible forward momentum suited to and contexts. Atwell accentuated her playing with a detuned upright , acquired in 1951 for 50 shillings, where the 'C' notes were slightly flattened to produce a characteristic resonance—raw, buzzing, and percussive—enhancing projection in unamplified venues. Her emphasis on brisk tempos and forceful dynamics prioritized visceral impact over interpretive delicacy, enabling her performances to cut through the noise of live audiences in pubs, theaters, and halls where electronic amplification remained rudimentary. This approach, often on an upright instrument contrasting a grand reserved for formal recitals, optimized acoustic presence and tactile excitement, as evidenced by the foot-stamping responses her ragtime-boogie fusions elicited. Her repertoire bridged classical pieces with popular idioms, including adaptations of Franz Liszt's Liebestraum No. 3 and Sergei Rachmaninoff's Prelude in C-sharp Minor, alongside originals like the "Cross Hands Boogie" (1951) and ragtime standards such as George Botsford's "" (her 1951 recording). Atwell shone in medleys of music-hall and contemporary pop tunes, such as "Let's Have Another Party" (1956), which she infused with syncopation and vigor to sustain an upbeat, festive character, eschewing melancholic or introspective selections in favor of rhythmically charged ensembles that mirrored audience preferences for communal revelry.

Innovations and stage persona

Atwell employed a dual-piano configuration in her live shows, utilizing a Steinway grand for classical segments and a detuned, battered upright —sourced from a London junk shop—for ragtime and boogie-woogie numbers. This setup facilitated mid-performance transitions, often prefaced by her announcement, "now I'm going to play my other piano," allowing seamless shifts between refined tones and the tinny, percussive resonance required for honky-tonk authenticity. The arrangement introduced visual and sonic variety, transforming static keyboard recitals into multifaceted spectacles that highlighted her technical versatility. Complementing this instrumental innovation, Atwell's onstage presence featured sustained energy, broad smiles, and spontaneous interactions that mitigated the piano's inherent immobility. She cultivated a cheerful, engaging through playful winks and invitations for audiences to join the "party" vibe of her medleys, as seen in her variety theatre routines from the mid-1950s onward. This approach generated immediate responses, such as extended applause and curtain calls, by injecting vitality into performances and drawing spectators into participatory enjoyment. Atwell further enhanced her performative impact with confident attire, including glamorous gowns like a £200 gold lamé evening dress, paired with furs and jewelry. These choices projected poise and extravagance, aligning with the visual demands of variety circuits while underscoring her adaptability to audiences in restrained postwar settings.

Reception and legacy

Commercial achievements and awards

Atwell's recordings sold over 20 million copies worldwide, establishing her as one of the most commercially successful pianists of the mid-20th century. She accumulated more than 117 weeks on the charts across multiple entries. Her 1956 single "Let's Have Another Party" earned a gold disc for exceeding one million units sold, marking the first such for a black artist in the . Atwell remains the only artist to hold two gold discs and two silver discs specifically for piano instrumentals in . She was the first black performer to top the , achieving this milestone with "Let's Have Another Party" on December 2, 1956, and was the inaugural black artist in the UK to sell a million records. By 1954, her hits including "Black and White Rag" and "Let's Have a Party" made her the first British recording artist to secure three consecutive million-selling singles. These feats underscored her dominance in the piano instrumental market during the 1950s. In recognition of her contributions, Atwell received Trinidad and Tobago's Gold Hummingbird Medal in 1969. Posthumously, unveiled a at her former residence, 18 Bourdon Street, on October 1, 2025, commemorating her as the first black artist to achieve a number-one single and her overall record sales.

Critical views and cultural impact

Winifred Atwell garnered contemporary praise for her exuberant piano style, which ignited a surge in popularity for piano music within British pop during the 1950s, exemplified by her initiation of the honky-tonk craze through hits like "Let's Have Another Party" in 1954. Her medleys of and standards, performed with infectious energy on her signature "other piano"—a beaten-up upright for that distinctive tinny sound—appealed broadly, topping charts and filling variety theaters. Critics from jazz purist perspectives, however, later critiqued Atwell's oeuvre as superficial novelty, emphasizing and sales over improvisational depth or authenticity, leading to her marginalization in jazz narratives despite commercial dominance with over 20 million records sold. This retrospective view framed her rapid-fire technique and stage antics as quaint commercialism rather than innovative artistry, contrasting with initial acclaim for revitalizing piano accessibility amid rising rock influences. Atwell's cultural footprint lay in proving black performers could dominate mainstream UK entertainment via merit and crowd-pleasing repertoire, sans explicit activism; her 1954 number-one single marked the first for a black artist, achieved through stylistic verve that white pianists like replicated for parallel successes in the late 1950s honky-tonk wave. Though confronting discrimination—more acutely in the US than UK—her variety show appearances and television slots normalized diverse talent in postwar British leisure, prioritizing universal joy over identity narratives and debunking claims of insurmountable racial hurdles by evidencing genre-driven breakthroughs.

Influence on musicians and recent honors

Winifred Atwell's dynamic and techniques influenced key figures in , particularly through her high-energy performances and dual-piano stage setups. credited her recordings with sparking his interest in during childhood, stating that her music was among the first he encountered that motivated him to play. Similarly, of described Atwell's television appearances as formative, praising her virtuosic style and showmanship, which he emulated in his own work after watching her as a 12-year-old. These endorsements trace a direct pedagogical lineage, with Atwell's flourishes and rhythmic drive echoed in rock piano traditions, though broader adoption in calypso-infused genres appears more indirect, stemming from her Trinidadian roots rather than explicit artist citations. Atwell's barrier-crossing success, achieved through technical prowess rather than institutional advocacy, continues to resonate in archival revivals and compilations, sustaining interest without spawning large-scale contemporary reinterpretations. In October 2025, unveiled a at her former residence of 18 Bourdon Street, , on 1 October, commemorating her as the first black artist to top the with "Black and White Rag" in 1953. This honor, supported by institutions like the Royal Academy of Music where she trained, underscores her enduring recognition for skill-driven innovation amid mid-20th-century racial constraints.

Personal life and death

Marriage and family

Atwell married Reginald Levisohn, known professionally as Lew Levisohn and a former variety , shortly after meeting him in 1946. The couple wed in in 1947 and resided together in properties including a address during the 1950s and 1960s. They had no children. The only child of a father—who owned a —and a district nurse mother in Tunapuna, Trinidad, Atwell preserved links to her Trinidadian roots and despite her international career. Relatives in Trinidad expressed pride in posthumous honors accorded to her in , indicating ongoing familial recognition of her heritage.

Health issues and final years

In 1980, Atwell suffered a that significantly impaired her and performing ability. This event prompted her official retirement from public performances the following year, announced during an appearance on The Mike Walsh Show, Australia's highest-rated television program at the time. Atwell continued residing in , where she had settled permanently after extensive tours in the late 1950s and her husband's death in 1978. Her final years involved limited public activity, with performances becoming sparse following her retirement; she was granted full Australian citizenship in 1981 amid her declining health. On an unspecified date in early 1983, an electrical fire destroyed Atwell's apartment in the Sydney suburb of Narrabeen, displacing her temporarily to stay with friends in Seaforth. While there, she suffered a heart attack on 28 February 1983 and died at age 69 (or 73, per varying birth records). She was buried alongside her husband in South Gundurimba Cemetery, .

Discography

Albums

Winifred Atwell produced a series of albums centered on her interpretations of , , and medleys of popular tunes, with releases spanning the to the on labels including Decca and London Records. Her output encompassed approximately 20 albums, many featuring her dual-piano setup and energetic performances, though early works often appeared as 10-inch LPs or extended-play formats before transitioning to full 12-inch long-playing records. Early albums emphasized her core repertoire of rags and boogies. Seven Rags, Seven Boogies (1956, London Records) collected seven compositions alongside seven tracks, showcasing Atwell's rhythmic precision and improvisational flair on . This was followed by Around the World in 80 Tunes (1958), which incorporated global musical influences adapted to her style. In the 1960s, Atwell's recordings shifted toward live and regionally focused projects, particularly during her time in Australia. At the Silver Spade (1965), a live recorded at the Chevron Hotel in , captured her performances with an emphasis on party-style medleys and audience interaction. Other Australian-market LPs, such as Boogie with Winifred Atwell (Decca, mid-1960s), featured localized productions highlighting her adaptability to regional audiences. Queen of (1967) further exemplified her dedication to upbeat, piano-driven instrumentals. Post-1970s releases were predominantly compilations aggregating her earlier singles and tracks into thematic collections, such as Honky Tonk Boogie (2005 reissue), which repackaged her essentials for renewed interest. These later efforts maintained the instrumental focus of her original catalog without new studio material.

Singles and notable recordings

Winifred Atwell's singles career featured numerous releases, primarily in medley format, emphasizing her piano style and versatility across genres. She recorded approximately 16 chart singles in the during the , with medleys like those incorporating and party tunes dominating her output. Her breakthrough came with "Black and White Rag" in 1953, an energetic rendition of George Botsford's 1908 composition that sold over one million copies and earned a gold disc, though it peaked at number 17 on pre-chart rankings. This track became her signature piece, frequently featured in live performances and radio play. Follow-up "Let's Have a Party" (1953), another medley, entered the on 4 December 1953 and reached a peak position in the top five, spending nine weeks in the top 10 into 1954. Atwell secured her first UK number-one single with "Let's Have Another Party" in 1954, a sequel medley that held the top spot for four weeks as the first instrumental chart-topper by a female artist and the first by a black performer. Her second number one, "The Poor People of Paris" (1956), an adaptation of a , topped the chart for three weeks from 13 April to 4 May, marking another million-seller and her status as the first black artist to achieve a summit with this release. Other notable UK top-10 singles included "Let's Have a Ball" and "Flirtation Waltz," contributing to her total of 11 top-10 entries and 15 top-40 hits, with cumulative weeks in the top 40 exceeding 117. Internationally, variants like "Let's Rock 'n' Roll" charted in , reflecting her appeal in markets. Atwell occasionally ventured into classical singles, such as adaptations of Rachmaninoff, but these achieved limited commercial success compared to her popular medleys.

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