Damita Jo DeBlanc
A vivacious singer and comedienne who brought sass and soul to the Las Vegas stage and the early days of rock 'n' roll.
1930–1998 (age 68)·American singer·Birthday: August 5·The Silent Generation
Biography
Damita Jo was a spark of glamour and wit in mid-century American entertainment. Born Damita Jo DeBlanc, she first gained attention as a blues and pop vocalist, her powerful voice landing her a contract with Decca Records. She thrived in the vibrant club scene, but her true home became the Las Vegas strip, where she headlined as a singer and comedienne in lavish casino revues throughout the 1950s and 60s. She had a keen comic timing and a saucy stage persona that played perfectly to lounges filled with Sinatra's 'Rat Pack' crowd. While her recording career yielded hits like 'I'll Save the Last Dance for You,' her legacy is that of a consummate live performer—a bridge between classic blues belters and the new, more playful era of Vegas entertainment. Her later years saw her continue performing on cruise ships and in clubs, a testament to her enduring appeal.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Damita was born in 1930, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Damita Was Born
The biggest hits of 1930
#1 Movie
All Quiet on the Western Front
Best Picture
All Quiet on the Western Front
Damita's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1930Born
Pluto discovered
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,510President: Herbert Hoover"Body and Soul" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: All Quiet on the Western Front
1935Started school
Social Security Act signed into law
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,450President: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Cheek to Cheek" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Mutiny on the Bounty
1943Became a teenager
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1946Could drive
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1948Could vote
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1951Turned 21
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1960Turned 30
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 40
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 50
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 60
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1998Died at 68
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
Key Achievements
- Charted with her signature song 'I'll Save the Last Dance for You' in 1960.
- Headlined major Las Vegas venues like the Sahara Hotel and the Dunes during the city's entertainment golden age.
- Performed on national television programs including 'The Ed Sullivan Show' and 'The Tonight Show.'
Did You Know?
She was sometimes billed as 'The Female Sinatra' for her popular renditions of his songs.
Her stage name was inspired by a friend's suggestion to combine her first name with the middle name of her then-husband, football star Dick 'Night Train' Lane.
She was married to her manager, James 'Biddy' Wood, for over three decades until her death.
“I'm a singer, not a sex symbol, but I'll wear the gowns and sing the blues.”
