Etta Drucille Guyse, known as Sheila Guyse (July 14, 1925 â€" December
28, 2013), was a popular African-American singer, actress, and
recording artist, performing on stage and screen during the 1940s and
1950s.Sheila Guyse was born on July 14, 1925, in Forest, Mississippi.
She moved with her parents in 1945 to Manhattan, New York City, where
she worked at a dime store on 125th Street, across from the Apollo
Theater.Guyse first got her start in show business by performing in
amateur shows, as was common among black performers. She made
nightclub debut in 1945 at Club Zombie in Detroit.Guyse had a sultry
"girl-next-door" appeal which she showcased in three independent
all-Black films (so-called "race films") of the late 1940s: Boy
(1947), Sepia Cinderella (1947, co-starring with Billy Daniels), and
Miracle in Harlem (1948) giving impressive performances in all of
them. She also appeared in the "Harlem Follies of 1949" and in a 1957
television adaptation of the play The Green Pastures.
28, 2013), was a popular African-American singer, actress, and
recording artist, performing on stage and screen during the 1940s and
1950s.Sheila Guyse was born on July 14, 1925, in Forest, Mississippi.
She moved with her parents in 1945 to Manhattan, New York City, where
she worked at a dime store on 125th Street, across from the Apollo
Theater.Guyse first got her start in show business by performing in
amateur shows, as was common among black performers. She made
nightclub debut in 1945 at Club Zombie in Detroit.Guyse had a sultry
"girl-next-door" appeal which she showcased in three independent
all-Black films (so-called "race films") of the late 1940s: Boy
(1947), Sepia Cinderella (1947, co-starring with Billy Daniels), and
Miracle in Harlem (1948) giving impressive performances in all of
them. She also appeared in the "Harlem Follies of 1949" and in a 1957
television adaptation of the play The Green Pastures.
Share this
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
SUBSCRIBE OUR NEWSLETTER
Join us for free and get valuable content delivered right through your inbox.