Amist the Black Eyes

Shirley Lewis (February 25, 1937 – May 5, 2013)

Shirley Lewis — also known professionally as Shirley Granger, Shirley Fay, and later Shirley Ann Hamilton — was a gospel-rooted blues and soul vocalist whose career bridged New Jersey church music, Vancouver’s waterfront performance culture, and the New England blues circuit.

Born in Sicklerville, New Jersey, on February 25, 1937, to Alma and James Lewis Sr., Shirley grew up in a large musical family. Her father was of Hopi heritage, and from the age of four she was singing with her brothers as part of the Lewis Gospel Singers. The church was her first stage, and gospel was her first language. That early training forged the vocal power that would define her life: a voice steeped in spiritual conviction, capable of both tenderness and rafter-raising force.

By the early 1960s she had moved beyond the church circuit and into professional blues performance, reportedly being discovered by a band seeking a vocalist to open for B.B. King. From that point forward, she toured extensively across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, sharing stages with artists such as B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Ruth Brown. Her style fused gospel intensity with deep blues phrasing and the rhythmic confidence of soul.

In the late 1960s she recorded in the United States under the name Shirley Granger, issuing singles such as You Belong to Me b/w Respect (Flight 7, 1969) and Givin’ Up (The One I Love) b/w I Need You (Shirl-Ann). These recordings document her early crossover between gospel, funk, and soul idioms, already displaying the commanding vocal presence that would become her signature.

During the 1970s Shirley relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia — a significant chapter in her career and one that firmly places her within the broader Canadian musical story. There she performed regularly aboard the 92-foot staysail schooner Black Eyes, owned by her and her then-husband Alexander Galbraith-Hamilton. Sailing out of Gastown into English Bay, the vessel became both performance venue and symbol — live blues and jazz drifting across the water.

Her LP Black Eyes, recorded at SGM Studios in Vancouver and released in 1977, captured this period. Blending soul, gospel medley, standards, and original compositions written under the name Shirley Fay, the album stands as a rare and unusual artifact of British Columbia soul recording culture.

According to maritime accounts, Shirley and Hamilton were the original owners of the schooner, and the financial strain of producing the LP contributed to the vessel changing hands. The Black Eyes was subsequently acquired by recording artist and producer Stan Cayer, owner of S.G.M. Records Ltd., whose résumé included early promotional work for Terry and Susan Jacks.

Cayer’s stewardship added another remarkable chapter to the vessel’s story. He sailed the schooner down the Pacific coast, through the Panama Canal, up the Amazon River, and back — reportedly single-handing the return voyage from Panama to Vancouver. The ship later sailed charter dive groups to the Gulf Islands and featured a distinctive midship “moon pool” allowing divers to enter the water from inside the hull, a 10 CFM JMAR air compressor, and a Gardiner LW6 diesel engine. In later years the vessel lay at anchor in Mannion Bay on Bowen Island, becoming part of local nautical lore.

The album Black Eyes — sometimes described in maritime sources as a 1970s soul/funk LP tied directly to the schooner — cemented the unusual fusion of seafaring culture and Canadian blues performance that defined this period of Shirley’s life.

By the late 1980s Shirley had settled in Massachusetts, where she became a cornerstone of the regional blues community around Newburyport and the greater Boston area. Known as “The Regal Queen of the Blues,” she was celebrated for performances that were equal parts revival meeting and blues showcase. In 1989 she won the Battle of the Blues Bands at Harpers Ferry, and in 2001 she received a Blues Trust Lifetime Achievement Award at the Boston Blues Festival. She was also twice nominated for Outstanding Blues Act at the Boston Music Awards.

Beyond music, Shirley was known for her generosity, spirituality, and dedication to charitable causes. She performed at numerous benefit concerts supporting women’s shelters and musicians displaced by Hurricane Katrina. In her later years she remained active, including a 2012 streaming release under the name Shirley Lewis Show Band, reaffirming her lifelong commitment to blues and gospel performance.

Shirley Lewis passed away peacefully on May 5, 2013, in Newton, Massachusetts, following a courageous battle with cervical cancer. She was 76 years old. Annual “Shirley Lewis Days” in Newburyport and the Shirley Lewis “Living the Blues” Foundation continue her legacy, supporting women’s shelters and scholarships for aspiring blues artists.
-Robert Williston

Musicians
Shirley Granger: vocals
Louise Martin: drums
Gary O’Bray: drums
Dick Smith: tenor saxophone
Major Platt: grand piano
Tom Mohr: electric bass
Henry Young: electric guitar
Holly Burke: flute, alto saxophone
Clive Gard: electric piano, grand piano, key bass
Alexander Galbraith-Hamilton: narration

Songwriting
‘Black Eyes (Ship Of)’ written by Shirley Fay
‘Givin’ Up The Man I Love’ written by Shirley Fay
‘Stormy Weather’ written by Ted Koehler and Harold Arlen
‘Gospel Medley’ traditional (Swing Low Sweet Chariot / Amen / Michael Row Your Boat Ashore / He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands)
‘I Need You’ written by Shirley Fay
‘Country Feelin’’ written by Shirley Fay
‘Shake A Hand’ written by Joe Morris
‘The Lady Is A Tramp’ written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart

Production
Produced by Shirl-Ann Productions
Recorded by Stan Cayer
Recorded at SGM Studios, Vancouver, British Columbia

Artwork
Cover photo by John Tincombe
Back drawing by Paul Reeves
Shirley’s photos by John Helcermanas

Notes
Songs 1, 2, 5 and 6 published by Astral Music © 1977
Special acknowledgement and thanks to K.A.W. Long
Thanks to Alexander Galbraith-Hamilton, skipper and owner of the Black Eyes, for vocal narration on ‘Black Eyes’

Manufacturing
Manufactured by IBC, Vancouver, British Columbia