Frances Taylor Davis

Frances Taylor Davis (September 28, 1929 – November 17, 2018) was an American dancer and actress who was a member of the Katherine Dunham Company, and the first African American ballerina to perform with the Paris Opera Ballet. Taylor also appeared in the Off-Broadway productions of Carmen Jones and Porgy and Bess. At the peak of her career, she left Broadway to marry jazz musician Miles Davis. Her instructor encouraged her to audition for the Edna McRae School of the Dance, where she became the only African American student. While attending the school, Taylor met dancer and choreographer Katherine Dunham who offered her a scholarship to study dance with the Katherine Dunham Company. She performed with Benny Goodman at the London Palladium. She and Davis had met at Ciro's nightclub where she was performing with the Dunham troupe. Three for the Road was about struggling musicians, and avoided the stereotypical portrayals of African-Americans common during that era. The cast included actresses Ruth Attaway and Jane White, as well as Frederick O'Neal who founded the American Negro Theater. A pilot was filmed in the fall of 1953, but the show was postponed and eventually dropped when ABC was unable to get a sponsor.

In 1954, Taylor rejoined the Dunham troupe as a lead dancer for engagements in Rome but later relocated to New York City so she could act on Broadway. She was credited as Elizabeth Taylor (using her middle name) because there was already an actress named Frances Taylor.

Taylor appeared in Off-Broadway productions of Porgy and Bess and Carmen Jones at New York City Center.

Jet magazine reported in April 1958 that Taylor quit the production to pursue a singing-dancing career, but she later revealed that she was dating jazz musician Miles Davis who forced her to quit in March 1958. According to Taylor, Davis said "A woman should be with her man. I want you out of West Side Story."

When Davis married Taylor in December 1959, When she traveled back to Chicago, Davis was also in town for gigs. Taylor introduced Davis to her family; Miles asked Frances' father for her hand in marriage, to which her father said, "No." Taylor also rejected Miles' proposal. Durand was of Haitian descent and also a member of the Katherine Dunham troupe; he and Frances met in Argentina in 1954. Taylor and Davis were married in Toledo, Ohio on December 21, 1959.

Taylor became Davis' muse, influencing his change in musical direction. Davis wrote "Fran Dance" for Taylor; it appears on his album Jazz Track (1959). Her role in the musical Porgy and Bess inspired his album Porgy and Bess (1959). Taylor filed for divorce in 1966 and it was finalized in 1968. She was interviewed for the documentary Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool; it was released posthumously in 2019.

Taylor had a relationship with George Barrie, CEO of Fabergé. Taylor alleged that Kitt attacked her after they had drinks at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Death Taylor died at the age of 89 on November 17, 2018. She was survived by her son Jean-Pierre Durand, stepdaughter Cheryl Davis, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

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