Savannah (actress)

Savannah
Savannah in 1993
Born	Shannon Michelle Wilsey[1] (1970-10-09)October 9, 1970[2] Laguna Beach, California, USA[2]
Died	July 11, 1994(1994-07-11) (aged 23)[2] Burbank, California, USA
Other names	Silver Cane, Silver Kane,[2] Savanah, Silver
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)[2]
Weight	105 lb (48 kg; 7.5 st)[2]
No. of adult films	122 (per IAFD)[2]

Shannon Michelle Wilsey (October 9, 1970 – July 11, 1994), better known by her stage name Savannah, was an American pornographic film actress who starred in over 100 videos during her career. One of the most prominent Adult industry models of her time, she achieved notoriety within her short (1990–1994) career due to her onscreen presence and personal life.^[1] In January 2002, AVN ranked her at #19 on their list of the top 50 porn stars of all time.^[3]

Wilsey reportedly took her stage name from Savannah Smiles (1982), a movie she enjoyed.^[4] She died in 1994 in the hospital after a suicide attempt.

Career

Wilsey was introduced to the adult film industry by actor and director Rex Cabo.^[5] She signed an exclusive contract with Vivid Entertainment in 1991 and became one of the earliest Vivid Girls. Wilsey began using drugs and spending large amounts of money, and she reportedly had severe financial troubles despite her substantial income. She also garnered a reputation for being temperamental,^[6] leading Vivid to sever its association with her in 1992.

Wilsey also appeared in a variety of minor roles in B movies (mostly comedy, horror and/or scifi) wherein she was credited with her real name. These roles included The Invisible Maniac (1990)^[7] and Camp Fear (1991).^[8]

She also had a credit for her performance on a soundtrack in the video The Spectacle (1991).^[9] Wilsey had a role in the video as well.^[10]

Even after her death, Wilsey continued to appear via archival footage. She appeared as Santana on Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater when the show aired Sorority House Massacre II (October 1994).^[11] This continued with Sinderella and Where the Boys Aren't: Part IV - Boarding House Blues, Too (1995), plus Direct Dial (1997).^[9] As recently as 2012, archival footage has been used to release new adult videos.^[9]

Personal life

In 1972, when she was two, Wilsey's parents divorced. She grew up in Texas with her mother and then, after a brief stay with her father in Oxnard, CA, lived with her grandparents in Mission Viejo, where she became a high school cheerleader. Her manager, Nancy Pera, said Wilsey told her that her childhood was unhappy and she had been molested. Wilsey's father, Mike, said his daughter never told him about any such abuse.^[12]

Wilsey began dating rock star Gregg Allman while still in high school and eventually went on tour with him for several years. After returning to California, she decided on a career in the entertainment industry. Her symmetrical good looks, enhanced by two separate breast enlargements and her pale blonde hair, brought her to the attention of Vivid Video in Van Nuys, where she was signed as a contract Vivid Girl.^[12]

In a video interview for Vivid, Wilsey stated that the first time she saw "erotic material" was when she was "snooping through her parents' things" and found some magazines. She later stated that she used to watch porn videos with her boyfriend on his tour bus (presumably referring to Allman).^[13][14]

Wilsey became involved in a long-term relationship with fellow pornographic actress Jeanna Fine, with whom she later claimed to have fallen deeply in love.^[15] In a 1999 interview, following the airing of the E! True Hollywood Story about Wilsey's life and death, Fine commented: "We had an ongoing, on-again, off-again, volatile, loving relationship. At that time I was having a lot of problems myself. Between [male porn actor] Sikki Nixx and Savannah pushing and pulling, I pretty much at one point ran away from them both. I couldn't take it any longer. But I feel I left her behind when she needed me most. It's very sad."^[16]

Savannah also had relationships with singer Billy Idol, Mötley Crüe member Vince Neil, bassist Billy Sheehan, comedian Pauly Shore,^[17] guitarist Slash,^[17] and actor Mark Wahlberg,^[13][18] According to an interview with Adult Video News, Wilsey stated: "I love sex and I love sex with rockers more than anything else..."^[1]

Death

Wilsey committed suicide in 1994 by shooting herself after a car accident.^[1][17][19] On the evening of July 11, 1994, Wilsey was involved in an auto accident with her Corvette, wherein she reportedly broke her nose and injured her face. Upset over the accident, she went home to Universal City, asked a friend to walk her dog, and then called her manager, Nancy Pera. It was Pera who later discovered Wilsey in the garage of Wilsey's home.^[1]

Wilsey did not die immediately; she died hours later in the hospital, after her father decided to shut down her life support systems once it became obvious that she would not survive her injury.^[1][12] Wilsey's ex-boyfriend, comedian Pauly Shore, stated that he was with her when she died in St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank.^[20]

Wilsey's funeral, two days later, was attended by friends, family, and limited numbers of adult industry associates. Shore was the only one of her ex-boyfriends to attend the service.^[1] Of Wilsey, Shore said, "She was the nicest, most beautiful girl I ever met ... [her death] was a very dramatic thing for me." When asked why she killed herself, he said, "She became Savannah. She became her character, who was into drugs, and needed reassurance all the time. She forgot who Shannon was ... I knew she wanted out [of the porn business]."^[20]

Wilsey's death was the third high-profile suicide in the adult industry.^[1] After her death, Bill Margold founded Protecting Adult Welfare (P.A.W.), a non-profit organization that provides counseling for adult performers in need.^[21]

Legacy

Film

After her death, Wilsey was profiled in two different documentaries:

• The Playboy Entertainment Group produced Playboy: The Story of X (1998), which featured archival footage of her.^[22]
• The E! True Hollywood Story: "Savannah" (October 31, 1999) is dedicated to Wilsey's early life, family, career, and unexpected death.^[23]

Music

Songs that pay homage to Wilsey include:

• "Savannah Smiles" and "Shannon Wilsey on the Starry Stairs" by Okkervil River
• "Savannah: Flights of Ecstasy" by Sheavy^[24]

Publications

• OC Weekly (February 2014) featured Wilsey, remembering her as not only an Orange County resident, but as well as "Arguably the first superstar porn goddess of the 1990s".^[25]

Awards

• 1992 AVN Award – Best New Starlet^[26]
• 1996 AVN Hall of Fame inductee^[27]

Mainstream filmography

See also

• List of pornographic actors who appeared in mainstream films

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Savannah (pornographic actress).

• Savannah at Find a Grave
• Savannah at the Internet Movie Database
• Savannah at the Internet Adult Film Database
• Savannah at the Adult Film Database
• Savannah: Fallen Angel