Sybil Christopher

Sybil Christopher (née Williams; 27 March 1929 – 7 March 2013), formerly known as Sybil Burton, was a Welsh actress, theatre director, and founder of popular celebrity New York nightclub "Arthur".^[1] She came into the public eye as the first wife of Richard Burton.^[2]

Sybil Christopher
Christopher in 1955
Born	Sybil Williams (1929-03-27)27 March 1929 Tylorstown, Mid Glamorgan, Wales
Died	7 March 2013(2013-03-07) (aged 83) Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Alma mater	London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupations	Actress theatre director nightclub owner
Years active	1946–2013
Spouses	Richard Burton ​ ​ (m. 1949; div. 1963)​ Jordan Christopher ​ ​ (m. 1965; died 1996)​
Children	3, including Kate Burton

Biography

Sybil Williams was born on 27 March 1929, in Tylorstown, Mid Glamorgan, Wales.^[3] She attended the London Academy of Dramatic Arts (LAMDA), meeting Richard Burton during the filming of The Last Days of Dolwyn (1949).^[1] After their marriage, she retired from acting, performing only a few times, and generally on stage rather than on film.^[1] The marriage ended famously in 1963, when Burton began an affair with Elizabeth Taylor. She divorced Burton in 1963 on grounds of "abandonment and cruel and inhumane treatment",^[4] receiving a $1 million settlement and custody of their children.^[5]

In 1965, Burton founded a nightclub in Manhattan at 154 East 54th Street, the site of El Morocco; numerous celebrities and well-known artists contributed, including Julie Andrews, Leonard Bernstein, Roddy McDowall, and Stephen Sondheim.^[1] "Arthur", as the club was known, (the precursor to Studio 54) became a popular nightclub for celebrities during its short tenure (1965–69).^[1] Frequent habitués included Truman Capote, Wilt Chamberlain, Roger Daltrey, Princess Margaret, Rudolf Nureyev, Lee Remick, Andy Warhol, Angela Lansbury and Tennessee Williams.^[1][5] D.J. Terry Noel claimed to have invented "mixing" in the club, layering music from two separate turntables.^[4]

Christopher then returned to theatre, founding the New Theatre on 54th Street in New York, and Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor in 1991.^[1]

Family

Christopher had two daughters with Richard Burton, Katherine "Kate" Burton (b. 10 September 1957) and Jessica Burton (b. 1959).^[6] In 1965 in Manhattan, New York City she married Jordan Christopher, a singer and actor, and the couple raised his daughter and had another child, Amy Christopher (b. May 1967).^[1][4][7]

Notes

1. ^ According to The New York Times, Sybil Christopher died on Thursday previous to the article's publication, meaning 7 March. However, The Hollywood Reporter and The London Guardian reports she died on 9 March.