Big Maybelle

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Big Maybelle (actually Maybelle Louise Smith ; born May 1, 1924 in Jackson , Tennessee , † January 23, 1972 in Cleveland , Ohio ) was an American R&B singer who was particularly popular in the 1950s .

Live and act

Big Maybelle - Whole Lotta Shakin 'Goin' On

Big Maybelle sang in the church choir of the Church of God in Christ as a child ; at the age of nine she won a singing competition at the Memphis Cotton Carnival . She then began her career as a professional singer in 1936. Her first recording with Christine Chatman's orchestra was Hurry, Hurry (Decca # 8660) on April 6, 1944 . However, she did not make her own recordings until November 1947, when she sang for just three singles on King Records at short notice . Between 1947 and 1950 she sang in the Tiny Bradshaw Orchestra .

The first hit parade brought the move to Okeh Records , whose Gabbin 'Blues (OKeh # 6931) , which was created on October 8, 1952, reached a remarkable third place in the rhythm & blues charts. Here she was able to bring two more singles into the top 10 and remained loyal to the label until the end of 1955. During this time at OKeh, the original Whole Lotta Shakin 'Goin' On (later a hit for Jerry Lee Lewis ) was also released.

Her move to Savoy Records did not stabilize her success. With her first single there, Candy , she only made it to 11th place on the R&B hit list. Numerous other label changes to Brunswick or Scepter Records , sometimes with just a single single, have rather damaged the artistic career. At Rojac, the blues shouter was even persuaded to cover current pop hits - again without success.

She can be seen in the documentary Jazz on a Summer's Day , recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival 1958.

In her later years, Big Maybelle became more and more addicted to heroin. She died in a diabetic coma in 1972 . In 2011 she was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame .

Discography (catalog and recording date in brackets)

King Records

  • Bad Dreams Blues / Sad And Disappointed Jill (# 4207, November 1947)
  • Indian River / Too Tight Mama (# 4227, December 1947)
  • Little Miss Muffet / Don't Try To Fool Me (# 4271, December 1947)

OKeh Records

  • Gabbin 'Blues / Rain Down Rain (# 6931, October 8, 1952 / October 29, 1952)
  • Way Back Home / Just Want Your Love (# 6955, October 29, 1952 / October 8, 1952)
  • Send For Me / Jinny Mule (# 6998, November 6, 1953)
  • My Country Man / Maybelle's Blues (# 7009, January 1954)
  • You'll Never Know / I've Got A Feelin (# 7026, April 1954)
  • My Big Mistake / I'm Gettin '' Long Alright (# 7042, October 1954)
  • Don't Leave Poor Me / Ain't No Use (# 7053, May 1955)
  • Whole Lotta Shakin 'Goin' On / One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (# 7060, March 21, 1955 / September 23, 1955)
  • Such A Cutie / The Other Night (# 7066, March 21, 1955)
  • Gabbin 'Blues / New Kind Of Mambo (# 7069, October 8, 1952 / September 23, 1955)

Savoy Records

  • Candy / That's a Pretty Good Love (# 1195, May 14, 1956)
  • Mean to Me / Tell Me Who (# 1500, July 20, 1956)
  • I Don't Want to Cry / All of Me (# 1512, July 20, 1956)
  • Rock House / Jim (# 1519, April 13, 1957)
  • So Long / Ring Dang Dilly (# 1527, May 14, 1956)
  • Baby, Won't You Please Come Home / Say It Isn't So (# 1558, January 28, 1957)
  • A Good Man Is Hard to Find / Pitiful (# 1572, May 14, 1956)
  • I Understand / Some of These Days (# 1576, August 13, 1959)
  • I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good / Until the Real Thing Comes Along (# 1583, August 13, 1959)
  • I Ain't Got Nobody / Going Home Baby (# 1595, March 16, 1959)

Brunswick Records

  • Candy / Cry (# 55234, 1963)
  • Cold Cold Heart / Why Was I Born (# 55242, 1963)
  • Everybody's Got A Home But Me / How Deep Is The Ocean (# 55256, 1963)
  • Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen / Do Lord (# 55385, 1968)

Scepter Records

  • I Don't Want to Cry / Yesterday's Kisses (# 1288, 1965)

Port Records

  • No Better For You / Let Me Go (# 3002, 1965)

Chess Records

Rojac Records

  • Careless Love / My Mother's Eyes (# 1003, 1964)
  • It's Been Raining / Don't Pass Me By (# 1969, 1966)
  • 96 Tears / That's Life (# 112, 1967)
  • Turn The World Around the Other Way / I Can't Wait Any Longer (# 115, 1967)
  • Mama (He Treats Your Daughter Mean) / Keep That Man (# 116, 1967)
  • Quittin 'Time / I Can't Wait Any Longer (# 118, 1968)
  • Heaven Will Welcome You, Dr. King / Eleanor Rigby (# 121, 1968)
  • Old Love Never Dies / How It Lies (# 124, 1968)

Paramount Records

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

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personal data
SURNAME Big Maybelle
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Smith, Maybelle Louise
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American R&B singer
DATE OF BIRTH May 1, 1924
PLACE OF BIRTH Jackson , Tennessee
DATE OF DEATH January 23, 1972
Place of death Cleveland , Ohio