Marva Whitney
Marva Whitney (born May 1, 1944 in Kansas City (Kansas) as Marva Ann Manning , † December 22, 2012 ) was an American radio singer . Funk enthusiasts consider her one of the most powerful singers in the genre.
Career
Whitney had her first vocal appearances at the age of three in the family gospel ensemble, the Manning Gospel Singers . Later, after studying music at college, she became the front woman for R'n'B group Tommy Gadson & the Derbys . In 1967 she joined the James Brown Review, where she was the "first diva " to lay the foundation for her later successes: while she appeared solo in the review, she accompanied Brown on international tours , including to Vietnam , and took part in 1969 first solo recordings with Brown's record label King at the time.
With her single It's My Thing (You Can't Tell Me Who to Sock It To) , an interpretation of the successful piece by the Isley Brothers , she landed in the top 20 of the R'n'B charts straight away . Subsequent publications were initially unable to build on this success, and Whitney stayed with the Revue until 1970 . Her first and for many years only studio LP, It's My Thing , later became a sought-after collector's item after the record's popularity rose rapidly due to frequent sampling by various DJs on the radio scene.
Over the years, Whitney appeared again with James Brown at irregular intervals and also contributed seven pieces to his compilation James Brown's Original Funky Divas .
In 2006, Marva Whitney began working with the Japanese radio company Osaka Monaurail after they had performed as a backup band on their one and a half week tour of Japan . Together with Osaka Monaurail, Whitney released their first studio LP after 36 years in December 2006, I Am What I Am , which was also released in Europe in 2007. This was followed by further joint appearances and a European tour at the end of 2008. "It's My Thing" was added to The Wire's "100 Records That Set The World On Fire (While No One Was Listening)" wirelist .
Whitney died in December 2012 at the age of 68 of complications from pneumonia.
Web links
- Literature by and about Marva Whitney in the catalog of the German National Library
- Marva Whitney in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b Jon Caramanica: Marva Whitney, Singer in the James Brown Revue, Dies at 68. In: The New York Times . December 31, 2012, accessed January 1, 2013 .
- ↑ Marva Whitney's biography at allmusic.com (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Whitney, Marva |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Manning, Marva Ann (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American radio singer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 1, 1944 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Kansas City (Kansas) |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 22, 2012 |