Maureen Gray
Maureen S. Gray (* 10. May 1948 in New York City ; † 7. January 2014 in Philadelphia ) was an American singer of the doo-wop and songwriter .
Gray began singing when he was five and performed at New York's Carnegie Hall as a child . She then attended schools in Philadelphia and sang in churches with her mother. Discovered by John Madara in his record store, she recorded a first song for Chancellor Records at the age of 12 , Today's the Day became a regional number one hit in Philadelphia; her song Dancin 'the Strand hit the Billboard charts and made her famous nationwide. In 1961 the single I Don't Want to Cry (In Front of You) / Come On and Dance was released . In the years that followed, she appeared on the radio, in record stores and shows. There were recordings for Mercury Records in New York City in 1963 , such as The Story Of My Love, Summertime Is Near and Goodbye Baby , which however had little success. She then moved to England, where she was a backing singer for recordings of John Lennon , George Harrison , Billy Preston and Bob Marley . She toured Europe with her band Girl Talk . In her later years she combined pop with influences from folk, reggae and soul, wrote her own songs, which she accompanied on piano, guitar and keyboard. Her song Two Guitar Lovers was recorded by Dave Mason . Most recently she lived in California; she died in January 2014 at the age of 65 from complications from biliary tract cancer .
Discographic notes
- Vol. 3 - Best Of Philly Soul - Maureen Gray (ed. 2006)
Web links
- Maureen Gray in Find a Grave
- Maureen Gray at Allmusic (English)
- Maureen Gray at Discogs (English)
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gray, Maureen |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Gray, Maureen S. |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American doo-wop singer and songwriter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 10, 1948 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 7, 2014 |
| Place of death | Philadelphia |