Big Maybelle
Encyclopedia
Mabel Louise Smith known professionally as Big Maybelle, was an American R&B
singer and pianist. Her 1956 hit single
"Candy
" received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award
in 1999.
, Tennessee
, United States
, Big Maybelle sang gospel as a child and by her teens
had switched to rhythm and blues. She began her professional career with Dave Clark's Memphis Band in 1936, and also toured with the all female International Sweethearts of Rhythm
. She then joined Christine Chatman's Orchestra as pianist
, and made her first recordings
with Chatman in 1944, and with the Tiny Bradshaw
's Orchestra from 1947 to 1950.
Her debut solo
recordings, as Mabel Smith, came for King Records
in 1947, backed by Oran "Hot Lips" Page, but she had little initial success. However, in 1952 she was signed by Okeh Records
, whose record producer
Fred Mendelsohn
gave her the stage name Big Maybelle. Her first recording for Okeh, "Gabbin' Blues", was a number 3 hit on the Billboard
R&B
chart
, and was followed up by both "Way Back Home" and "My Country Man" in 1953. In 1955 she recorded "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On
", produced by Quincy Jones
, two years before Jerry Lee Lewis
' version. More hits
followed throughout the 1950s, mainly for Savoy Records
, including "Candy
" (1956), one of her biggest sellers.
She made the stage of the Apollo Theater
in New York City
; the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival
; and she appeared in Jazz on a Summer's Day
(1960), film
ed at the Newport Jazz Festival
, along with Mahalia Jackson
and Dinah Washington
. After 1959 she recorded for a variety of labels
but the hits largely dried up. She continued to perform in person into the early 1960s, when drug addiction and health problems took their toll on her. Her last hit single
was in 1967 with a cover
of "96 Tears
" by Question Mark & the Mysterians
Big Maybelle died in a diabetic coma
in 1972, in Cleveland
, Ohio
. Her final album, Last of Big Maybelle, was released posthumously in 1973.
The album The Okeh Sessions on the Epic
label, won the 1983 W. C. Handy Award, for "Vintage or Reissue Album of the Year (U.S.
)." In 2011, she was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame
.
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
singer and pianist. Her 1956 hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
"Candy
Candy (1944 song)
"Candy" is a popular song. The music was written by Alex Kramer, the lyrics by Mack David and Joan Whitney. It was published in 1944.The recording by Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 183. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on...
" received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award
Grammy Hall of Fame Award
The Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance"...
in 1999.
Biography
Born in JacksonJackson, Tennessee
Jackson is a city in Madison County, Tennessee, United States. The total population was 65,211 at the 2010 census. Jackson is the primary city of the Jackson, Tennessee metropolitan area, which is included in the Jackson-Humboldt, Tennessee Combined Statistical Area...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Big Maybelle sang gospel as a child and by her teens
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
had switched to rhythm and blues. She began her professional career with Dave Clark's Memphis Band in 1936, and also toured with the all female International Sweethearts of Rhythm
International Sweethearts of Rhythm
The International Sweethearts of Rhythm was the first integrated all women's band in the United States. During the 1940s the band featured some of the best female musicians of the day...
. She then joined Christine Chatman's Orchestra as pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and made her first recordings
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
with Chatman in 1944, and with the Tiny Bradshaw
Tiny Bradshaw
Myron C. Bradshaw was an American jazz and rhythm and blues bandleader, singer, composer, pianist, and drummer from Youngstown, Ohio.-Early years:...
's Orchestra from 1947 to 1950.
Her debut solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
recordings, as Mabel Smith, came for King Records
King Records (USA)
King Records is an American record label, started in 1943 by Syd Nathan and originally headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.-History:At first it specialized in country music, at the time still known as "hillbilly music." King advertised, "If it's a King, It's a Hillbilly -- If it's a Hillbilly, it's a...
in 1947, backed by Oran "Hot Lips" Page, but she had little initial success. However, in 1952 she was signed by Okeh Records
Okeh Records
Okeh Records began as an independent record label based in the United States of America in 1918. From 1926 on, it was a subsidiary of Columbia Records.-History:...
, whose record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Fred Mendelsohn
Fred Mendelsohn
Fred Mendelsohn, president of Savoy Records for 42 years, was the first man to ever record, promote and market black gospel music as a national company. His dedication and contributions built the historic foundation for the black gospel music industry.Many of today's major gospel artists started...
gave her the stage name Big Maybelle. Her first recording for Okeh, "Gabbin' Blues", was a number 3 hit on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, and was followed up by both "Way Back Home" and "My Country Man" in 1953. In 1955 she recorded "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On
Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On
"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" is a song best known in the 1957 rock and roll/rockabilly hit version by Jerry Lee Lewis.-Origins of the song:...
", produced by Quincy Jones
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
, two years before Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis
Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...
' version. More hits
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
followed throughout the 1950s, mainly for Savoy Records
Savoy Records
Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part in popularizing bebop.Savoy Records is an American record label specializing in jazz, R&B and gospel. Starting in the mid 1940s, Savoy played an important part...
, including "Candy
Candy (1944 song)
"Candy" is a popular song. The music was written by Alex Kramer, the lyrics by Mack David and Joan Whitney. It was published in 1944.The recording by Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 183. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on...
" (1956), one of her biggest sellers.
She made the stage of the Apollo Theater
Apollo Theater
The Apollo Theater in New York City is one of the most famous, and older, music halls in the United States, and the most famous club associated almost exclusively with Black performers...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
; the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
; and she appeared in Jazz on a Summer's Day
Jazz on a Summer's Day
Jazz on a Summer's Day is a documentary film set at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island, and filmed and directed by noted commercial and fashion photographer Bert Stern and the film director Aram Avakian , who also edited the movie...
(1960), film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
ed at the Newport Jazz Festival
Newport Jazz Festival
The Newport Jazz Festival is a music festival held every summer in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It was established in 1954 by socialite Elaine Lorillard, who, together with husband Louis Lorillard, financed the festival for many years. The couple hired jazz impresario George Wein to organize the...
, along with Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson – January 27, 1972) was an African-American gospel singer. Possessing a powerful contralto voice, she was referred to as "The Queen of Gospel"...
and Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington
Dinah Washington, born Ruth Lee Jones , was an American blues, R&B and jazz singer. She has been cited as "the most popular black female recording artist of the '50s", and called "The Queen of the Blues"...
. After 1959 she recorded for a variety of labels
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
but the hits largely dried up. She continued to perform in person into the early 1960s, when drug addiction and health problems took their toll on her. Her last hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
was in 1967 with a cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "96 Tears
96 Tears
"96 Tears" is a popular song recorded by ? in 1966. It hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. and on the RPM 100 in Canada and is ranked #210 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.-History:...
" by Question Mark & the Mysterians
Big Maybelle died in a diabetic coma
Diabetic coma
Diabetic coma is a reversible form of coma found in people with diabetes mellitus. It is a medical emergency.Three different types of diabetic coma are identified:#Severe diabetic hypoglycemia...
in 1972, in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Her final album, Last of Big Maybelle, was released posthumously in 1973.
The album The Okeh Sessions on the Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
label, won the 1983 W. C. Handy Award, for "Vintage or Reissue Album of the Year (U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
)." In 2011, she was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame
Blues Hall of Fame
The Blues Hall of Fame is a listing of people who have significantly contributed to blues music. Started in 1980 by the Blues Foundation, it honors those who have performed, recorded, or documented blues.-1980:*Big Bill Broonzy*Willie Dixon*John Lee Hooker...
.
Selected discography
| Year | Title | Genre | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | I've Got a Feelin' - OKeh & Savoy Recordings 1952-56 | R&B | Rev-Ola Bandstand |
| 2004 | The Choronological Big Maybelle 1944-1953 | R&B | Classics R&B |
| 2001 | Maybelle's Blues | R&B | Sony Special Product |
| 2001 | Savoy Blues Legends: Candy!(Original recording remastered) | R&B | Savoy Jazz |
| 2001 | Half Heaven Half Heartache: The Brunswick Recordings | R&B | Westside UK |
| 1998 | Very Best of Big Maybelle: That's All | R&B | Collectables |
| 1996 | The Last of Big Maybelle | R&B | Muse Records |
| 1995 | Blues, Candy and Big Maybelle | R&B | Savoy Jazz |
| 1994 | Maybelle Sings the Blues | R&B | Charly UK |
| 1994 | The Complete OKeh Sessions 1952-55 | R&B | Sony |
| 1973 | The Last of Big Maybelle | R&B | Paramount |
| 1968 | The Gospel Soul of Big Maybelle | Gospel | Brunswick |
| 1967 | Got a Brand New Bag | R&B | Rojac |
| 1967 | Gabbin' Blues | R&B | Encore |
| 1966 | Saga of the Good Life and Hard Times | R&B | Rojac |
| 1964 | The Soul of Big Maybelle | R&B | Scepter |
| 1962 | What More Can a Woman Do? | R&B | Brunswick |
| 1958 | The Blues Mammy Webster sings W.C.Handy | R&B | CUB/Savoy |
| 1958 | Blues, Candy and Big Maybelle | R&B | Savoy |
| 1958 | Big Maybelle Sings | R&B | Savoy |
| 1954 | Big Maybelle | R&B | Epic |
See also
- List of R&B musicians
- List of East Coast blues musicians
- List of Jump blues musicians
- New York bluesNew York bluesThe New York blues is a type of blues music, characterized by significant jazz influences and a more modernized, urban feel than the country blues...
External links
- More information
- [ Allmusic]