Big Maybelle

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

Life and work

Big Maybelle sang as a child in the church choir of the Church of God in Christ; nine years old she won a singing contest at the Memphis Cotton Carnival. Then started her career as a professional singer in 1936. First record recording with the orchestra by Christine Chatman was on April 6, 1944, the title Hurry, Hurry ( Decca # 8660 ). However, my own recordings were only in November 1947, when she sang for only three singles at King Records in the short term. Between 1947 and 1950 she sang in the orchestra of Tiny Bradshaw.

First hit parade success brought the change to Okeh Records, whose incurred on October 8, 1952 Gabbin 'Blues ( OKeh # 6931 ) was able to achieve a remarkable third place in the Rhythm & Blues charts. Here she was able to bring two more singles in the Top 10 and remained faithful to the label by the end of 1955. During this time at OKeh ( a hit for Jerry Lee Lewis later) also the original of Whole Lotta Shakin ' Goin' On was released.

Your Move to Savoy Records could not stabilize their success. With their first single local candy they penetrated only on rank 11 of the R & B charts. More numerous label changes to Brunswick or Scepter Records, with sometimes only a single single, have more harm than the artistic career. In Rojac the blues shouter was even persuaded chose to cover current pop hits - also without success.

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

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

Source

Discography (in brackets catalog and recording date )

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

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 )
Do not Leave Poor Me / Is not No Use (# 7053 May, 1955)
Whole Lotta Shakin ' Goin' On / One Monkey Do not 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 )

Candy / That's A Pretty Good Love (# 1195, May 14, 1956)
Mean To Me / Tell Me Who ( # 1500, July 20, 1956)
I Do not Want To Cry / All Of Me (# 1512, July 20, 1956)
Rockhouse / Jim (# 1519, April 13, 1957)
So Long / Ring Dang Dilly (# 1527, May 14, 1956)
Baby, Will not You Please Come Home / Say It Is not 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 Is not Good / Until The Real Thing Comes Along (# 1583, August 13, 1959 )
I Is not Got Nobody / Going Home Baby ( # 1595, March 16, 1959)