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PEOPLE OF NOTE: Maxine Brown: Paying Tribute to Songwriter Rose Marie McCoy
*Maxine Brown and I dined on delicious Jimbos burgers as we discussed her life and the Ladies Singing the Blues concert held at Symphony Space on November 13th. Ladies Singing the Blues is part of the harlem is… living history project produced by Voza Rivers (New Heritage Theatre) and Barbara Horowitz (Community Works). Between bites, Maxine and I discussed Brown’s career in gospel, pop, R&B, jazz, and blues and her paying tribute to 85-year-old singer and songwriter Rose Marie McCoy, during the Ladies Singing the Blues event. Rose Marie McCoy’s songs have been performed by a staggering number of luminaries, including Elvis Presley, Baby Washington, Aretha Franklin, Sarah Vaughn, Tina Turner, Eartha Kitt, Ruth Brown, Gloria Lynne, James Brown, Linda Ronstadt, Billie Eckstine, Dakota Staton, Nat King Cole, Diana Ross and the Supremes and Bette Midler.
Born in Kingstree, South Carolina, Brown moved to Queens, New York at age 9. Like many African American singers, she received her musical training in the church where she sang gospel. Her mother passed away when Brown turned 17, so she found herself having to make ends meet on her own. She joined a group that taught her to sing rock n roll. In 1960, she signed with the Nomar Record Label and released “All In My Mind.” The song registered as #2 on the R&B charts. Her next release “Funny” peaked at No. #3. Her sojourn at ABC-Paramount was shortlived and she signed with the Wand soul label in 1963.
At Wand, Brown recorded “Oh No Not My Baby,” and “It’s Gonna Be Alright.” Maxine Brown has over 30 years of music to her credit. Her classics “All In My Mind,” “Funny,” “We’ll Cry Together,” and “Hold On,” which she recorded with Chuck Jackson has thrilled audiences to this day. Her CD “Maxine Brown: 25 All Time Greatest Hits,” is a classic CD which contains all her earlier recordings. “From the Heart,” is more current and features songs like Keep On Keeping On, Other Lady, Make A Joyoful Sound, All In My Mind and “I Want to Be Loved,” among others.
A songwriter as well as singer, Maxine wrote “Maybe It’s All In My Mind.” “I went into the studio and recorded it. Next thing you know the song was an overnight hit.” recalled Maxine. “That song changed my life. Prior to that, I held a job (my last job) at Kings County Hospital as a medical stenographer transcribing the specimens from the OR. People on that job didn’t realize that it was me that sang and recorded the record. My life took off after that. I have been singing exclusively ever since. I actually made my debut at the Apollo Theatre,” said the long time singer.
“Even though I had a hit, when Iwent to get my first pay check the label told me I wasn’t getting anything. Rather than be a one-hit artist, my management decided to take me to a new record company. That is when I went to ABC Paramount. ABC Paramount is where I recorded the majority of my oldies. I am like a lot of the artists who went out and sang and recorded back then who didn’t get paid. ABC Paramount was very good to me but I didn’t get a hit with them. I later went with Florence Greenberg who saw me one day and asked me “Why don’t you leave that record label you are with?” I replied “If you want me…go over there and get me,” chuckled Maxine. “Do you know the very next day, she did just that. That is how I ended up on Scepter Records. Florence bought everything that I ever recorded with ABC and brought it over to her company. That is how I was able to release my Greates Hits album. Florence Greenberg was the first female to own a record label and compete in the record industry with the men which was unheard of back then. At Scepter, Brown was in good company because the Shirelles were recording their hits at Scepter back then.
“I was so thrilled to be part of honoring songwriter Rose Marie McCall at the Symphony Space. Rose Marie wrote one of my hits. I personally know Lee Olive Tucker and Baby Washington who were part of the Ladies Singing the Blues tribute. Lady Cantrese and Ghanniyya Green sang the songs of Billie Holliday. Baby Washington and I sang Rose Marie’s songs,” said the versatile singer who has an upcoming gospel performance.
“I am not a heavy blues singer but I do blues. I lean toward R&B and pop. I sing jazz too because you learn to do it all,” claimed the talented singer who eventually left Scepter to go to Columbia and other short term labels. “The Beatles came in 1964 and that changed the industry for both black and white artists. No one wanted to hear pop anymore they wanted to hear the Beatles. The record company management became inudated with lawyers. Young hip lawyers who knew nothing about the artists,” recalled the gifted singer. “Before the change, the record companies treated the artists with respect but after the change the old time artists found themselves waiting in the waitingroom. I think that was because these young lawyers didn’t know who the artists were. After the Beatles, disco rolled in and changed the industry again and a lot of artists fell by the wayside. Rap came in and now artists are self contained. Artists think live engagements rather than recordings since now they have to supply their own band” claimed Brown whose website is www.MaxineBrown.com.
With record buyers growing weary of the often negative and violent lyrics of rap, fans yearn for the good ole days. “I think there is a chance that people want to hear our music again,”claimed Maxine. “I believe fans are yearning for nostalga. There is room for artists like myself. Things are changing, and you know, I think “It’s Gonna Be Alright.”
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