Brenda Holloway facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brenda Holloway
Holloway performing at a memorial tribute for the founder of the Watts Summer Festival, Tommy Jacquette, on November 18, 2009
Background information
Born	(1946-06-26) June 26, 1946 (age 79) Atascadero, California, U.S.
Origin	Watts, Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres	Soul
Occupation(s)	Singer songwriter
Years active	1962–present
Labels	Donna Tamla (Motown Invictus Birthright Motorcity Volt
Associated acts	Mary Wells, Patrice Holloway

Brenda Holloway (born June 26, 1946) is an American soul singer. She became famous in the 1960s as an artist for Motown Records. Some of her most well-known songs are "Every Little Bit Hurts", "When I'm Gone", and "You've Made Me So Very Happy". She even helped write "You've Made Me So Very Happy," which later became a huge hit for the band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Brenda left Motown when she was 22 and mostly stopped making music until the 1990s. Her songs became very popular in Britain, especially in a music style called "Northern soul".

Biography

Early Life and Start in Music

Brenda Holloway was born in Atascadero, California, on June 26, 1946. She was the oldest of three children. In 1948, her family moved to the Watts area of Los Angeles.

Brenda learned to play the violin, flute, and piano. She also sang in her church choir and loved classical music. When she was 14, she started making demo records (short recordings to show off a song). She also sang backup for other R&B (Rhythm and Blues) artists in Los Angeles, sometimes with her younger sister, Patrice.

In 1962, Brenda released her first song, "Hey Fool," on a small record label called Donna. That same year, at age 16, she recorded an early version of "Every Little Bit Hurts." She also recorded songs with Hal Davis and worked with other local musicians. After finishing high school, she studied music at Compton Community College.

In late 1963, when Brenda was 17, she met Berry Gordy Jr., the head of Motown Records, at a party. She lip-synced (mouthed the words) to Mary Wells' hit song "You Beat Me to the Punch." Gordy was very impressed by Brenda's singing and decided to sign her to Motown. She was the first artist Motown signed from the West Coast.

The Motown Years

After joining Motown, Brenda chose to stay in Los Angeles. Her first Motown song was "Every Little Bit Hurts," which she had recorded two years earlier. She wasn't sure about recording it again, but after many tries, it was released in April 1964. The song became a big hit, reaching number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This success earned her a spot on Motown's touring show, the Motortown Revue. People thought she was a very talented singer.

One writer described her voice: "Brenda's singing style was very relaxed, but she could still create excitement and control. She was great at making warm, rich sounds. With her unique way of singing and dramatic performances, Brenda was a singer that other singers admired."

Later in 1964, Brenda joined Dick Clark's "Caravan of Stars" tour. The group The Supremes, who were not yet famous, also joined the tour. During this time, the Supremes became superstars with their song "Where Did Our Love Go." Motown then released Brenda's first album, Every Little Bit Hurts, and another song, "I'll Always Love You," which was also successful.

When Mary Wells, Motown's first big solo female star, left the label, Motown started promoting Brenda as their next big female artist. Brenda recorded several songs that were first meant for Mary Wells, including her next hit, "When I'm Gone." This song was written by Smokey Robinson and became a top 25 hit in 1965.

Brenda also recorded "Operator," another song originally for Mary Wells. However, Brenda started having problems with Motown. She didn't attend the label's special training school and was sometimes told off for dressing and performing "too much like Tina Turner." Some people at Motown thought she was difficult, and the company started focusing more on their most successful groups, like the Supremes.

Even so, Brenda got to open for The Beatles on their US tour in 1965. She performed at their famous Shea Stadium concert on August 15, 1965, and her performance was recorded. Her success also led to her appearing on television shows.

In early 1967, Brenda released "Just Look What You've Done," which was her best-charting song in two years. Later that year, Motown finally released a song Brenda helped write, "You've Made Me So Very Happy." She wrote it with her sister Patrice. Berry Gordy Jr. (the head of Motown) made a few small changes to the music, so he also got a writing credit. This song became Brenda's third top 40 hit.

Her second album, The Artistry of Brenda Holloway, came out in 1968. However, during a recording session in Detroit, Brenda left the studio and went back to Los Angeles. Motown said she left to "sing for God," but her real reasons were that she was unhappy with Motown and her managers. She also worried that the music industry lifestyle went against her religious beliefs.

In 1969, Brenda sued Berry Gordy because of the success of Blood, Sweat & Tears' cover of "You've Made Me So Very Happy." That band's version became a number 2 hit. Brenda eventually won her case.

Later Years

After Motown, Brenda Holloway recorded for other labels in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She and her sister Patrice also continued to sing backup for other artists, including British rock singer Joe Cocker. In 1969, Brenda married a preacher named Albert Davis, and they had four children.

In 1980, Brenda released a gospel album called Brand New!, but it didn't get much attention. She and Albert Davis divorced in the mid-1980s. Meanwhile, her older songs remained very popular in Britain's "Northern soul" clubs. Many of her songs were re-released on special music collections.

In 1987, Brenda returned to singing non-religious music. She recorded for a UK label called Motorcity Records, which worked with many former Motown artists. Three years later, she released the album All It Takes. She also recorded a song called "On The Rebound" with Jimmy Ruffin in 1989.

Brenda started performing live again after her old Motown friend Mary Wells passed away in 1992. She performed in Los Angeles and Britain, sometimes with Brenton Wood. She also spoke at schools and at UCLA in 1993. In 1999, she released the album It's A Woman's World.

Her most recent album, My Love is Your Love, was released in 2003. Many artists have covered Brenda's classic songs, like "Every Little Bit Hurts" and "You've Made Me So Very Happy." In 2003, Vivian Green played Brenda Holloway in a TV show called American Dreams. In 2005, Alicia Keys famously covered "Every Little Bit Hurts" for her Unplugged TV special. In 2011, Brenda recorded a song with Cliff Richard for his album Soulicious.

In 1999, Brenda Holloway received the important Pioneer Award from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. In 2005, she appeared on a TV concert special called My Music: Salute to Early Motown.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Every Little Bit Hurts (1964)
• The Artistry of Brenda Holloway (1968)
• Brand New! (1980)
• All It Takes (1990)
• It's a Woman's World (1999)
• My Love Is Your Love (2CD, 2003)

Live Album

• Together... (Live) (2000)

Compilations

• 20th Century Masters (2003)
• Anthology (Tamla-Motown) (2005)

Singles