Holle Thee Maxwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Holle Thee Maxwell
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Maxwell at Lincoln Center, 2013.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Holly Maxwell |
| Born | October 17, 1945 Chicago, Illinois, United States |
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| Years active | 1959–present |
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Holle Thee Maxwell (born Holly Maxwell; October 17, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter. She has performed with famous artists like soul and blues musician Ike Turner and jazz organist Jimmy Smith. Holle Thee Maxwell also wrote a song for Bobby Bland's 1978 album, Come Fly with Me.
She started her professional singing career in the late 1950s. Her background includes opera training as a child, performing soul music in the 1960s, and touring in Europe. She has also appeared at the Chicago Blues Festival. The Cannes Musical Festival even called her the "Queen of Entertaining Entertainers."
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Holle Thee Maxwell's Early Life and Career
Holle Thee Maxwell began singing professionally when she was just five years old. She studied classical singing and piano from ages nine to seventeen. When she was twelve, she performed at the famous Chicago Civic Opera House. Maxwell later earned two music degrees from the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University and The Juilliard School.
Her mother encouraged her to take classical music lessons. However, Maxwell discovered her love for soul music in high school. She enjoyed visiting nightclubs to watch artists like Harold Burrage and Otis Clay. She felt they had so much "soul." For a short time, she sang with a girl group called the Tourjourettes. This was while she attended Parker High School in Chicago.
First Songs and Early Success
In 1965, music producer Bunky Sheppard discovered Maxwell. He helped her record her first songs for Constellation Records. Her first single, "One Thin Dime," was played on the radio in Chicago. That same year, a newspaper called the Chicago Defender featured Maxwell in a column. Her mother told the reporter that Holle was still planning to become an opera singer. Holle herself said that singing R&B was a step up in her career.
In 1966, Star Records released Maxwell's song "Philly Barracuda." This song even came with instructions on how to do a dance called the "Philly Dog." To promote the song, Maxwell performed it at Crane High School. She got on a table and showed everyone how to do the dance.
Finding Her Soulful Voice
In 1967, Maxwell faced a challenge in her career. She sang a pop song called "Misty" at a Chicago R&B nightclub. The audience threw oranges and beer bottles because they didn't like it. A blues singer named Hi-Fi White told her, "Honey, you ain't got no soul." This made Maxwell determined to "get soul."
She spent four months listening to singers like Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin. She practiced singing until she learned to sing soul music at age twenty-two. When she returned to the nightclub, she amazed the audience with a powerful performance of "Respect."
Singles and Tours
Maxwell performed solo in Chicago clubs and sometimes sang backup for Barbara Acklin. She recorded many singles for different record labels in the 1960s and 1970s. Some of her regional hits in the United States included "Only When You're Lonely," "One Thin Dime," "Never Love Again," "Suffer," and "Philly Barracuda."
Her singles are very popular with music collectors around the world. Especially Northern Soul fans in Europe love her music. In 2013, John Clemente listed her song "Only When You're Lonely" as one of the "500 Most Collectable Girl Group 45s."
Maxwell lived in California for much of the 1970s and early 1980s. During this time, she owned a nightclub. She also sang for two years with jazz organist Jimmy Smith. From 1977 to 1985, she took over from Tina Turner in Ike Turner's band, mostly performing in Europe. She performed with Ike Turner again for eight months in 1992.
Return to Chicago and International Fame
Maxwell moved back to Chicago in 1985. In 1996, a French club owner named Gérard Vacher saw her perform in Chicago. He invited her to sing at his club in France, which later became the Maxwell Café Supper Club. She became a co-owner of the club, which was known in France as "the home of real American blues." By 2005, she was still very popular in France. She regularly performed at the Maxwell Café in Paris and in nightclubs across London and Europe. The Cannes Musical Festival honored her as the "Queen of Entertaining Entertainers."
In 2011, Maxwell joined Chicago Women in Blues. This group formed because most performers at the Chicago Blues Festival were men. She hosted an all-female performance at the 2011 Chicago Blues Festival. It featured talented artists like Liz Mandeville, Demetria Taylor, Peaches Staten, and Ramblin' Rose. In 2014, Northeastern Illinois University honored Maxwell. They added her to their artist registry and shared an interview with her about her music career.
Holle Thee Maxwell has had a long and active career, spanning seven decades. She went from opera training as a child to performing soul music in the 1960s. She toured extensively in Europe and now performs in Chicago clubs. She also hosts a musical and historical tour of Chicago's soul and blues with Jimmy Burns. Her music is still played for audiences worldwide on KJAZZ Radio UK.
Awards and Recognitions
Holle Thee Maxwell has received many awards for her contributions to music:
- On June 8, 2014, she was inducted into the Chicago Blues Hall of Fame ® at Buddy Guy's Legends.
- She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Chicago Music Awards on March 15, 2015.
- On November 1, 2016, the Chicago City Council celebrated Maxwell's 71st birthday. They recognized her seven-decade music career as a legendary Chicago entertainer.
- On October 15, 2017, Maxwell was given the Chicago Blues Legend Award.
Holle Thee Maxwell's Music and Performance Style
Maxwell sings in many different music styles. These include opera, soul, jazz, rock, country, and blues. She can sing in English, French, German, and Italian. American Blues News reported that her early inspirations included Shirley Temple, Mae West, Marian Anderson, Josephine Baker, and Dinah Shore.
Blues singer Bobby Bland sang her song "Ain't God Something" on his album Come Fly with Me.
In 1978, a reviewer named Roy Christie praised Holle Thee Maxwell's performance with Jimmy Smith. He said her performance was "electrifying." He also wrote that she was like a "reincarnation of Billie Holiday." More recently, reviewer Aaron Cohen described Maxwell's version of Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child" as showing "outright defiance." Other people said her performance of the song made them cry or cheer.
An American Blues News reviewer noted that Maxwell has many different performance skills.
Discography
Singles
- "(Happiness Will Cost You) One Thin Dime" / "It's Impossible" (1965), Constellation Records
- "Philly Barracuda Part 1" (1966), Star
- "Philly Barracuda Part 2" (1966), Star
- "Don't Say You Love Me Until You Do" / "Blueberry Hill" (1966), Star
- "Heartbeat" / "It Was a Very Good Year" (1967), Checker Records
- "Suffer", with backup vocals by the Impressions (1969), Curtom Records
- "Never Love Again" / "Winter Go Away" (3 versions) (1970), Smit-Whit Records
- "Only When You're Lonely" / "Let Him Go for Himself" (2010 promo), Constellation Records
- "Only When You're Lonely" (2012), Holle Thee Maxwell
Albums
- Holle Thee Maxwell...Thee Blonde ... (1972), unknown record label
- Jimmy Smith Plays for the People, with vocals by Maxwell, H. Ray Crawford, and Kenny Dixon (1978), unknown record label
- The Northern Soul of Constellation, with four tracks by Maxwell (release date unknown), Base Camp Records
- The Northern Soul of Chicago, vol. 1, with one track by Maxwell (1993), Goldmine Soul Supply
- Live at Quai du Blues (2004), Virgin Records
- All Kinds'a Blues ... All Kinds'a All Ways (2012), TuneCore
Images for kids
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Maxwell at Lincoln Center, 2013.
