Maizie Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maizie Williams
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Williams performing at Lets Rock Bristol in 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Maizie Ursula Williams |
| Born | 25 March 1951 |
| Origin | Brades, Montserrat, British Leeward Islands, British West Indies |
| Genres | R&B, eurodisco, reggae |
| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 1973–present |
| Labels | Hansa Records, Sony-BMG |
| Associated acts | Boney M. |
Maizie Ursula Williams (born on March 25, 1951) is a British model, dancer, and singer. She became one of the first members of the very popular 1970s disco music group Boney M.. Even though she didn't sing on their studio recordings, she performed live with the group. Later, she started her own successful career as a singer.
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Early Life and Start in Music
Maizie Williams grew up in Birmingham, England. She began her career as a model. In 1973, she won a beauty contest and was named Miss Black Beautiful. After this, she formed her own band called Black Beautiful People.
Later, Maizie moved to West Germany with her friend Sheyla Bonnick. In 1975, an agent approached them in a restaurant. The agent asked if they wanted to join a new pop group called Boney M.. Maizie remembered saying, "Well, you don't say no, do you?" She had sung with a band in England before, but her brother had joked that she had a "terrible voice."
It turned out that singing wasn't the main job at first. The group was meant to dance and pretend to sing to a disco song called "Baby Do You Wanna Bump". The producer, Frank Farian, had already recorded the vocals. Maizie and Sheyla joined two other performers, Nathalie and Mike. They toured discothèques and performed on TV.
Over time, the group's members changed. Nathalie left and was replaced by Claudja Barry. Sheyla and Mike also left. They were replaced by Marcia Barrett and Bobby Farrell. When Claudja left, Liz Mitchell joined. Finally, the classic Boney M. lineup was complete. This group was ready to create more hits after "Baby Do You Wanna Bump."
Becoming a Star with Boney M.
Liz Mitchell and Marcia Barrett were the main singers for Boney M.'s recordings. Producer Frank Farian also sang the deep male voice. This trio recorded the song "Daddy Cool". It quickly became a huge hit around the world. This song launched the group's amazing career. They released many hit singles and albums over the next ten years.
Maizie Williams and Bobby Farrell did not sing on the studio records. Frank Farian explained that their voices "weren't suited for this particular kind of music." However, this was not a big problem. Many disco groups at the time used similar methods. Also, both Maizie and Bobby sang during the group's many live shows. They toured extensively around the world between 1977 and 1979.
Maizie stayed with Boney M. until the group officially broke up in 1990. In 1994, she started her own version of Boney M. called "Boney M featuring Maizie Williams." This group also included Sheyla Bonnick, who was part of the very first Boney M. lineup in 1975. In this new group, Maizie finally got to be the lead singer. She sang hits like "Brown Girl in the Ring", "Hooray! Hooray! It's a Holi-Holiday", "Sunny", and "Daddy Cool."
Maizie Williams Today
Maizie Williams still tours the world with her group. In December 2006, she released her first solo record called Call Upon Jesus. This album included the song "Praise Be Unto Him." In February 2007, she released her own dance version of the Boney M. hit "Sunny."
In June 2007, she was the main singer on a song by the Latvian group Melo-M. Their version of "Daddy Cool" reached number one on the LMK charts in August. In September 2011, Maizie worked with Dutch songwriters Eddie Middle-Line and Björn de Water. They created a tribute song and video for "Josephine Baker," which was released worldwide.
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