Martha Wash facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martha Wash
Wash performing at Sommarkrysset, Gröna Lund in 2008
Background information
Birth name	Martha Elaine Wash
Born	(1953-12-28) December 28, 1953 (age 71) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres	R&B house disco soul
Occupations	Singer songwriter record producer actress
Instruments	Vocals piano
Years active	1975–present
Labels	Purple Rose RCA

Martha Elaine Wash (born December 28, 1953) is an American singer and songwriter. She is famous for her strong and unique voice. Martha first became known as half of a group called Two Tons O' Fun. She sang backup for the disco star Sylvester, including his big hit "You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)".

Later, her duo got their own record deal. They released three popular songs that all reached number two on the dance music charts. In 1982, the duo changed their name to the Weather Girls after releasing their super popular song "It's Raining Men". This song made them famous in pop music. The Weather Girls released five albums and were often featured on Sylvester's albums.

After the group broke up in 1988, Martha started singing house music. She was featured on many successful songs. Her success on the Billboard dance chart earned her the nickname "The Queen of Clubland". She has had fifteen number-one songs on that chart!

Martha Wash is also known for helping to create new rules in the early 1990s. These rules made it a must for singers to be credited on CDs and music videos. Before this, her voice was used in many popular dance songs without her permission or credit. Models would pretend to sing her parts in music videos and live shows. This hid Martha's amazing contributions and her full figure. Because of this, she didn't get credit or money for many songs she sang. This included the huge hit "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)". A music critic named Jason Newman once called Martha Wash "The Most Famous Unknown Singer of the '90s" in Rolling Stone magazine. In December 2016, Billboard magazine ranked her as the 58th most successful dance artist ever.

Early Life and Musical Beginnings

Martha Wash went to McKinley Elementary and graduated from San Francisco Polytechnic High School. She sang in the school choir, which even toured Europe for two weeks! Martha also sang on four albums with her school choir. After high school, she joined a gospel group called NOW (News of the World) with Izora Rhodes. Martha also worked as a secretary at UC Hospital.

Music Career Highlights

Starting with Two Tons O' Fun and The Weather Girls (1976–1988)

In February 1976, Martha tried out to be a backup singer for Sylvester. He was so impressed with her voice! Sylvester then asked if she knew another great singer, and Martha introduced him to Izora Rhodes. Sylvester called them "the girls," but Martha and Izora formed their own duo called Two Tons O' Fun.

Two Tons O' Fun first sang backup on Sylvester's album Sylvester in 1977. They sang on songs like "Down, Down, Down" and "Over and Over." These songs reached number eighteen on the Billboard Dance chart. Martha said that working with Sylvester helped her improve her own singing style. In 1978, they also sang on Sylvester's album Step II. The song "Dance (Disco Heat)" featured The Two Tons and became their first number-one hit on the Dance chart! In 1979, the duo got their own record deal with Fantasy Records.

On January 24, 1980, Two Tons O' Fun released their first album, Two Tons of Fun. It had two top-five dance hits: "Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven" and "I Got the Feeling." Their second album, Backatcha, came out later that year.

In September 1982, the duo released their famous song "It's Raining Men". This song became their biggest hit, reaching number one on the Dance chart and number 46 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart. After this success, Two Tons O' Fun changed their name to The Weather Girls. In 1983, they released their album Success. In 1985, they released Big Girls Don't Cry. Martha also released a solo song called "Breakin' The Ice" for the movie Gung Ho in 1986. In 1988, The Weather Girls released their last album with Martha. After that, The Weather Girls broke up, and Martha started her solo career. She also sang backup for other artists, like on Aretha Franklin's song "Freeway of Love".

Fighting for Credit: The Uncredited Vocals (1989–1991)

In 1989, Martha recorded a demo song called "(You're My One and Only) True Love." The producers used her voice on the final song without her permission or proper credit. They even changed her voice to make it less recognizable. The song became a hit, reaching number twenty-three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Martha later took legal action against the producers and the record company. They settled the case in December 1990.

In the summer of 1989, the Italian house music group Black Box hired Martha to record demo songs. Martha recorded six songs for them. But Black Box used Martha's vocals on their debut album Dreamland without giving her credit. In December 1989, Black Box released "I Don't Know Anybody Else" with Martha's voice. It became a huge international hit. They followed up with "Everybody Everybody", another international success. Even though Martha sang on these songs, Black Box didn't credit her. Instead, they used a model, Katrin Quinol, to lip-sync Martha's vocals in music videos and live shows. Martha found out and took legal action against RCA Records and Black Box in September 1990. RCA settled the case, paying Martha a large sum of money. They also signed her to an eight-album deal and paid for her tour. Plus, many Black Box releases were re-issued with Martha's name credited for her vocals.

In November 1990, the C+C Music Factory released their first song, "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)". It featured Martha's voice in the chorus, but she wasn't credited. The song became a massive international hit, reaching number one on Billboard's Hot 100. It sold over a million copies in the U.S. Martha found out that the group was using a model, Zelma Davis, in the music video. Martha tried to get credit and money from the C+C Music Factory producers, but it didn't work. The song also used parts of Martha's voice from a different recording she made in June 1990. On December 11, 1991, Martha filed a lawsuit against the C+C Music Factory's producers and their record company, Sony Music Entertainment. The case was settled in 1994. As a result, Sony asked MTV to add a message crediting Martha Wash for the vocals and Zelma Davis for the "visualization" in the "Gonna Make You Sweat" music video.

Solo Success and Collaborations (1992–Present)

Martha's first solo album, Martha Wash, came out on February 23, 1993. It reached number 42 on the R&B Albums chart. The first song from the album, "Carry On", became Martha's fifth number-one dance hit as a solo artist. Her second single, "Give It to You", also hit number one on the dance chart.

In 1994, the C+C Music Factory, after settling their case with Martha, asked her to join their group and record on their new album. Their album Anything Goes! came out on August 9, 1994. The song "Do You Wanna Get Funky" featured Martha, C+C Music Factory, Zelma Davis, and Trilogy. It reached number one on the Dance chart. Martha also sang on another song from the album called "Takin' Over." That same year, Martha recorded a cover of "Mr. Big Stuff" for the movie D2: The Mighty Ducks. In 1995, Martha toured internationally with the C+C Music Factory.

In 1997, DJ Todd Terry released his album Ready for a New Day. The song "Keep on Jumpin'", featuring Martha and Jocelyn Brown, was released on June 24, 1996. It hit number one on the Dance charts and reached the top ten in the UK. On June 9, 1997, they released "Something Goin' On (In Your Soul)". This song also topped the Dance charts and reached number five in the UK.

In January 1998, Martha released a collection of her songs called The Collection. The first song from it, "It's Raining Men...The Sequel", featured RuPaul and reached number twenty-two on the Dance chart. The album's second song, "Catch the Light", became Martha's tenth number-one song on the Dance chart.

In the 2000s, Martha released singles like "Listen to the People" and a new version of "It's Raining Men." In 2004, she released a gospel song "You Lift Me Up." Martha performed at the opening of the OutGames in Montreal in 2006. She also performed at many Human Rights Campaign events. In 2007, her song "Keep Your Body Working" with DJ Tony Moran reached number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart.

In 2012, Martha appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman to celebrate 30 years of "It's Raining Men." Her second solo album, Something Good, was released in 2013. The first song, "I've Got You", got great reviews. In 2013, Martha was a special guest for the New York City Gay Men's Chorus. She also appeared in the documentary film "20 Feet from Stardom". In 2014, Martha was featured on RuPaul's song "Can I Get An Amen?"

In 2015, Martha and Tony Moran released "Free People", which also hit number one on the Dance Club Songs chart. Martha also formed a group called First Ladies of Disco with disco singers Evelyn "Champagne" King and Linda Clifford. Their first song, "Show Some Love", reached number six on the Dance charts. In 2017, Martha worked with Turkish singer Serhat on a new version of his song "I Didn't Know".

In March 2018, Martha started a YouTube series called "10 Minutes with Martha Wash." She also released "Come into the Light," which was featured in the musical film "Wholly Broken." In 2019, First Ladies of Disco (now with Martha, Linda Clifford, and Norma Jean Wright) released "Don't Stop Me Now." On August 10, 2019, Martha released "Like Fire," the first song from her third album, Love & Conflict, which came out in January 2020.

Martha Wash's Impact

Martha Wash's voice has been part of fifteen number-one dance singles. This makes her one of the top singers with the most number-one hits on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart. Her success in house music earned her the nickname "The Queen of Clubland." She is also known as "The Voice."

Martha Wash has inspired many artists, including RuPaul. RuPaul said that Martha "blended a gospel voice into pop and dance music perfectly. Her voice speaks to both the church and a pop ear and was built to cut through the bass of a dance club. The sound of her voice is so special and beautiful." RuPaul even said Martha's song "Carry On" comforted him when his mother passed away.

Martha's song with the C+C Music Factory, "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", was in VH1's "100 Greatest Dance Songs." "It's Raining Men" was also ranked highly.

In 2014, a musical about Sylvester called Mighty Real: A Fabulous Sylvester Musical opened in New York City. Martha Wash was featured in the show, and an actress played her.

The cities of Washington D.C. and San Francisco, California, have both declared a "Martha Wash Day" to honor her. The City of Miami, Florida, even gave Martha the key to the city!

Other Ventures and Activism

Purple Rose Records

In 2004, Martha Wash started her own record label called Purple Rose Records. She wanted it to be a place for new artists and those who might be overlooked by bigger labels. The first song released on the label was Martha's own "You Lift Me Up" in 2004, which reached the top five on Billboard's Dance Club Songs chart. Her second album, Something Good, was the first album released on the label in 2013. Purple Rose Records still releases all of Martha's official music.

Purple Rose also manages other music acts. The group First Ladies of Disco, which included Martha Wash, Linda Clifford, and Evelyn "Champagne" King, released their first song "Show Some Love" on the label in 2015. This song reached the top ten on Billboard's Dance chart. The group has toured all over the United States.

Advocacy for Artists and Communities

In 1990, Martha won legal cases against music groups C+C Music Factory and Black Box. They had used her voice without giving her credit and had used models to lip-sync her vocals in videos and shows. Martha's fight helped lead to new federal rules. These rules made it mandatory for singers to be credited on all albums and music videos.

Martha is also seen as a gay icon and strongly supports LGBT rights. She has been an activist in the fight against HIV/AIDS for over thirty years. She saw her close friend and mentor Sylvester pass away from the disease. In 2012, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award in San Francisco for her work and fundraising to help people with AIDS.

Helping Others

Martha Wash is a spokesperson for Quality Services for the Autism Community (QSAC Inc.). This group helps people with autism and their families. In 2011, Martha performed at three charity concerts for the AIDS organization amfAR. She also released a song "Light It Up" for a charity album to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. In 2012, Martha became a supporter of the You Can Play Project. This group works to make sure all athletes are treated equally and with respect, no matter their sexual orientation.

Personal Life

Martha Wash lives in Baldwin, New York, on Long Island.

Music Albums

• 1993: Martha Wash
• 2013: Something Good
• 2020: Love & Conflict

Film and Theatre Performances

Tours

• Living Proof Tour (with Sylvester and Two Tons o' Fun) (1979)
• It's Raining Men Tour (with the Weather Girls) (1983)
• Martha Wash World Tour (1992–1993)
• C+C Music Factory Tour (with C+C Music Factory and Trilogy) (1995)
• First Ladies of Disco Show (with Linda Clifford, Evelyn "Champagne" King, Norma Jean Wright) (2017–2019)
• WaistWatchers: The Musical (2018)

Images for kids

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  A robot for kids

See also

• Honorific nicknames in popular music
• List of artists who reached number one in the United States
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
• List of artists with the most number ones on the U.S. dance chart
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)