Maxayn Lewis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maxayn Lewis
Background information
Birth name	Paulette Parker
Also known as	Maxayne Moriguchi Maxavne Moriguchi Maxayane Lewis Maxanne Lewis Maxayne Lewis Maxann Lewis
Born	Tulsa, Oklahoma, U.S.
Genres	Soul, R&B, funk, pop, rock
Occupation(s)	Singer-songwriter, musician, producer
Instruments	Piano
Years active	1960s – present
Labels	Duke Records
Associated acts	Maxayn, The Ikettes, Ike & Tina Turner, The Gap Band

Maxayn Lewis is an American soul singer, musician, songwriter, and producer. She started her music journey in the 1960s. Back then, she was known by her birth name, Paulette Parker. She was a member of the Ikettes, a singing group that performed with Ike & Tina Turner.

In the 1970s, Maxayn Lewis became the lead singer of a band called Maxayn. This band was formed with her husband at the time, Andre Lewis. People often described her voice as a mix between famous singers Aretha Franklin and Roberta Flack. Later, her band changed its name to Mandré.

Maxayn Lewis is also well-known for singing backup vocals for many other artists. She has worked with famous musicians like The Gap Band, Donna Summer, Ray Charles, Celine Dion, Britney Spears, and Duran Duran.

Life and Career

Maxayn Lewis was born Paulette Parker in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was the first of four children. Growing up in the Greenwood area, she loved listening to music. Some of her favorite artists included Duke Ellington, Muddy Waters, Mahalia Jackson, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald. When she was in fifth grade, Paulette even started her own all-girl singing group called The Continentals.

Early Music Training

Maxayn Lewis became a trained pianist. She studied music at a special school called a conservatory. She also attended Oklahoma State University. There, she studied sociology and psychology. She left the university after a difficult experience on campus. After this, she felt sad for a while. But soon, she got a chance to sing in a nightclub act. She performed with a male singer named Karl Day, and they were called "Night and Day."

Joining The Ikettes

While performing at The Alley nightclub, Maxayn Lewis received an important phone call. It was from Ike Turner, who wanted her to audition for The Ikettes. She tried out for him in 1967 when Ike & Tina Turner were in Independence, Kansas for a concert. She was hired right away! Ike Turner even met with her parents to get their permission for her to go on tour.

Maxayn Lewis spent over a year as an Ikette. She says that Ike and Tina Turner taught her a lot about the music business. She especially admired Ike Turner, calling him an "excellent businessman." She explained that they were paid very well. Ike would read their contracts to them and explain what each part meant. This helped all the singers understand their agreements.

Forming the Band Maxayn

After her time with the Ikettes, Maxayn Lewis went on a blues festival tour with Bobby "Blue" Bland. In 1969, she released two songs under her birth name on Duke Records. Through Bland's bandleader, Ernie Fields Jr., she met musician Andre Lewis, who would become her husband.

She decided to form a band with Andre instead of being produced by Donny Hathaway. She started using the name Maxayn Lewis, and their band was named after her. The name Maxayn came from her uncle, who called her "goddess of the wind" when she sang. She said that in the Mayan culture, there was a "Goddess of the Wind" named Maxayn. She also wanted a single name, like Tina Turner.

The band Maxayn included Maxayn Lewis on lead vocals, Andre Lewis on synthesizers, Marlo Henderson on guitar, and Emry Thomas on drums. They released three albums with Capricorn Records: Maxayn (1972), Mindful (1973), and Bail Out for Fun! (1974). The Mindful album even reached number 43 on the US R&B charts. In 1975, the band moved to Manticore Records. They were working on a fourth album, but problems with the record label caused them to stop the project. Andre then signed with Motown and released three disco albums under the name Mandré. Maxayn Lewis helped write songs for his albums.

Later Career and Film Work

Maxayn Lewis later helped write songs like "So Much More" for Ramsey Lewis and "We Belong Together" for Rockie Robbins. Both of these songs became popular on the Billboard R&B chart. She also toured as a backing vocalist for artists such as Gino Vannelli, Donna Summer, and Rufus.

She provided background vocals for the movie soundtrack of Grease (1978). She also sang backup on albums for many other artists, including Steve Marriott, Sammy Hagar, The Gap Band, Rosanne Cash, Rita Coolidge, B.B. King, and Namie Amuro. In 2013, she sang the song "Turn You On" for the movie soundtrack of Peeples. Maxayn Lewis also performed most of the singing for the character Ma Rainey (played by Viola Davis) in the movie Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020).

For a while, Maxayn Lewis lived in Tokyo, Japan. Today, she lives in Los Angeles, California.

Discography

Singles

• 1969: "(Gimme Back) My Love" / "Should I Let Him Go" (Duke 451)
• 1969: "I Pity The Fool" / "Driving Wheel" (Duke 455)

Backing Vocal Credits

Maxayn Lewis has provided backing vocals for many artists over the years. Here are a few examples:

• 1975: Bonnie Raitt – Home Plate
• 1978: Tina Turner – Rough
• 1978: Grease (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• 1980: The Gap Band – The Gap Band III
• 1987: Donna Summer – All Systems Go
• 1993: Ray Charles – My World
• 1996: Celine Dion – Falling into You
• 2001: Britney Spears – Britney

Instrumental Credits

Maxayn Lewis also played instruments on several albums, including:

• 1972: Maxayn – Maxayn (Piano)
• 1973: Maxayn – Mindful (Piano)
• 1974: Maxayn – Bail Out For Fun! (Piano)
• 1983: Earth, Wind & Fire – Powerlight (Keyboards)