Maxine Brown (soul singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maxine Brown
Brown performing in Colne, England in 2005
Background information
Birth name	Maxine Ella Brown
Born	(1939-08-18) August 18, 1939 (age 86) Kingstree, South Carolina, U.S.
Genres	Soul, R&B, gospel
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, record producer
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1960–2019
Labels	Nomar, ABC-Paramount, Wand, Avco
Associated acts	Chuck Jackson, Cissy Houston, Sweet Inspirations, Don Wise

Maxine Ella Brown (born August 18, 1939) is an American singer known for her powerful voice in soul and R&B music. She became famous in the 1960s with hit songs like "All in My Mind" and "Oh No Not My Baby."

A Star is Born

Singing from a Young Age

Maxine Brown discovered her love for singing as a child. As a teenager in New York City, she joined two gospel groups, the Angelairs and the Royaltones. Gospel music is a style of church music that often features powerful singing, and it was great practice for her future career.

First Big Hits

In 1960, Brown signed with a small record company called Nomar Records. She wrote and recorded a soulful song called "All in My Mind." It was a huge success! The song went to number two on the U.S. R&B music chart and number 19 on the main pop chart.

Her next song, "Funny," was also a big hit. It reached number three on the R&B chart. With two popular songs, everyone knew Maxine Brown was a rising star.

Career at Wand Records

In 1963, Brown moved to a bigger record label called Wand Records. This was a famous New York company known for its "uptown soul" sound.

At Wand, she recorded some of her most famous songs. One of them was "Oh No Not My Baby," written by the legendary songwriting team of Carole King and Gerry Goffin. The song was a top 25 pop hit in 1964. She also had success with "It's Gonna Be Alright."

Brown also teamed up with another singer at Wand, Chuck Jackson, to record duets. Their version of "Something You Got" was a top 10 R&B hit.

The Team Behind the Music

The amazing background vocals on Brown's records were sung by Cissy Houston and the Sweet Inspirations. This was the same group that later sang backup for Elvis Presley!

The talented duo Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson also wrote and produced songs for Brown. They had many great song ideas for her and Chuck Jackson. When their record label didn't use the songs, they took them to Motown Records. These songs later became huge hits for other artists, like "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

Later Career

In 1969, Brown left Wand Records and continued to record music. She had another top 10 R&B hit with the song "We'll Cry Together."

Even though her later songs didn't always make the charts, Maxine Brown continued to perform for many years. She is remembered as one of the great female voices of 1960s soul music.

Discography

Here are some of Maxine Brown's most popular songs and albums.

Hit Singles

This table shows how high her songs climbed on the music charts in the United States.

Note

* The R&B charts were not published by Billboard magazine during this time.

Albums

• Maxine Brown – 1961
• The Fabulous Sound of Maxine Brown – 1962
• Maxine Brown, Irma Thomas & Ronnie Dickerson – 1964
• Spotlight on Maxine Brown – 1964
• Maxine Brown's Greatest Hits – 1967
• Out of Sight - 1968
• We'll Cry Together – 1969
• Blue Ribbon Country, Vol. 1 – 1975
• One in a Million – 1984
• Like Never Before – 1985
• Oh No Not My Baby: The Best of Maxine Brown – 1990