Maxine Brown (soul singer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maxine Brown
Brown performing in Colne, England 2005
Background information
Birth name	Maxine Ella Brown
Born	(1939-08-18) August 18, 1939 (age 85) 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. She is famous for her soul and R&B songs.

Maxine Brown's Music Journey

Early Singing Days

Maxine Brown started singing when she was a child. As a teenager, she performed with two gospel groups in New York City. These groups were called the Angelairs and the Royaltones.

In 1960, Maxine signed with a small record company named Nomar. Later that year, she released a song she wrote called "All in My Mind." This song became a big hit! It reached number two on the US Billboard R&B music chart. It also reached number 19 on the pop chart. Soon after, her song "Funny" also became a hit, reaching number three.

Moving to Bigger Record Labels

Maxine Brown was becoming a star. In 1962, she moved to a bigger record company called ABC-Paramount. However, after a year, she left this label. She then signed with Wand Records in 1963. Wand Records was part of Scepter Records.

Maxine recorded many popular songs for Wand Records over the next three years. Some of these hits were written by famous songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Her song "Oh No Not My Baby" reached number 24 on the pop chart in 1964. Another song, "It's Gonna Be Alright," reached number 26 on the R&B chart.

Maxine also sang duets with another singer from her label, Chuck Jackson. One of their popular duets was "Something You Got." This song reached number 10 on the R&B chart. However, Wand Records started to focus more on other artists, like Dionne Warwick, who were selling even more records.

Behind the Scenes: Backup Singers and Songwriters

Many talented people helped Maxine Brown with her music. The backup vocals for her songs were sung by Cissy Houston and the group The Sweet Inspirations. This group also sang backup for Elvis Presley.

Emerging songwriters and producers Nick Ashford and Valerie Simpson also worked with Maxine. They tried to get more hits for Maxine and Chuck Jackson at Scepter Records. When that didn't work, they went to Motown Records, where they were quickly hired.

In 1969, Maxine left Wand Records and joined Commonwealth United. Her song "We'll Cry Together" reached number 10 on the Billboard R&B chart. After that, she recorded with Avco Records. However, her later recordings did not become as popular.

Maxine Brown's Hit Songs

Maxine Brown had many songs that made it onto the music charts. Here are some of her most popular singles:

Note

* No R&B charts were published during these times.

Maxine Brown's Albums

Here is a list of albums Maxine Brown released:

• 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 [LP] – 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