Maxine Nightingale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maxine Nightingale
Nightingale on the Dutch TV programme The Eddy Go Round Show, 1976
Background information
Born	(1952-11-02) 2 November 1952 (age 72) Wembley, Middlesex, England
Genres	R&B, soul, disco
Occupation(s)	Singer
Years active	1968–present
Labels	Pye United Artists Windsong

Maxine Nightingale (born 2 November 1952) is a British R&B and soul music singer. She is well-known for her popular songs in the 1970s. Her big hits include "Right Back Where We Started From" (1975), "Love Hit Me" (1977), and "Lead Me On" (1979).

Early Life and Music Beginnings

Maxine Nightingale grew up in Wembley, England. Her father, Benny Nightingale, was a comedian from Guyana. Maxine was one of three children. She started singing with her school band when she was young.

When she was thirteen, she joined a band called Unisound. They performed a lot in British clubs. A club manager helped her record a demo tape. This tape was sent to Pye Records. She made her first recordings with them. However, her first three songs, released between 1969 and 1971, did not become popular.

Stage Career in London and Germany

In 1969, Maxine began performing in the famous musical Hair in London. She played a supporting role and also filled in for the main female character, Sheila. After about 18 months, she moved to Germany. She had met an actor from the German production of Hair and started a relationship with him.

In Germany, Maxine continued her stage career. She performed in musicals like Hair (as Sheila), Jesus Christ Superstar, and Godspell. She later married Minoru Terada Domberger, who directed the German Hair show. Their daughter, Langka Veva Domberger, was born in 1973.

Her First Big Hit Song

Maxine Nightingale in 1969

Maxine returned to London with her family. She appeared in a play called Savages. After this, she took a break from performing full-time. She started doing "session singing," which means singing backup for other artists. This work was flexible while she cared for her baby.

Her singing on a song by Al Matthews caught the attention of producer Pierre Tubbs. He asked a songwriter, J. Vincent Edwards, to write a song for Maxine. This song became "Right Back Where We Started From". Maxine sang on the demo version. United Artists Records loved it and offered her a contract.

"Right Back Where We Started From" Success

"Right Back Where We Started From" was released in the UK in late 1975. It quickly became a hit, reaching number 8 on the UK music chart. In early 1976, the song was released in the United States. It became even more popular there, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1976.

Because of the song's success, Maxine went to London to record her first album, also called Right Back Where We Started From. She then moved to the US, which has been her home ever since. The song was even used in the 1977 hockey movie Slap Shot. Some NHL teams, like the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs, started playing the song after their home wins.

Later Music Career

After her big hit, Maxine had another important song in the UK called "Love Hit Me." This was the title song from her second album. She performed it on the TV show Top of the Pops, and it reached number 11 on the UK chart in April 1977.

Her third album, Love Lines, came out in 1978 in the UK and Europe. Two songs from it, "Lead Me On" and "(Bringing Out) The Girl in Me," were released as singles. Even with her promoting them on Top of the Pops, they didn't become big hits in the UK.

US Success with "Lead Me On"

However, "Lead Me On" was released in the US in early 1979 and became very popular. It reached number 1 on Billboard's Easy Listening chart in July. Slowly, it gained popularity with mainstream pop fans and reached number 5 on the Hot 100 chart in September.

Like her first big hit, Maxine found it hard to follow up this success in the US. Her next song, "(Bringing Out) The Girl in Me," reached number 73, which was her last time on the Hot 100 chart. The Lead Me On album was a new version of her European album, with some changes and a new disco song called "Hideaway."

Maxine reached the top 20 on Billboard's R&B chart in 1982 with "Turn to Me," a duet with Jimmy Ruffin. After this, she focused more on jazz music and performed live for about 20 years. She has also appeared in TV music specials, like Superstars of Seventies Soul: Live in 2004 and My Music: 70s Soul Superstars in 2012.

Discography

• Right Back Where We Started From (1976)
• Night Life (1977)
• Love Lines (1979)
• Bittersweet (1980)
• It's a Beautiful Thing (1982)
• Cry for Love (1986)

See also

In Spanish: Maxine Nightingale para niños

• List of disco artists (L-R)
• List of black Britons
• List of performers on Top of the Pops
• List of acts who appeared on American Bandstand
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Adult Contemporary chart