Maxine Sullivan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maxine Sullivan
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Sullivan at the Village Jazz Lounge in Walt Disney World, 1975
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marietta Williams |
| Born | May 13, 1911 Homestead, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | April 7, 1987 (aged 75) New York City |
| Genres | Vocal jazz, swing |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Years active | 1930s–1970s |
| Labels | Monmouth Evergreen, Riff, Kenneth, Stash, Atlantic, Concord |
Maxine Sullivan (born Marietta Williams on May 13, 1911 – died April 7, 1987) was an American jazz singer and performer. She was born in Homestead, Pennsylvania, United States.
Maxine sang for about 50 years, from the mid-1930s until just before she passed away in 1987. She is most famous for her 1937 recording of "Loch Lomond". This was a swing version of a traditional Scottish folk song. Throughout her career, Maxine also acted in movies and on stage. Many people see her as an important singer who came before famous jazz vocalists like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. She is thought to be one of the best jazz singers of the 1930s. The singer Peggy Lee even said Maxine Sullivan was a big inspiration for her.
Contents
Her Amazing Music Career
Maxine Sullivan started her music journey singing in her uncle's band, called The Red Hot Peppers. This was in her home state of Pennsylvania. Besides singing, she sometimes played the flugelhorn and the valve trombone.
Early Days and First Hits
In the mid-1930s, a woman named Gladys Mosier discovered Maxine. Gladys worked in Ina Ray Hutton's big band (a large jazz orchestra). Gladys introduced Maxine to a pianist named Claude Thornhill. This led to Maxine making her first recordings in June 1937. Soon after, Maxine became a main singer at the Onyx Club in New York City. During this time, she became close friends and worked with bassist John Kirby. He later became her second husband in 1938.
Her early recording sessions with John Kirby in 1937 led to a very popular song. It was a swing version of the Scottish folk song "Loch Lomond" with Maxine singing. This early success made Maxine known for a certain style. She then sang similar swing versions of other old folk songs. Many of these were arranged by Claude Thornhill. Examples include "If I Had a Ribbon Bow" and "I Dream of Jeanie". Her early fame also led to a short appearance in the 1938 movie Going Places. She appeared in the film with the famous musician Louis Armstrong.
Radio, Films, and New Sounds
In 1940, Maxine Sullivan and John Kirby had their own radio show called Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm. This made them the first black jazz stars to have a weekly radio series. Throughout the 1940s, Maxine performed with many different bands. These included her husband's sextet (a group of six musicians) and groups led by Teddy Wilson, Benny Carter, and Jimmie Lunceford. In 1949, Maxine appeared on a short-lived CBS Television show called Uptown Jubilee. In 1953, she starred in a play called Take a Giant Step.
In 1956, Maxine changed her singing style a bit. She recorded an album called A Tribute to Andy Razaf. This album featured Maxine singing songs with lyrics by Andy Razaf. It also highlighted the music of Fats Waller. Some songs included "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now" and "Honeysuckle Rose". She was joined by a sextet that sounded like John Kirby's group from years before. This group included trumpeter Charlie Shavers and clarinet player Buster Bailey.
Later Years and Legacy
From 1958, Maxine Sullivan worked as a nurse. She started singing again in 1966. She performed at jazz festivals with her fourth husband, Cliff Jackson. You can hear him on a live recording from Maxine's 1966 performance at the Manassas Jazz Festival. Maxine kept performing throughout the 1970s. She also made many recordings in the 1980s, even though she was over 70 years old.
She was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 1979. This was for her role in the play My Old Friends. She also took part in a film about her life called Maxine Sullivan: Love to Be in Love. This was shortly before she passed away.
Her Family Life
Maxine Sullivan was married four times. Her second husband was the band leader John Kirby. They were married in 1938 and divorced in 1941. Her fourth husband was the stride pianist Cliff Jackson. They married in 1950, and he passed away in 1970. Maxine had two children, a son named Orville Williams (born 1928) and a daughter named Paula Morris (born 1945).
Her Final Years
Maxine Sullivan passed away in 1987 in New York City. She was 75 years old and died after having a seizure. In 1998, after her death, she was honored by being added to the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame.
What She Recorded
Here are some of the albums Maxine Sullivan recorded:
- Leonard Feather Presents Maxine Sullivan 1956 (Period, 1956)
- Leonard Feather Presents Maxine Sullivan, Vol. II (Period, 1956)
- Close as Pages in a Book with Bob Wilber (Monmouth Evergreen, 1969)
- Live at the Overseas Press Club (Chiaroscuro, 1970)
- Sullivan, Shakespeare & Hyman with Dick Hyman (Monmouth Evergreen, 1971)
- We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye (Audiophile, 1978)
- Maxine Sullivan with the Ike Isaacs Quartet (Audiophile, 1981)
- The Queen Maxine Sullivan & Her Swedish Jazz All Stars (Kenneth records, 1981)
- Maxine with Ted Easton (Audiophile, 1982)
- Great Songs from the Cotton Club (Stash, 1984)
- On Tour with the Allegheny Jazz Quartet (Jump, 1984)
- Sings the Music of Burton Lane with Keith Ingham (Stash, 1985)
- Uptown with Scott Hamilton (Concord Jazz, 1985)
- Good Morning, Life! (Audiophile, 1985)
- I Love to Be in Love (Tono, 1986)
- Enjoy Yourself! (Audiophile, 1986)
- Together with Keith Ingham (Atlantic, 1987)
- Swingin' Sweet with Scott Hamilton (Concord Jazz, 1988)
- Spring Isn't Everything with Loomis McGlohon (Audiophile, 1989)
- At Vine St. Live (DRG, 1992)
- The Music of Hoagy Carmichael (Audiophile, 1993)
- 1937–1938 (Classics, 1997)
- Love...Always (Baldwin Street Music, 1997)
As a Guest Singer
Maxine Sullivan also appeared as a guest on these recordings:
- Bobby Hackett, Live from Manassas (Fat Cat's Jazz,)
- World's Greatest Jazz Band of Yank Lawson and Bob Haggart, On Tour II (World Jazz, 1977)
- Charlie Shavers, The Complete Charlie Shavers with Maxine Sullivan (Bethlehem, 1957)
Films and TV Shows
Maxine Sullivan appeared in these films and television series:
- 1938 – Going Places (film)
- 1939 – St. Louis Blues (film)
- 1942 – Some of These Days (short film)
- 1949 – Sugar Hill Times Episode 1.2 (TV series)
- 1958 – Jazz Party (DuMont TV Series)
- 1970 – The David Frost Show (TV series)
- 1986 – Brown Sugar (documentary)
- 1994 – A Great Day in Harlem (documentary)
Stage Plays
Maxine Sullivan also performed in these theater productions:
- 1939 – Swingin' the Dream
- 1953 – Take a Giant Step
- 1954 – Flight From Fear (a play about the numbers racket, directed by Powell Lindsay)
- 1979 – My Old Friends
See also
In Spanish: Maxine Sullivan para niños
