Big Maybelle Smith

Its Quittin' Time - Chess

Big Maybelle Smith was large in every sense of the word. She had a big band career before moving on to blues.

But she wasn't finished yet - she went on to become a soul singer. One of her best tracks was 96 Tears (copy of a rock ballad) and her DON'T LET THE SUN CATCH YOU CRYING is brilliant.  Of course it was It's Quittin' Time that made it big at the Manchester soul clubs.

However, on the Soul scene in England she is best remembered for her female answer to James Brown's hit, with IT'S A MAN'S MAN'S WORLD. Another regularly played track was DON'T PASS ME BY.

Maybelle Louis Smith was born in Jackson, Tennessee and she sang in the local Sanctified Church choir.

  

In 1932, Maybelle won the first prize at the Cotton Carnival singing cabaret in Memphis. She sang with Sweethearts of Rhythm. They played dances from Mississippi to Indiana.

In the 1950s Maybelle sang with The Quincy Jones Orchestra; the Kelly Owens Orchestra; the Danny Mendelsohn Orchestra and appeared at the Apollo Theatre in NYC and the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, RI. In 1953 Gabbin Blues went to number three on one occasion Billie Holiday refused to follow her opening act because she was so 'good' and powerful! In common with a lot of blues/jazz singers, she had a heroin habit that undoubtedly interfered with her career. Maybelle died in 1971.