Big Maybelle Candy (CD)

Big Maybelle

Big Maybelle, born in 1926, in Jackson, Tennessee, as Mabel Smith, recorded with Christine Chatman's Orchestra in 1944 until her solo debut in 1947 on King Records. A big-voiced blues shouter, 1952 saw her as 'Big Maybelle' with Okeh, and 1953 brought three R&B Top Ten hits including `Gabbin' Blues'. She moved to Savoy in 1956 and 'Candy' became another R&B hit, but the late Fifties saw a steady output of ballads and jump-blues fail to make further com-mercial impact. The Sixties brought moves to Brunswick, Scepter, Rojac, Port and Chess, then a return to Rojac in 1966 brought success when 'Don't Pass Me By' and '96 Tears' were R&B hits, the latter giving Maybelle her only national 'pop' hit. Apart from one disc on Brunswick in 1968, she remained with Rojac until her death in January 1972.