Marva Denise Hicks (May 5, 1956 – September 16, 2022) was an American R&B singer and actress. She signed with

Polydor Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...

in the late 1980s, recorded her self-titled album in 1991,

Biography at AllMusic A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...

/ref> and later worked in

Broadway theatre Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...

and on television.

Life and career

Hicks was born and grew up in

Petersburg, Virginia Petersburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 33,458. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines Petersburg (along with the city of Colonial Heights) with Din ...

, and studied at

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

. Initially a

gospel singer Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is com ...

, she recorded commercial secular music in the 1980s, and scored her biggest chart hit with the single "Never Been in Love Before", written and produced by Jimmy Scott. The record peaked at number seven on the R&B charts in 1991, while two singles followed. On July 16, 1996, she performed as a background singer for

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

in a free concert at the

Jerudong Park Jerudong Park is an amusement park in Jerudong, Brunei-Muara District, Brunei. It is the largest and most expensive amusement park in Southeast Asia, built and funded by the Bruneian government for $1 billion. The Park began in design in the ea ...

Amphitheatre in Bandar Seri Begawan. The concert was in celebration of the fiftieth birthday of

Hassanal Bolkiah Hassanal Bolkiah ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien III ( Jawi: ; born 15 July 1946) is the 29th and current Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei since 1967 and the Prime Minister of Brunei since independence from the United Kingdom in 1984. He is one ...

, the Sultan of

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

and was attended by the Brunei Royal Family. As part of the set list, Hicks sang the female part of the duet "

I Just Can't Stop Loving You "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a 1987 duet ballad by Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett, and was the first single released from his seventh album, ''Bad''. The song was written by Jackson, and co-produced by Jackson and Quincy Jones. The pres ...

" with Jackson. She also performed as a background singer during Michael Jackson's

HIStory World Tour The ''HIS''tory World Tour was the third and final worldwide solo concert tour by American singer and recording artist Michael Jackson, covering Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania and North America. The tour included a total of 82 concerts spanning ...

. She also performed as Rafiki in ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, it ...

'', as an understudy for the leading actress. Her other

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

credits included '' Motown: The Musical'', and '' Lena Horne, The Lady and Her Music''. She won the

Helen Hayes Award The Helen Hayes Awards are theater awards recognizing excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are named in tribute of Helen Hayes, who is also known as the "First Lady of American Theatre." They ar ...

for her stage work on three occasions. On television, she played T'Pel, the wife of

Tuvok Tuvok is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. One of the main characters on the television series '' Star Trek: Voyager'', Tuvok is a member of the fictional Vulcan species who serves as the ship's second officer, Chief of ...

, in two episodes of '' Star Trek: Voyager'', and appeared in several other recurring roles in other series. She sang the gospel song "There's No Hiding Place Down Here" in the ''

Babylon 5 ''Babylon 5'' is an American space opera television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski, under the Babylonian Productions label, in association with Straczynski's Synthetic Worlds Ltd. and Warner Bros. Domestic Tel ...

'' episode "

And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place ''Babylon 5'' is an American science fiction on television, science fiction television series created, produced and #Writing, largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on the Babylon 5 (space station), Babylon 5 space station: ...

". In 2013, Hicks appeared on the

Yeah Yeah Yeahs The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are an American indie rock band formed in New York City in 2000. The group is composed of vocalist and pianist Karen O (born Karen Lee Orzolek), guitarist and keyboardist Nick Zinner, and drummer Brian Chase. They are complem ...

' album ''

Mosquito Mosquitoes (or mosquitos) are members of a group of almost 3,600 species of small flies within the family Culicidae (from the Latin ''culex'' meaning " gnat"). The word "mosquito" (formed by ''mosca'' and diminutive ''-ito'') is Spanish for "li ...

'', performing as part of Broadway Inspirational Voices on the first single "

Sacrilege Sacrilege is the violation or injurious treatment of a sacred object, site or person. This can take the form of irreverence to sacred persons, places, and things. When the sacrilegious offence is verbal, it is called blasphemy, and when physical ...

". She died in New York City on September 16, 2022, at the age of 66.Marva Hicks, Actress in Broadway’s ‘Lion King’ and ‘Motown,’ Dies at 66
/ref>Petersburg-born singer and actress Marva Hicks dies; friend calls her 'a vocal juggernaut'
/ref>

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * * 1956 births 2022 deaths African-American women singer-songwriters African-American actresses American film actresses 21st-century African-American women singers 20th-century African-American women singers People from Petersburg, Virginia Singers from Virginia Actresses from Virginia 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses {{US-RnB-singer-stub