Mayme P. Watts, aka Maymie Watts, was an American

songwriter A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music gen ...

and R&B singer. Watts is best known for co-writing the

jazz standard Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive lis ...

Alright, Okay, You Win “Alright, Okay, You Win” is a jazz standard written by Sid Wyche (music) and Mayme Watts (lyrics). It was first recorded in 1955 by several artists including Ella Johnson, The Modernaires, Bill Farrell, and Count Basie William James "Cou ...

" with

Sid Wyche Sidney Jackson Wyche ( February 11, 1922 – November 11, 1983) was an American songwriter and pianist. Wyche is best known for writing the jazz standard "Alright, Okay, You Win", Elvis Presley's Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper "A Big Hunk o' Lov ...

. Watts also co-wrote (with

Robert Mosely Robert Henry Mosely, Jr., sometimes written as Mosley, is an American singer, songwriter and producer. He has recorded singles as a solo artist as well as in the duo Mayme & Robert. Mosely is best known for co-writing the songs " Sha-La-La" and ...

) the charting songs "Give Me Your Love" and

Midnight Flyer Midnight Flyer may refer to: * "Midnight Flyer" (song), a 1959 song recorded by Nat King Cole * Midnight Flyer, a rock band fronted by Maggie Bell * ''The Midnight Flyer ''The Midnight Flyer'' is a 1918 American short action drama film direc ...

" by

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's music career began after he dropped out of school at the age of 15, and continued f ...

, "Since I Made You Cry" by

The Rivieras The Rivieras were an American rock band that formed in the early 1960s in South Bend, Indiana. They had a hit with the song "California Sun". History The Rivieras were made up of teenagers from South Bend Central High School. (This band should ...

, "Point of No Return" by Adam Wade, and "Ooh! What a Day!", recorded by both

Craig Douglas Craig Douglas (born Terence Perkins, 13 August 1941) is an English pop singer, who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His sole UK chart-topper, "Only Sixteen" (1959), sold more copies in the UK than Sam Cooke's original version. Ca ...

and

Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "Jazz royalty, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine ...

. Watts was a vocalist with the

Lionel Hampton Orchestra Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, and bandleader. Hampton worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mi ...

.Washington Afro-American, March 11, 1958, Page 19 She also recorded singles as a solo artist as well as in the duo Mayme &

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

. In March 1958, Watts married Ralph Sawyer in Germany. In August 1959, Watts filed a lawsuit against former

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

executive Brad Shad, for songwriting royalties she believed were owed to her from “Alright, Okay, You Win”. By the mid-1960s she was performing as a vocalist with the Walter Davis Jr. Trio, and married pianist Walter Davis.Jet Magazine, Vol 38, No. 10, June 11, 1970, Page 33

Discography

As Maymie Watts (solo) * "Quicksand" / "There Goes That Train" (

Groove Groove or Grooves may refer to: Music * Groove (music) * Groove (drumming) * The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s * The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station * Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station * ...

4G-0103, 1955) * "Doo Ba Dee" (Track 23, Rockin' the Groove,

Bear Family Bear Family Records is a Germany-based independent record label, that specializes in reissues of archival material, ranging from country music to 1950s rock and roll to old German movie soundtracks. History The label has been in existence since ...

BCD 17412, 2016) * "Wheel of Time" (Track 35, Rockin' The Groove, Bear Family BCD 17412, 2016) With Mayme & Robert / Maymie and Robert * "Ain't No Way in the World" / "Parting Tears" (Glory 45-260, 1957) * "Sweet Lips" / "Ha Ha Hee Hee Ho Ho Hum Hum" (

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

K12702, 1958) * "You Ought to Know" / "That's When" (

Roulette Roulette is a casino game named after the French word meaning ''little wheel'' which was likely developed from the Italian game Biribi''.'' In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various groupings of numbers, the ...

R-4347, 1961)

References

Year of birth missing Year of death missing 20th-century American composers {{US-songwriter-stub