Maxine Jones
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Maxine Jones (born January 16, 1962), is an American singer best known as a founding member of the R&B/ pop group
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hol ...
, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. She sang lead vocals on the group's signature singles "
My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" is a song by American pop/ R&B group En Vogue, released in March 1992 as the lead single from their multi-platinum second album, '' Funky Divas'' (1992). The single reached number two on the US ''Billboard ...
" and "
Don't Let Go (Love) "Don't Let Go (Love)" is a song by American R&B group En Vogue. It was written by Ivan Matias, Andrea Martin, and Marqueze Etheridge, and produced by Organized Noize for the ''Set It Off'' soundtrack (1996), also appearing on the group's third a ...
", both of which garnered international success and sold over a million copies. Throughout her career, Jones has sold over 20 million records with
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hol ...
. Her work has earned her several awards and nominations, including two
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produc ...
, a
Billboard Music Award The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by '' Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of ...
, four
MTV Video Music Awards The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honour the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
, and four
Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of ''Soul Train'', the pro ...
.


Career


1989–2011: En Vogue

In 1988, Jones was chosen along with
Dawn Robinson Dawn Sherrese Robinson (born November 24, 1966 or 1968) is an American singer best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Following her departure from En Vogue, Robinso ...
and
Cindy Herron Cynthia Ann Herron (born September 26, 1961), professionally known as Cindy Herron and sometimes credited as Cindy Herron–Braggs is an American singer and actress. Herron is best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of ...
to be in a three-woman girl group by producers Denzil Foster and
Thomas McElroy Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy are an American R&B record production and songwriting duo, releasing recordings under the names Foster & McElroy and Fmob. They have written and produced songs for musicians such as Club Nouveau, Tony! Toni! T ...
. After adding
Terry Ellis Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), A ...
to the line-up, the group became a quartet and chose the name
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hol ...
. They began recording their debut album in 1989 and finished in 1990. In 1990, En Vogue released their first single "
Hold On Hold On may refer to: Music Albums and EPs * ''Hold On!'' (album), by Herman's Hermits, 1966 * ''Hold On'' (Trapeze album), or the title song, 1978 * ''Hold On'' (High Inergy album), 1980 * ''Hold On'' (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band album), 1987 * ...
", which became a number one single on the
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by '' Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 ...
chart.En Vogue Chart History
''Billboard''. Retrieved March 4, 2019
Later that year, the group released their debut album '' Born to Sing'', which sold a million copies the United States. The group released their second album ''
Funky Divas ''Funky Divas'' is the second studio album by American recording group En Vogue, released by Atlantic Records division East West on March 24, 1992 in the United States. Conceived after the success of their Grammy Award–nominated debut album '' ...
'' in 1992, which sold over 3.5 million copies in the United States. The album's lead single "
My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" is a song by American pop/ R&B group En Vogue, released in March 1992 as the lead single from their multi-platinum second album, '' Funky Divas'' (1992). The single reached number two on the US ''Billboard ...
", which features Jones on lead vocals, peaked at number two on the
Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
and number one on the R&B chart. "
Give It Up, Turn It Loose "Give It Up, Turn It Loose" is a song by American R&B/pop vocal group En Vogue, released as the fourth single from their second album, '' Funky Divas'' (1992). The song's title is a reference to the 1969 James Brown song "Give It Up or Turni ...
", lead completely by Jones, was released as the album's fourth single. The song peaked at number fifteen on the ''Billboards Hot 100, and received a nomination for a
Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals The Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal was awarded between 1970 and 2011. From 1967 to 1969 and in 1971 the award included instrumental performances. The award had several minor name changes: *From 1967 to 1968 the ...
at 36th Annual Grammy Awards.En Vogue , Artist
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Retrieved March 4, 2019
Jones also shares lead vocals on one of the album's top-charting singles "
Free Your Mind Free Your Mind may refer to: * ''Free Your Mind'' (Cut Copy album), 2013 * ''Free Your Mind'' (Maliq & D'Essentials album), 2007 * Free Your Mind (MTV award) Free Your Mind is an award granted by MTV during its shows in order to award actions or ...
". "Free Your Mind" won two
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
Video Music Awards, for "Best R&B Video" and "Best Dance Video".
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hol ...
released an EP in the fall of 1993, entitled '' Runaway Love''. The lead single "
Whatta Man "What a Man" is a song written by Dave Crawford, and originally recorded for Stax Records' Volt imprint by Linda Lyndell, whose recording reached number 50 on the '' Billboard'' R&B chart in 1968. The song was sampled and reinterpreted as "Wha ...
", featuring co-lead vocals by Jones and a collaboration with
Salt-N-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). Their debut album, ''Hot, C ...
, peaked in the top-ten on the Billboard charts and sold over a million copies. In 1995, En Vogue was featured on the single "
Freedom (Theme from Panther) "Freedom" is a 1995 song released on Mercury Records featuring a chorus of over 60 African-American female artists and groups of note in hip-hop, pop and R&B music including En Vogue, Aaliyah, Vanessa L. Williams, Mary J. Blige, MC Lyte, SWV, T ...
". In 1996,
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hol ...
released "
Don't Let Go (Love) "Don't Let Go (Love)" is a song by American R&B group En Vogue. It was written by Ivan Matias, Andrea Martin, and Marqueze Etheridge, and produced by Organized Noize for the ''Set It Off'' soundtrack (1996), also appearing on the group's third a ...
" with Jones singing co-lead vocals of the song. The song was featured on the soundtrack to the motion picture '' Set It Off''. Released in the autumn, it became the group's biggest hit to date going number one worldwide. It also sold over 1.8 million copies worldwide and became certified platinum by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. In response to the large commercial success of "Don't Let Go (Love)", the group steadfastly went to work on its third album. As the album was nearing completion, Robinson chose to leave the group in April 1997 after difficult contractual negotiations reached a stalemate. The ending result saw En Vogue re-recording their third album with Jones singing lead vocals on more of the songs. In June 1997, the group released their third studio album '' EV3'', which went platinum. In 2000, they released their fourth album, ''
Masterpiece Theatre ''Masterpiece'' (formerly known as ''Masterpiece Theatre'') is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH-TV, WGBH Boston. It premiered on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaim ...
''. The following year, Jones left En Vogue to focus on family and was replaced by Amanda Cole. After the release of En Vogue's fifth album, Jones returned to the group. In late 2004, Jones toured with En Vogue while Cindy was on maternity leave and continued to perform with En Vogue until April 2012. On September 26, 2011, Ellis, Jones, and Herron released a single "I'll Cry Later" from their forthcoming album that was planned for a December release. Negotiations for the album release resulted in Jones leaving En Vogue, which was discussed with Robinson on
Access Hollywood ''Access Hollywood'', formerly known as ''Access'' from 2017 to 2019, is an American weekday television entertainment news program that premiered on September 9, 1996. It covers events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created ...
nearly a year later on October 17, 2012.


2012–13: Heirs to the Throne and En Vogue to the Max

In October 2012, Jones and
Dawn Robinson Dawn Sherrese Robinson (born November 24, 1966 or 1968) is an American singer best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of the world's best-selling girl groups of all time. Following her departure from En Vogue, Robinso ...
appeared on
Access Hollywood ''Access Hollywood'', formerly known as ''Access'' from 2017 to 2019, is an American weekday television entertainment news program that premiered on September 9, 1996. It covers events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created ...
to announce they are forming a new girl group called Heirs to the Throne. The duo launched their website, Twitter, and Facebook for the new group. They also performed at several venues with Shaunté Usual as their third member. The following year, Robinson and Jones parted ways and Jones went on to form her own group called "En Vogue to the Max". It was later announced that the former group mates
Cindy Herron Cynthia Ann Herron (born September 26, 1961), professionally known as Cindy Herron and sometimes credited as Cindy Herron–Braggs is an American singer and actress. Herron is best known as a founding member of the R&B/pop group En Vogue, one of ...
and
Terry Ellis Terry is a unisex given name, derived from French Thierry and Theodoric. It can also be used as a diminutive nickname for the names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence or Terrier (masculine). People Male * Terry Albritton (1955–2005), A ...
sued Jones for use of the
En Vogue En Vogue is an American vocal girl group whose original lineup consisted of singers Terry Ellis, Dawn Robinson, Cindy Herron, and Maxine Jones. Formed in Oakland, California, in 1989, En Vogue reached No. 2 on the US Hot 100 with the single "Hol ...
name and demanding one million dollars for damages. However, Ellis and Herron could not demonstrate harm done to the company from Jones' use of the name. Robinson participated as a witness in the trial but ultimately stated that she was not directly involved in the dispute, as she had surrendered her rights to use the name herself when she departed from the LLC years earlier. She also appeared as a judge in season two's Paramount Idol, alongside Bruce Flohr and Andy Waldeck.


2014–2018: Solo career

In 2014, Jones began recording her first solo album with producer DJ King Assassin entitled, ''To the Max''.Former En Vogue Member Maxine Jones Readies New Single "Didn't I"
Top40-Charts. Retrieved March 24, 2014
Jones released a single "Didn't I" on May 15, 2014. In 2015, Jones began her own radio show called "Max Radio". In 2016, Jones went on tour for the stage-play "Suspicion, Lies, and Death by Pies!" by Teresa D. Ballard. In March 2017, Jones announced the forthcoming release of her autobiographical self-help book "A Smart Girls Guide to Girl Groups" in the summer through Welstar Publications, LLC. In June 2017, Jones released a cover version of the "Don't Let Go (Love)" as a duet with Australian singer Greg Gould.


2019–present: The Funky Divas; Solo Career

In October 2019, Jones reunited with En Vogue for an on-stage performance to salute music industry executive Sylvia Rhone at the City of Hope Gala 2019. This marked the first time all five members performed together. In late 2019, Jones and Dawn Robinson began touring under the group name The Funky Divas. They've since disbanded a second time. In November 2022, Jones released her newest solo single titled "Not Your Freak" featuring Bounce artist
Big Freedia Freddie Ross Jr. (born January 28, 1978), better known by his stage name Big Freedia ( ), is an American rapper and performer known for his work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music. Freedia has been credited with helping popu ...
, It's the first single off her upcoming debut album MAXimazing.


Artistry


Voice and songwriting

Maxine's vocal range spans three octaves and two notes. She is a
mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...
. As a member of En Vogue, Jones was often credited for harmonizing the low parts of their songs. Her lowest note was recorded on the song "Love Won't Take Me Out" wherein she sang a G2. Her highest note was recorded on Silent Night (Happy Holiday Mix)", whereas she sang a B5 note. Jones often took on heavy songwriting in the group. She also sang lead vocals on their biggest hits including: "
Whatta Man "What a Man" is a song written by Dave Crawford, and originally recorded for Stax Records' Volt imprint by Linda Lyndell, whose recording reached number 50 on the '' Billboard'' R&B chart in 1968. The song was sampled and reinterpreted as "Wha ...
", "
Don't Let Go (Love) "Don't Let Go (Love)" is a song by American R&B group En Vogue. It was written by Ivan Matias, Andrea Martin, and Marqueze Etheridge, and produced by Organized Noize for the ''Set It Off'' soundtrack (1996), also appearing on the group's third a ...
", "
Give It Up, Turn It Loose "Give It Up, Turn It Loose" is a song by American R&B/pop vocal group En Vogue, released as the fourth single from their second album, '' Funky Divas'' (1992). The song's title is a reference to the 1969 James Brown song "Give It Up or Turni ...
", and their signature song "
My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It) "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" is a song by American pop/ R&B group En Vogue, released in March 1992 as the lead single from their multi-platinum second album, '' Funky Divas'' (1992). The single reached number two on the US ''Billboard ...
".


Influences

Jones names
Chaka Khan Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...
as her major musical influence. Her musical influences also include
Gladys Knight Gladys Maria Knight (born May 28, 1944), known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer, actress and businesswoman. A seven-time Grammy Award-winner, Knight recorded hits through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s with her family group Gladys Kn ...
,
Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...
,
Tina Turner Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
,
Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American R&B singer, actress and businesswoman. LaBelle is referred to as the " Godmother of Soul". She began her career in the early 1960s as lead singe ...
.Maxine Jones , LinkedIn
LinkedIn. Retrieved July 27, 2016
Jones' style is rooted in R&B and classic soul music, supplemented by bass and programmed drumbeats by Denzil Foster,
Thomas McElroy Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy are an American R&B record production and songwriting duo, releasing recordings under the names Foster & McElroy and Fmob. They have written and produced songs for musicians such as Club Nouveau, Tony! Toni! T ...
.


Discography

;Singles * "Didn't I" (2014) * "
Don't Let Go (Love) "Don't Let Go (Love)" is a song by American R&B group En Vogue. It was written by Ivan Matias, Andrea Martin, and Marqueze Etheridge, and produced by Organized Noize for the ''Set It Off'' soundtrack (1996), also appearing on the group's third a ...
" (with Greg Gould) (2017) * "Not Your Freak" (featuring
Big Freedia Freddie Ross Jr. (born January 28, 1978), better known by his stage name Big Freedia ( ), is an American rapper and performer known for his work in the New Orleans genre of hip hop called bounce music. Freedia has been credited with helping popu ...
)
(2022)


Filmography


Films


TV appearances


Theatre appearances


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Maxine 1962 births 1966 births Living people 20th-century American women singers 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American businesspeople 21st-century American women singers African-American actresses African-American artists 20th-century African-American women singers African-American feminists African-American record producers African-American women writers African-American writers American contemporary R&B singers American dance musicians American disco musicians American women pop singers American women singer-songwriters American house musicians American music publishers (people) American sopranos American soul singers En Vogue members Feminist musicians Musicians from Paterson, New Jersey Singer-songwriters from New Jersey 20th-century American singers 21st-century American singers African-American songwriters 21st-century African-American women singers