Maxx Kidd (born Carl Lomax Kidd, August 8, 1941 – March 13, 2017) was an American

record producer A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...

music promoter A promoter works with event production and entertainment industries to promote their productions, including in music and sports. Promoters are individuals or organizations engaged in the business of marketing and promoting live, or pay-per-view ...

, film producer, and

impresario An impresario (from the Italian ''impresa'', "an enterprise or undertaking") is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas, performing a role in stage arts that is similar to that of a film or television producer. His ...

based in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He is regarded as one of the most significant figures in shepherding the growth of

go-go Go-go is a subgenre of funk music with an emphasis on specific rhythmic patterns, and live audience call and response. Go-go was originated by African-American musicians in the Washington, D.C. area during the mid-60s to late-70s. Go-go has l ...

music. Some of the most well-known production credits included "

Blow Your Whistle Blow commonly refers to: *Cocaine *Exhalation * Strike (attack) Blow, Blew, Blowing, or Blown may also refer to: People * Blew (surname) * Blow (surname) Arts and entertainment Music *The Blow, an American electro-pop band Albums * ''Blow ...

" and "

We Need Some Money "We Need Some Money" is a single by the Washington, D.C.-based go-go band Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers, which was released as a single in 1984. The song has been sampled by many hip-hop artists, including songs by Kid 'n Play and Wreckx-n- ...

", along with numerous other go-go songs. Additionally, Kidd has done concert promotion for numerous musical acts, such as Lou Rawls,

Shalamar Shalamar () is an American R&B and soul music vocal group active since the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. Shalamar's classic line-up on the SOLAR label consisted of Howard Hewett, Jody Watley, and Jeffrey Daniel, together with dancer ...

The Temptations The Temptations are an American vocal group from Detroit, Michigan, who released a series of successful singles and albums with Motown Records during the 1960s and 1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield, beginning with the Top ...

Johnnie Taylor Johnnie Harrison Taylor (May 5, 1934 – May 31, 2000) was an American recording artist and songwriter who performed a wide variety of genres, from blues, rhythm and blues, soul, and gospel to pop, doo-wop, and disco. In 2022, Taylor ...

Van McCoy Van Allen Clinton McCoy (January 6, 1940 – July 6, 1979) was an American musician, record producer, arranger, songwriter, singer and orchestra conductor. He is known for his 1975 internationally successful song " The Hustle". He has approximat ...

, and

The O'Jays The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1958 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert, Walter Lee Williams, William Powell, Bobby Massey, and Bill Isles. The O'Jays made their first chart appearance with the minor ...

Biography

Maxx Kidd was born on August 8, 1941, and raised in Charleston, West Virginia. During his youth in West Virginia, he met

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 ...

in a nightclub which was owned by his father. This encounter sparked Kidd's interest in the music industry. Thereafter, he became a calypso singer at a

drive-in A drive-in is a facility (such as a restaurant or movie theater) where one can drive in with an automobile for service. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by staff who walk or rollerskat ...

restaurant. Kidd briefly served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

before relocating to

in 1960. After arriving in D.C., Kidd joined soul group The Enjoyables, whose members included Keni St. Lewis, James Johnson, William Britton, Gerald Richardson, and Sidney Hall. The group released their debut

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

"Push a Little Harder" on Capitol Records in 1964, and the follow-up single "Shame" in 1966 on the D.C.-based label Shrine Records. Additionally, Kidd also worked with

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

's record label "

Curtom Records Curtom Records was a record label started in 1968 by Curtis Mayfield and Impressions manager Eddie Thomas. The label's name was a combination of Mayfield's first name and Thomas' last name. Mayfield had previously made attempts at a record lab ...

", where he collaborated with

Jerry Butler Jerry Butler Jr. (born December 8, 1939) is an American soul singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and retired politician. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame i ...

Gene Chandler Gene Chandler (born Eugene Drake Dixon; July 6, 1937) is an American singer, songwriter, music producer, and record-label executive. Chandler is nicknamed "the Duke of Earl" or, simply, "the Duke." He is best known for his most successful son ...

and Chuck Brown & the Soul Searchers. He created his own record label T.T.E.D. (the initials stood for "Tolerance, Trust, Eternal dedication, and Determination") and released numerous go-go singles and albums. In 1992, Kidd suffered a stroke and was faced with continuing health issues for the remainder of his life. He died on March 13, 2017, in Chevy Chase, Maryland at the age of 75. Kidd was survived by five daughters, one son, eleven grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, four siblings, and a son-in-law.

References

External links

* * (upcoming biographical film) {{DEFAULTSORT:Kidd, Maxx 1941 births 2017 deaths African-American businesspeople African-American film producers African-American songwriters American film producers American music industry executives American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Record producers from West Virginia Go-go Impresarios Music promoters People from Charleston, West Virginia Record producers from Washington, D.C. United States Army soldiers 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people Singer-songwriters from West Virginia Singer-songwriters from Washington, D.C.

Biography

See also

References

External links