Marva Wright (born Marva Maria Williams, March 20, 1948 – March 23, 2010) was an American blues
singer
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or withou ...
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
, United States, to mother Mattie P. Gilbert, and father Reverend Arthur Williams on March 20, 1948. Wright's first public singing efforts were heard in church at the age of 9, with her mother Mattie Gilbert, a piano player and
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 ...
as her accompanist in which they recorded "I Walk With The King". Top honors in a school-sponsored singing competition followed.
Mahalia Jackson
Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was integral to ...
, the esteemed gospel singer, was an early friend of the family. Marva graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1965 and attended Southern University of Baton Rouge.
When Wright was discovered she was working as a secretary at Eleanor McMain Junior High in New Orleans. Wright did not turn professional until 1987, when she was almost forty years old. Even then, she only began singing as a way to support her family with a second job, the song that got attention was " Dr. Feelgood" by Aretha Franklin. Early in 1989 during a live set at
Tipitina's
Tipitina's is a music venue located at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and Tchoupitoulas Street in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.
History
Local music enthusiasts opened the venue on January 14, 1977.Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean". She made her debut on national television in 1991, when her hometown was the setting for a special that revolved around the Super Bowl where she met CBS news anchorman
Ed Bradley
Edward Rudolph Bradley Jr. (June 22, 1941 – November 9, 2006) was an American broadcast journalist and news anchor. He was best known for his reporting on ''60 Minutes'' and CBS News.
Bradley began his journalism career as a radio news repo ...
, who thought at that time that she only sang Gospel. Later that same year he rediscovered her at the
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (commonly called Jazz Fest or Jazzfest) is an annual celebration of local music and culture held at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Fest attracts thousands of visitors to New ...
, and from that day on encouraged her career and introduced her every Jazz Fest. ''Heartbreakin' Woman'', Wright's first full-length release, appeared later that year. Wright's 1993 album ''Born With The Blues'' was originally released in France, then three years later the major-label imprint
Virgin
Virginity is the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. The term ''virgin'' originally only referred to sexually inexperienced women, but has evolved to encompass a range of definitions, as found in traditional, modern ...
picked it up for the rest of the world. Her 2007 album, ''After The Levees Broke'', addressed the devastation of Hurricane Katrina - which destroyed her house and all her belongings - by repurposing songs like
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...
's "
Crazy
Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors performed by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can be manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or t ...
Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Randall Hornsby (born November 23, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. His music draws from folk rock, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Southern rock, country rock, jam band, rock, heartland rock, and blues rock musical traditions ...
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The Way It Is The Way It Is may refer to:
Music
* ''The Way It Is'' (Bruce Hornsby album), by Bruce Hornsby and the Range
** "The Way It Is" (Bruce Hornsby song), the title song
* ''The Way It Is'' (Glenn Hughes album), or the title song
* ''The Way It Is' ...
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...
Harry Connick, Jr.
Joseph Harry Fowler Connick Jr. (born September 11, 1967) is an American singer, pianist, composer, actor, and television host. He has sold over 28million albums worldwide. Connick is ranked among the top60 List of best-selling music artists i ...
,
Bobby McFerrin
Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also rap ...
,
Aaron Neville
Aaron Joseph Neville (born January 24, 1941) is a retired American R&B and soul singer. He has had four platinum albums and four Top 10 hits in the United States, including three that reached number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. ...
,
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...
Marcia Ball
Marcia Ball (born March 20, 1949, Orange, Texas, United States) is an American blues singer and pianist raised in Vinton, Louisiana.
Ball was described in ''USA Today'' as "a sensation, saucy singer and superb pianist... where Texas stomp-rock ...
.
In May and June 2009, Wright suffered a pair of strokes from which she never fully recovered. She died on March 23, 2010, a few days after her 62nd birthday at her eldest daughter's home in New Orleans.
Wright has four children from two previous marriages: Gerry (Martin) McKey, Elizabeth (Martin) Gainey, James Kelly Jr., and Jeanne (Kelly) Harris. Marva has twelve grandchildren: Sean McKey Jr., Lawrence Martin, Mattie Martin, Stephanie Martin, Richelle Martin, Richard Martin, James Kelly III, Samuel Kelly, Halle' McKey, Olivia Kelly, Dillon Kelly and Jamya Kelly.
Discography
*''Heartbreakin' Woman'' (1991)
*''Born With The Blues'' (1993)
*''Marva'' (1994)
*''My Christmas Song'' (1994)
*''I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For'' (1995)
*''Marvalous'' (1995)
*''Bluesiana Mama'' (1997)
*''Let Them Talk'' (2000)
*''Glitter Queen'' (2002)
*''Blues Queen Of New Orleans'' (2004) (compilation)
*''Do Right Woman: The Soul of New Orleans'' (2006) (re-issue of ''Born With The Blues'')
*''After The Levees Broke'' (2007)