Marilyn Maye

Marilyn Maye McLaughlin (born April 10, 1928) is an American singer, musical theater actress and masterclass educator. With a career spanning eight decades, Maye has performed music in the styles of cabaret, jazz and pop music. She has received one nomination from the Grammy Awards and had commercial success as a recording artist.

Maye was raised in both Kansas and Iowa. With her mother's encouragement, Maye performed onstage and on the radio during her childhood. In her teenage years, she had her own radio program in Des Moines, Iowa. Maye performed locally during the 1940s and 1950s until being discovered in 1963 by Steve Allen, later appearing on his television show. She also began a 76-episode run on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. This led to her signing a recording contract with RCA Victor.

Between 1965 and 1970, Maye recorded a series of albums for RCA. Her debut studio album Meet Marvelous Marilyn Maye was released in 1965. Producer Joe René brought Maye Broadway show tunes to record prior to them appearing in musicals. Many of these songs were issued by RCA as singles and some became successful. Three singles reached the American adult contemporary top ten: "Cabaret" (1966), "Sherry!" (1967) and "Step to the Rear" (1967).

By the 1970s, the nightclub circuit began to disappear and Maye found performing work elsewhere. For two decades, she made regional appearances in musicals like Hello, Dolly!, Mame and Follies. She also continued her recording career, releasing an album of music from Hello Dolly in 1985 and a tribute album of songs to Ray Charles in 2005. She also continued working across the United States in smaller venues. In 2006, she gained attention after performing in New York City at the Mabel Mercer Foundation. This led to Maye gaining a new audience in her late seventies and a renewed interest in her concert appearances. Now in her nineties, Maye has continued to appear regularly in concert.

Early life Marilyn Maye McLaughlin was born on April 10, 1928 in Wichita, Kansas to father Kenneth and mother Lyla McLaughlin. Maye's cousin was Broadway actress Joy Hodges. Her father was a pharmacist who relocated the family to nearby Topeka where he ran a drugstore. In her childhood, Marilyn's parents divorced. Her mother relocated to Des Moines, Iowa and Marilyn moved with her. She often skipped her high school Spanish class so she could make regular radio appearances. In 1946, Marilyn graduated from East High School in Des Moines.

Career 1946–1961: Early career in the Midwest Following her 1946 high school graduation, Maye became a staff vocalist for WHAS radio in Louisville, Kentucky. There she performed with combos and orchestras. She then embarked as a solo performer throughout the Midwest United States,

After marrying De Fore, Maye relocated permanently to Kansas City. During this period, the couple operated a children's dance studio in Kansas City. De Fore taught dancing and Maye taught singing. It featured compositions by Midwest writer Carl Bolte, Jr.

1963–1970: Breakthrough at RCA Records, The Tonight Show and peak years In 1963, Maye was performing at a nightclub when she was heard by television personality Steve Allen. He was also brought to the attention of her debut album, which impressed him enough Maye then began recording with Joe René, who produced her first RCA Victor album. Titled Meet Marvelous Marilyn Maye, the album was released in August 1965 and featured liner notes from Steve Allen. It was given a positive review from Billboard magazine, who named it a "Pop Special Merit" pick in its weekly list of albums.

Maye was discovered by Steve Allen in the early 1960s. Her performances on his television program led to a recording contract with RCA Victor that brought Maye commercial success during the decade. Maye was then heard at a New York City nightclub by Ed McMahon of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He advocated for her to appear on the late-night television program Maye went on to appear on The Tonight Show for a record 76 times, the most of any music artist. RCA Victor also released two albums of Maye's material in 1966. This began with the release of a live LP titled The Second of Maye. It was recorded at The Living Room in New York City and featured accompaniment from Maye's husband's quartet. A studio project titled The Lamp Is Low was then released in October 1966. Most of the tracks were new material that were cut in a jazz style.

After recording "I Love You Today" for an upcoming musical, producer Joe René was inspired to bring Maye more show tune material. In 1966, René had Maye record "Cabaret" from the Broadway musical of the same name. It was followed by "Sherry!", which would appear in the Broadway show of the same name. Similar to its predecessor, "Sherry!" climbed into the top ten of the Billboard adult contemporary chart. It was her next single that became her most commercially successful recording. Taken from the Broadway musical How Now, Dow Jones,

Now in popular demand, Maye made appearances on many popular television programs. During this period, she appeared periodically on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Dick Cavett Show, The Merv Griffin Show and The Mike Douglas Show. She continued to be a concert attraction in New York City's nightclub circuit. She also performed at political functions, including Iowa Governor Robert D. Ray and US Senator Bob Dole. In 1966, she was nominated by the Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, but ultimately lost to Tom Jones. In 1969, "Step to the Rear" began being featured in televised advertisements for the Lincoln and Mercury automobiles. Maye recorded the song with new lyrics to match the advertisement. She received a new car from Lincoln–Mercury for several years.

RCA Victor kept Maye under contract until 1970 That same year, the song "Feelin'" became a top 20 single on the Billboard adult contemporary chart. RCA issued Maye's final studio album with their label in 1970 called Marilyn Maye, Girl Singer.

1971–2005: Changing directions and musical theater Maye departed RCA Victor by 1970. She found less work on the nightclub circuit as supper clubs declined in popularity.

Maye also started appearing in regional theater productions during the 1970s. She played a series of shows at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City, Missouri. This began in 1970 when she starred as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!. She also performed in the Starlight's production of Can-Can. "I performed the part of Pistache and loved singing 'C'est Magnifique' each night," she told Playbill magazine. In 1973, she appeared at the Starlight again in The Doc Severinsen Show. In 1981, she began working with Billy Stritch who has since been her off-and-off accompanist and music director. On her own Marilyn Maye Records, she released a studio collection called Marilyn Maye Sings All of Jerry Herman's "Hello Dolly". Released in 1985, the album was a collection of songs from the original musical. Writer of the show Jerry Herman penned the album's lines notes, calling Maye an "extraordinary combination of acting and singing talent". Author Will Friedwald praised the disc, commenting that "she takes Brother Ray's signatures and refits them for herself while retaining the essence of the original." The disc included "Here's That Rainy Day", which was Carson's favorite song Maye sang. In 2006 at age 78, Maye gained notable attention after performing at New York City's Lincoln Center for the Mabel Mercer Foundation. With encouragement from Billy Stritch and her lawyer, Maye went on to perform at New York's Metropolitan Room where she reportedly "blew the roof off". From there, began returning to New York City with more frequency, doing nearly ten shows yearly.

At age 80, she returned in 2008 to the Metropolitan room with a new stage show of Cabaret music called "Love on the Rocks". The program featured both popular nightclub songs, along with more recent covers such as songs by James Taylor. Maye continued to draw concert work in other places such as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sioux City, Iowa and Provincetown, Massachusetts. In the 2010s, Maye continued a regular concert schedule throughout the United States, including continual New York City engagements. In 2010, she performed at a Carnegie Hall concert in celebration of Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday. In both 2011 and 2012, she performed at Feinstein's at Loews Regency.

Approaching the age of 90, Maye was featured in a 2018 episode of CBS Sunday Morning, with a profile by Mo Rocca. "For this writer who has, for some time, marveled at the breadth of her talent and endurance, she is The Unstoppable Marilyn Maye," wrote Stephen Mosher of BroadwayWorld. "The more I work, the more I learn, and the more I like to pass on to people who have the passion for singing," she told The Observer.

Artistry Maye's musical style encompasses cabaret, jazz and pop. For performing in many of New York's nightclubs for several decades, she has been referred to as the "Queen of Cabaret". "To attend one of her shows is to be at an exalted master class of 'how it’s done'," wrote Marilyn Lester of the publication Night Life Exchange. Bruce Ferrier of The Desert Sun called Maye one of the last "scat-singing" jazz artists and compared her to Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae and Anita O'Day.

Maye has cited Edith Piaf and Jo Stafford as musical influences. The New York Times called her "the last of a great generation of American Songbook singers.". Her version of "Too Late Now" was included in the Smithsonian Institution recordings of the 20th Century. Other honors include the Jazz Heritage Award, the Kansas City Jazz Ambassador's Award of Excellence, the Elder Statesmen of Jazz Award, and lifetime achievement awards from both the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame and Kansas City's CODA Jazz Fund. She was given a lifetime achievement award by the American Jazz Museum and inducted into its Walk of Fame. She has also received lifetime achievement awards from the Great American Songbook Foundation, Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, and the Chicago Cabaret Professionals Association. On September 18, 2012, the Native Sons and Daughters of Greater Kansas City honored Maye with the organization's Outstanding Kansas Citian Award.

Personal life Maye has been married three times. She also had one long-term partnership. Her second marriage was to Jimmie De Fore. Their union resulted in Maye's only child, daughter Kristi Tucker. Maye's daughter is a singer and vocal instructor in Kansas City. Maye Sings Ray (2005) 8th Annual Grammy Awards Best New Artist

1967

Most Promising Up & Coming Female Vocalist

1968 Most Programmed Female Vocalist

2003 Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame Jay McShann Lifetime Achievement Award

2009 The Breukelein Institute Guadium Award

2012 Chicago Cabaret Professionals Lifetime Achievement Award

2018 Great American Songbook Foundation New Standard Award