Marva Wright
Down in Louisiana, Marva Wright was called the Blues Queen. Fans of her energy-filled performances, both live and recorded, called her a lot of other things, too, like "Marvalous Marva." The "bluesiana" numbers she favored were a strong showcase for her dynamic, gospel-rooted voice. One listen would be enough to convince any newcomer of her strengths, which was surprising in light of the fact that the vocalist was a late bloomer who didn't turn professional until 1987, when she was creeping up on 40. Even then, she only began singing as a way to support her family with a second job. Bourbon Street in the Big Easy led to more than she had dreamed, ultimately landing her gigs in Europe and across the world, with stops in France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Russia, Norway, Sweden, and Brazil. Her appearances in the U.S. included Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York, as well as Texas, California, Vermont, Colorado, and Florida.
Although she made a career out of music late in life, Wright actually began to sing much earlier, when she was nine years old. Like many artists, her first public singing efforts were heard in church, with her mother as her accompanist. Top honors in a school-sponsored singing competition followed. Later in life, she credited her mother, a piano player and singer in a gospel quartet, as one of her main influences. Mahalia Jackson, the esteemed gospel singer, was an early friend of the family. Early in 1989 during a live set at Tipitina's in New Orleans, Wright made her first recording, "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. Heartbreakin' Woman, Wright's first full-length release, appeared later that year and garnered honors from the Louisiana Music Critics Association as Blues Album of the Year. The Times-Picayune placed it among the year's Top Ten albums in the city.
Wright's 1993 album Born with the Blues was originally released in France, then three years later the major-label imprint Virgin picked it up for the rest of the world. A 2006 U.K. reissue on Shout! retitled the album Do Right Woman. Her 2007 effort, After the Levees Broke, addressed the devastation of Hurricane Katrina -- which destroyed her house and all her belongings -- by repurposing songs like Willie Nelson's "Crazy," Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come," and Bruce Hornsby's "The Way It Is." She also sang backup for such artists as Allen Toussaint, Glen Campbell, and Joe Cocker, and the long list of others Wright performed with includes Harry Connick, Jr., Bobby McFerrin, Aaron Neville, Fats Domino, Lou Rawls, and Marcia Ball. In May and June of 2009 Marva Wright suffered a pair of strokes from which she never fully recovered, and on March 23, 2010, she passed away a few days after her 62nd birthday at her eldest daughter's home in New Orleans.
© Linda Seida /TiVo
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Discography
11 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Marva Wright...............
Blues - Released by Aim Records on Nov 28, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Heartbreakin' Woman
Blues - Released by Mardi Gras Records on Jul 1, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I Still Haven't Found What I Am Looking For
Blues - Released by Aim Records on Oct 3, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Do Right Woman: The Soul Of New Orleans
R&B - Released by Shout on Dec 13, 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Blues Queen of New Orleans
Blues - Released by Mardi Gras Records on Apr 5, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Marvalous
Blues - Released by Mardi Gras Records on Aug 28, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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After The Levees Broke
Soul - Released by Aim Records on May 8, 2007
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
I'm Not Ready / You Broke a Beautiful Thing
Soul - Released by Private Stock Records on Jun 22, 1975
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
My Christmas Song
Christmas Music - Released by Mardi Gras Records on Feb 25, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Can't Stop This Heartache
Blues - Released by Sound of New Orleans - Kudzu Electric Records on Apr 24, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo