Brenda Holloway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Brenda Holloway | |
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| Background information | |
| Born | June 21, 1946 |
| Origin | Atascadero, California, U.S. |
| Genre(s) | Soul |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1964 – present |
| Label(s) | Motown, Motorcity |
| Associated acts | Mary Wells, Patrice Holloway |
Brenda Holloway (born June 21, 1946) is an African-American singer and songwriter best known for her period as a recording artist for the Motown label during the 1960s.
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[edit] Biography
Her best known hits from her Motown days were the soul ballad "Every Little Bit Hurts" (which reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964, and was the title track of her first album that year), "When I'm Gone" (#12 R&B #25 in 1965), and "You've Made Me So Very Happy", which she co-wrote with her sister Patrice Holloway (which reached only #39 in 1967, but in 1969 it was a major No. 2 hit for Blood, Sweat & Tears). She also had R&B hits with "I'll Always Love You," (#60 Pop) "Operator" (#36 R&B), and "Just Look What You've Done", (21 R&B, 69 Pop).
Holloway did not fit the Motown mold well and some of her Motown recordings, especially the Smokey Robinson songs (When I'm Gone, Operator) were origninally recorded by Mary Wells before she left the label in 1964. She lived in Los Angeles, not Detroit, she had a grittier edge than the typical polished Motown performer, and she wrote songs as well as sang them, which was unprecedented for a female Motown artist. Motown held up the release of her second album, The Artistry of Brenda Holloway, until 1968. Holloway felt she was not being treated well by Motown, and did not like the general moral trends developing in the music industry, so she retired from the business later that year. She then married a minister and raised three daughters.
Brenda Holloway inspired many Pop artists, including The Beatles who asked her to perform as the opening act on their 1965 tour of the U.S. She along with Mary Wells and Jackie DeShannon were the only females to open for them.
Many critics feel in retrospect that Holloway was a "lost" Motown artist whose full abilities were never realized; Mary Wilson is among those pushing to have her music remembered. Although Motown (in the U.S.) only released 12 of her songs on its 20th Century Masters collection, the British version of the company Tamla-Motown released an anthology of her music in 2005 containing 35 previously unreleased selections.
Both Holloway sisters worked as prominent background vocalists during the 1960s, in addition to their solo recording careers. They both backed Joe Cocker and the Grease Band on the 1968 cover version of The Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends", later the theme song to the 1980s television series The Wonder Years.
In 1980, Brenda Holloway returned to record a gospel album. In 1988 Holloway went to the United Kingdom to participate in Ian Levine's giant Motorcity project, recording a duet with Jimmy Ruffin and completing the album All It Takes in 1990. Beginning in 1995 she returned to live performing and continues to be active. She recorded 30 cover version of Northern soul classics with Ian Levine in 1997 which were released in 2003, and she also sang background on Barry White's final album, "Staying Power" (1999). She appeared on the PBS Special, Motown: The Early Years, singing a medley of Every Little Bit Hurts and Marvin Gaye's Distant Lover, but, typically, her performance, as well as that of Gladys Horton of The Marvelettes was not included in the commemorative DVD of the event.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums
- Every Little Bit Hurts (1964)
- The Artistry of Brenda Holloway (1968)
- All It Takes (1990)
- My Love Is Your Love (2CD, 2003)
- 20th Century Masters (2003)
- Anthology (Tamla-Motown) (2005)
[edit] Singles
- "Hey Fool" (1962)
- "Game of Love" (1962)
- "I'll Give My Life" (1962)
- "Every Little Bit Hurts" (1964) US: #13
- "I'll Always Love You" (1964) US: #60
- "When I'm Gone" (1965) R&B: #12 US: #25
- "Operator" (1965) R&B: #36 US: #78
- "You Can Cry on My Shoulder" (1965)
- "Together 'Til the End of Time" (1966)
- "Hurt a Little Everyday" (1966)
- "Just Look What You've Done" (1967) R&B: #21 US: #69
- "You've Made Me So Very Happy" (1967) R&B: #40 US: #39
- "Give Me A Little Inspiration" (1988)
- "On the Rebound" (duet with Jimmy Ruffin) (1988)
- "Hot and Cold" (1991)
