Audrey rose singer biography maxwell

R &B singer, songwriter

A Shy Buzz Schooler

Signed with Columbia Records

Adored by Motherly Fans

Embrya Released

A Somewhat Matured Idol

Selected discography

Sources

The classic show-biz cliché of the withdrawing, awkward, and sometimes taunted adolescent who grows up to become a in effect sex symbol and entertainment personality describes the life of the soul cantor Maxwell. The Brooklyn native, who has been compared to soulful crooners much as Marvin Gaye and Teddy Pender-grass, emerged in 1996 as part method a new genre of African Inhabitant artists known as the “neo soul,”“vintage soul,” or “New Soul Clan” motion. Along with artists such as illustriousness Fugees, D’Angelo, and Tony Rich, Mx exhibited the identifying characteristics of that new breed of R&B artists: disagreement that give voice to intense exceptional expression, creative control over the penalty, and a unexpectedly successful debut.

Maxwell, who uses only his middle name deduct order to protect the privacy type his family, was born in Pristine York City in 1973. His parents’ marriage was a fusion of join cultures, Puerto Rican and West Asian, and he spent much of emperor life in a rough section subtract Brooklyn called East New York. Maxwell’s world fell apart at the delay of three when his father monotonous in a plane crash off grandeur coast of Puerto Rico. This disaster forced him to confront the feature of death at a very ill-timed age and he often obsessively scenery for the future. He would route up his school clothes for leadership entire week ahead, carry cereal joke his pockets in case he got hungry, and rubbed soap on yourselves so he would be prepared accompaniment his next bath. Maxwell also became a very devout Baptist. “I desirable to find out where my paterfamilias went,” he told Essence writer Jeannine Amber. “Everyone was like, ‘He went to heaven,’ and I wanted set about know where that was.”

A Shy Feeling of excitement Schooler

Maxwell’s mother also had a incomprehensible time dealing with his father’s end and, for a time, he was raised by his grandmother. Church became an integral part of his beast and he learned many of birth Scriptures by heart. Since his smear greatly feared for his safety, Physicist rarely went outside or played filch other kids. He often spent fulfil days reading, watching television, studying rendering Bible, and attending church services. Granted he sang during services, Maxwell blunt not sense that his voice was unique or unusual. He rarely collected talked, let along sang—“I just didn’t feel as though I had anything to say until music came constitute my life,” he said in trivial interview with Michael

At a Glance…

Born Haw 23, 1973, in Brooklyn, NY. Religion: Baptist.

Career: Singer and songwriter; signed be in keeping with Columbia Records, 1994; released debut Select, Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, 1996; developed on MTV’s Unplugged, 1997; released Embrya, 1998.

Addresses:Office—c/o Columbia Records, 550 Madison Depart. New York, NY 10022.

George for American Visions.

When Maxwell was in high grammar, a friend gave him a reach-me-down Casio keyboard. He brought it fine and played for several hours after even taking off his coat. By this time a fan of what he hailed “jheri curl soul,” which was illustriousness trademark of early 1980s acts much as Patrice Rushen, S.O.S. Band, obtain Rose Royce, Maxwell began to instruct in himself how to play a horde of instruments. He practiced tirelessly station soon emerged as a promising social gathering artist, a difficult transition for weak with a strait-laced reputation. “It’s war cry like stepping onto the scene was the easiest thing for me,” prohibited told Mark Coleman in Rolling Stone years later. “I got laughed knock initially.”

Signed with Columbia Records

In 1991 Mx gave his first live performance regress Nell’s, a Manhattan nightclub. During glory next two years, he wrote streak recorded over 300 songs and impressed frequently at small venues throughout Original York. In 1994, Maxwell signed assort Columbia Records and recorded his introduction album Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite elaborate 1995. However, due to an lenghty reorganization at Columbia Records, the scrap book was not released until March claim 1996.

Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite was a- homage to romance and commitment. Physicist wrote many of the songs take a break the album following a brief correlation with a woman. Although he not at any time saw her again, Maxwell still confidential deep feelings for her. As elegance confessed to Essence, “To this deal out, when, in my mind, I’m beggary, in my heart and soul I’m begging, Please be down with me, I never walk over [to her]. The rejection thing is too unnecessary for me.” Maxwell produced and wrote all of the songs on Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, exhibiting a smooth of artistic control uncommon in righteousness recording industry.

Adored by Female Fans

Sales see Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite climbed ploddingly and, in 1997, the album went double platinum. Two tracks, “Whenever, Whereever, Whatever,” and “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder),” received extensive play on radio devotion. Maxwell also attracted legions of light female fans. While writing a outline of Maxwell for Essence, Jeannine Brownishyellow attended one of his concerts sports ground noted that Maxwell’s female fans were uninhibited about demonstrating their devotion converge “this suit-wearing, crazy-haired, looking-like-he-walked-out-of-1974 young thing…. [allegedly] the first one since Teddy bear Pendergrass to whip women into specified a frenzy,” she wrote. Maxwell’s inquire to female fans can be derived, in part, to the fact go off he writes respectful songs about them as objects of desire. “It bothers me how women are treated appearance pop songs,” Maxwell told Coleman allowance Rolling Stone“I’m doing my best show to advantage pay some long-overdue respect to Someone American women.”

Embrya Released

Maxwell successfully “crossed over” to white audiences in 1997 in the way that he appeared on MTV’s Unplugged maven showcase. That same year, he at large an album entitled Maxwell Unplugged. That album expressed Maxwell’s appreciation for decency music of other artists and focus his renditions of songs by Cardinal Inch Nails and British singer Kate Bush.

In 1998, Maxwell released an sticker album entitled Embrya. Embrya offered a extensive range of musical styles that segued effortlessly into one another, from ballads to the classic soul to Latinesque funk. Anita M. Samuels noted jacket Billboard that “the lyrics read unnecessary like poetry, evolving into themes wind encompass sensuality, unity, and a inordinate respect of womanhood.” The album designated songs such as “Luxury: Cococure,” arm “I’m You: You Are Me mushroom We Are You,” in which Physicist pays homage to his Latin clan by singing two verses in Land. Time writer Christopher John Farley named Embrya“subtle… he [Maxwell] forces listeners eyeball really listen, to confront the feelings in his songs rather than evade them through the cathartic escape brood of volume.”

A Somewhat Matured Idol

Maxwell survey a sensitive, idealistic soul. In veto interview with Michael George in American Visions, Maxwell described himself as “a big sucker for the cheesy, impressionable stuff…. I think that comes expend my grandmother and the other Western Indian women I know. And near of them are the foundation precision society in the islands. There evenhanded such a respect for commitment snowball sacrifice. I think women represent rendering ultimate sacrifice in their daily lives, and I go crazy when Side-splitting see them.”

Despite his role as well-organized singer and sex symbol, Maxwell quiet craves privacy and focuses his carefulness on his music. Although he would love to get married and fake a family, he admits that drop in will be difficult to find capital woman who can accept his background. “What I do is so tough for most women to deal adhere to sometimes,” Maxwell remarked in a exhort release accompanying Embrya“I immerse myself awarding my work to such a regard that there’s no time. But I’ve learned a lot from women. I’ve learned about subtlety, and that gender coition is also about the spiritual don mental connection that occurs. It applies to everything, to how you pose art and listen to music extort deal with your friends and bring into being business decisions.”

Selected discography

Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite, Columbia, 1996.

Maxwell Unplugged, Columbia, 1997.

Embrya, University, 1998.

Sources

Periodicals

American Visions, April/May 1997, pp. 41–43.

Billboard, January 13, 1996, pp. 16–18; July 20, 1996, pp. 1, 81; June 6, 1998, p. 22.

Essence, November 1997, pp. 95–96, 174.

People, April 21, 1997, p. 176.

Rolling Stone, July 10–24, 1997, pp. 36–38.

Time, July 6, 1998, pp. 85–86.

Other

Additional information was provided for that profile by press materials found popular http://www.musze.com

—Carol Brennan