Artist:Big Maybelle
Song:No More Trouble Out Of Me
Album:The Complete OKeh Sessions 1952-55
Big Maybelle was yet another Big voiced R & B shouter of the 50s. She was born Mabel Louise Smith May 1, 1924 in Jackson, TN. She won a Memphis talent contest at age eight and later toured with the International Sweethearts Of Rhythm. She was discovered by veteran R & B producer Fred Mendelsohn. He renamed her Big Maybelle and signed her to Columbia's OKeh label in 1952. Gabbin' Blues was her first single on OKeh and it was a big R & B hit. Her songwriter pal Rosemarie McCoy wrote the song and appears on the record. No More Trouble Out Of Me is another great McCoy song. This comp has all her OKeh recordings. Mendelsohn left OKeh and took Maybelle over to Savoy. Savoy owner Herman Lubinsky had made Mendelsohn part owner. She continued to have chart success there. One little known fact is Maybelle recorded Whole Lot Of Shakin' Goin' On two years before Jerry Lee Lewis. Big Maybelle left Savoy in 1959 and continued to record for various labels in the 60s. She apparently had drug problems and died in a diabetic coma on Jan. 23, 1972 at age 47. All I can say is Big Maybelle was a big woman with a very big voice. Here is Big Maybelle performing I Ain't Mad At You at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival from Bert Stern's classic documentary Jazz On A Summer's Day.
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