Maxwell (musician)
Encyclopedia
Maxwell is an American
R&B
, funk
and neo soul
musician
. He played an important role in the development of the soul sub-genre, neo-soul.
. His mother grew up in a devout Baptist
household in Haiti
.
and noted guitarist Wah Wah Watson to record his debut Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
in the early 1990s. When the album was finished Columbia had doubts about its potential and shelved it for two years. The album was finally issued in 1996.
Heavily inspired by the sound of classic soul music
, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
did not catch on with audiences until the release of its second single, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)," which became a hit. Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
sold over 2,000,000 copies, earning 2X platinum status
, and was nominated for a Grammy Award
.
On October 1996, Maxwell contributed the song "Segurança (Security)" to the AIDS-Benefit Album Red Hot + Rio
produced by the Red Hot Organization
.
On June 15, 1997, Maxwell taped an episode of the MTV
concert series MTV Unplugged
in New York City
, performing his own songs as well as covers of songs by Kate Bush
("This Woman's Work
") and Nine Inch Nails
("Closer"). Maxwell clashed with his label about the release of an album of his unplugged session, so only an EP
containing seven songs was released for sale.
Maxwell's second studio album, Embrya
, was released in 1998. The following year, Maxwell released "Fortunate
", a single written by R. Kelly
and featured on the soundtrack for the 1999 film Life
. The single peaked at number one on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart. To date, "Fortunate
" is Maxwell's most successful single and was Billboard's number one R&B single of 1999.
Now
, Maxwell's third album, was released in 2001, becoming his first No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 album chart and Billboard's R&B album chart. It featured the hit singles "Lifetime" and a studio version of "This Woman's Work
", the Kate Bush song Maxwell covered during his 1997 MTV Unplugged set.
Maxwell appeared on the 2008 BET Awards
, where he performed the song "Simply Beautiful
" in a tribute to Al Green
.
After taking several years off, Maxwell released his latest album BLACKsummers'night
on July 7, 2009. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Albums Top 200 chart, his second album to receive that ranking. Maxwell said his reason for leaving the music industry for such a long period was "to just to take time off. The music industry has so much competition and there was no rush for me." He performed his hit single "Pretty Wings
" at the 2009 BET Awards
. An audio clip of the song "Pretty Wings" from BLACK was featured on Maxwell's Myspace page in spring 2008. The full single made its world premier on the Tom Joyner Morning Show
on April 28, 2009, after the New School/Old School Remix by Steve "Silk" Hurley. "Pretty Wings" is also sold as a digital download on iTunes
. In October 2009 — to coincide with Maxwell's autumn European tour, which included dates in London and Manchester — "Bad Habits" became the album's first UK single.
Maxwell received six nominations for the 2010 Grammy Awards, including "Best R&B Album" for BLACKsummers'night and "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance" for "Pretty Wings
." "Pretty Wings" was nominated for the "Song of the Year" which was written by Maxwell under his publishing moniker Musze.
The follow-up to BLACKsummers'night and the second installment in a planned trilogy, blackSUMMERS'night, is set to be released in 2011.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
, funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
and neo soul
Neo soul
The term neo soul was originally coined by Kedar Massenburg of Motown Records in the late 1990s as a marketing category following the commercial breakthroughs of artists such as D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
. He played an important role in the development of the soul sub-genre, neo-soul.
Early life
Maxwell was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father was Pentecostal and raised in Vieques, Puerto RicoVieques, Puerto Rico
Vieques , in full Isla de Vieques, is an island–municipality of Puerto Rico in the northeastern Caribbean, part of an island grouping sometimes known as the Spanish Virgin Islands...
. His mother grew up in a devout Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
household in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
.
Musical career
Maxwell began working with songwriter Leon WareLeon Ware
Leon Ware is a soul music singer, songwriter and producer. Best known for crafting the hit album, I Want You, originally recorded for Ware, until friend and Motown icon Marvin Gaye was assigned to the album in 1976...
and noted guitarist Wah Wah Watson to record his debut Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite is the debut album of American recording artist Maxwell, released April 2, 1996 on Columbia Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1994 to 1995 at Electric Lady Studios, RPM, Sorcerer, and Chung King Studios in New York City and...
in the early 1990s. When the album was finished Columbia had doubts about its potential and shelved it for two years. The album was finally issued in 1996.
Heavily inspired by the sound of classic soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite is the debut album of American recording artist Maxwell, released April 2, 1996 on Columbia Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1994 to 1995 at Electric Lady Studios, RPM, Sorcerer, and Chung King Studios in New York City and...
did not catch on with audiences until the release of its second single, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)," which became a hit. Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite is the debut album of American recording artist Maxwell, released April 2, 1996 on Columbia Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1994 to 1995 at Electric Lady Studios, RPM, Sorcerer, and Chung King Studios in New York City and...
sold over 2,000,000 copies, earning 2X platinum status
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
, and was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
.
On October 1996, Maxwell contributed the song "Segurança (Security)" to the AIDS-Benefit Album Red Hot + Rio
Red Hot + Rio
Red Hot + Rio is a compilation album produced by Paul Heck as part of the Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series intended to promote AIDS awareness. This installment is a contemporary tribute to the Bossa nova sound, especially the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim...
produced by the Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization
Red Hot Organization is a not-for-profit, 501 3, international organization dedicated to fighting AIDS through pop culture.Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors have contributed to over 15 compilation albums, related television programs and media events to raise...
.
On June 15, 1997, Maxwell taped an episode of the MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
concert series MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, performing his own songs as well as covers of songs by Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
("This Woman's Work
This Woman's Work (song)
12" and CD single -Chart performance:"This Woman's Work" was released on 20 November 1989 and reached a peak position of #25 in the UK Singles Chart. Fifteen years after its original release, in 2005, the song peaked at #3 in the UK Official Download Chart, due to it being featured in the Tamzin...
") and Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
("Closer"). Maxwell clashed with his label about the release of an album of his unplugged session, so only an EP
containing seven songs was released for sale.
Maxwell's second studio album, Embrya
Embrya
Embyra is the second studio album by R&B and neo soul musician Maxwell, released June 30, 1998 on Columbia Records. As with his previous album, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, Maxwell collaborated with Stuart Matthewman, a long-time cohort of Sade...
, was released in 1998. The following year, Maxwell released "Fortunate
Fortunate
"Fortunate" is a neo soul song from the 1999 motion picture Life and was released on the film's soundtrack. The song was composed by R. Kelly and recorded by Maxwell. "Fortunate" was awarded Best R&B Single of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards and Best R&B/Soul Single at Soul Train Awards...
", a single written by R. Kelly
R. Kelly
Robert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
and featured on the soundtrack for the 1999 film Life
Life (film)
Life is a 1999 American comedy-drama film directed by Ted Demme, and starring Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence. The supporting cast includes Obba Babatundé, Bernie Mac, Anthony Anderson, Miguel A. Núñez Jr. and Bokeem Woodbine...
. The single peaked at number one on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart. To date, "Fortunate
Fortunate
"Fortunate" is a neo soul song from the 1999 motion picture Life and was released on the film's soundtrack. The song was composed by R. Kelly and recorded by Maxwell. "Fortunate" was awarded Best R&B Single of the Year at the Billboard Music Awards and Best R&B/Soul Single at Soul Train Awards...
" is Maxwell's most successful single and was Billboard's number one R&B single of 1999.
Now
Now (Maxwell album)
Now is the third studio album by American recording artist Maxwell, released August 14, 2001 on Columbia Records in the United States. Following the lukewarm radio success of his previous album Embrya , Maxwell felt more comfortable with his artistic direction for Now, which does not exhibit his...
, Maxwell's third album, was released in 2001, becoming his first No. 1 on both the Billboard 200 album chart and Billboard's R&B album chart. It featured the hit singles "Lifetime" and a studio version of "This Woman's Work
This Woman's Work (song)
12" and CD single -Chart performance:"This Woman's Work" was released on 20 November 1989 and reached a peak position of #25 in the UK Singles Chart. Fifteen years after its original release, in 2005, the song peaked at #3 in the UK Official Download Chart, due to it being featured in the Tamzin...
", the Kate Bush song Maxwell covered during his 1997 MTV Unplugged set.
Maxwell appeared on the 2008 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
, where he performed the song "Simply Beautiful
Simply Beautiful
"Simply Beautiful" is a 1972 song by Al Green from his album I'm Still in Love with You. It was sampled by Kanye West for Talib Kweli's song "Good To You," on Kweli's 2002 album Quality . Hip Hop group G-Unit also sampled the song on "Good To Me", from their popular mixtape, "Return of the Body...
" in a tribute to Al Green
Al Green
Albert Greene , better known as Al Green, is an American gospel and soul music singer. He reached the peak of his popularity in the 1970s, with hit singles such as "You Oughta Be With Me", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Love and Happiness", and "Let's Stay Together"...
.
After taking several years off, Maxwell released his latest album BLACKsummers'night
BLACKsummers'night
BLACKsummers'night is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Maxwell, released July 7, 2009 on Columbia Records. It is the follow-up to his third album Now...
on July 7, 2009. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Albums Top 200 chart, his second album to receive that ranking. Maxwell said his reason for leaving the music industry for such a long period was "to just to take time off. The music industry has so much competition and there was no rush for me." He performed his hit single "Pretty Wings
Pretty Wings
"Pretty Wings" is a single by American singer-songwriter Maxwell's fourth studio album BLACKsummers'night. It was written and produced by Maxwell and Hod David....
" at the 2009 BET Awards
BET Awards
The BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
. An audio clip of the song "Pretty Wings" from BLACK was featured on Maxwell's Myspace page in spring 2008. The full single made its world premier on the Tom Joyner Morning Show
Tom Joyner Morning Show
The Tom Joyner Morning Show is a nationally-syndicated program, featuring host Tom Joyner and a team of comedians and commentators reporting and discussing the latest news and sports of the day, playing popular R&B songs from the 1970s through the 1990s as well as contemporary R&B hits, and an...
on April 28, 2009, after the New School/Old School Remix by Steve "Silk" Hurley. "Pretty Wings" is also sold as a digital download on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
. In October 2009 — to coincide with Maxwell's autumn European tour, which included dates in London and Manchester — "Bad Habits" became the album's first UK single.
Maxwell received six nominations for the 2010 Grammy Awards, including "Best R&B Album" for BLACKsummers'night and "Best Male R&B Vocal Performance" for "Pretty Wings
Pretty Wings
"Pretty Wings" is a single by American singer-songwriter Maxwell's fourth studio album BLACKsummers'night. It was written and produced by Maxwell and Hod David....
." "Pretty Wings" was nominated for the "Song of the Year" which was written by Maxwell under his publishing moniker Musze.
The follow-up to BLACKsummers'night and the second installment in a planned trilogy, blackSUMMERS'night, is set to be released in 2011.
Discography
- Maxwell's Urban Hang SuiteMaxwell's Urban Hang SuiteMaxwell's Urban Hang Suite is the debut album of American recording artist Maxwell, released April 2, 1996 on Columbia Records in the United States. Recording sessions for the album took place during 1994 to 1995 at Electric Lady Studios, RPM, Sorcerer, and Chung King Studios in New York City and...
(1996) - EmbryaEmbryaEmbyra is the second studio album by R&B and neo soul musician Maxwell, released June 30, 1998 on Columbia Records. As with his previous album, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, Maxwell collaborated with Stuart Matthewman, a long-time cohort of Sade...
(1998) - NowNow (Maxwell album)Now is the third studio album by American recording artist Maxwell, released August 14, 2001 on Columbia Records in the United States. Following the lukewarm radio success of his previous album Embrya , Maxwell felt more comfortable with his artistic direction for Now, which does not exhibit his...
(2001) - BLACKsummers'nightBLACKsummers'nightBLACKsummers'night is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Maxwell, released July 7, 2009 on Columbia Records. It is the follow-up to his third album Now...
(2009)
Awards and nominations
- Alma Awards
- 2009, Best Musical Act (Nominated)
- American Music AwardsAmerican Music Awards-Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC...
- 2009, Favorite Male R&B/Soul Artist (Nominated)
- BET AwardsBET AwardsThe BET Awards were established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate African Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports, and other fields of entertainment over the past year. The awards are presented annually and broadcast live on BET...
- 2010, Best Male R&B Artist (nominated)
- 2010, Centric Award (nomainted)
- 2002, Best Male R&B Artist (Nominated)
- 2001, Best Male R&B Artist (Nominated)
- Billboard Music Awards
- 1999, R&B Single of the Year: "Fortunate" (Winner)
- Blockbuster Entertainment Awards
- 1999, Favorite Song: "Fortunate" (Nominated)
- Grammy Awards
- 2010, Song of the Year: "Pretty Wings" (Nominated)
- 2010, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: "Love You" (Nominated)
- 2010, Best Pop Instrumental Performance: "Phoenix Rise" (Nominated)
- 2010, Best R&B Song: "Pretty Wings" (Nominated)
- 2010, Best R&B Album: BLACKsummers'night (Winner)
- 2010, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Pretty Wings" (Winner)
- 2002, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Lifetime" (Nominated)
- 2000, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Fortunate" (Nominated)
- 1999, Best Male R&B Vocal Performance: "Matrimony: Maybe You" (Nominated)
- 1999, Best R&B Album: Embrya (Nominated)
- 1998, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance: "Whenever, Wherever Whatever" (Nominated)
- 1997, Best R&B Album: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (Nominated)
- Image Awards
- 2010, Outstanding Male Artist (Winner)
- 2010, Outstanding Song: "Pretty Wings" (Nominated)
- 2010, Outstanding Album: Blacksummersnight (Nominated)
- 2010, Outstanding Music Video: "Pretty Wings" (Nominated)
- 2002, Outstanding Male Artist (Nominated)
- Soul Train Awards
- 2009, Best Male Artist R&B/Soul (Winner)
- 2009, Song of the Year "Pretty Wings" (nominated)
- 2009, Album of the Year BlackSummer's Night (nominated)
- 2009, Record of the Year "Pretty Wings" (nominated)
- 2000, Best R&B/Soul Single Male: "Fortunate" (Winner)
- 2000, Best R&B/Soul Album, Male: Embrya (Nominated)
- 1996, Best R&B/Soul Single Male: "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" (winner)
- 1996, Best R&B/Soul Album, Male: Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (winner)
- 1996, Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist (Winner)