marie queenie lyons

Biography

Marie "Queenie" Lyons is an American soul and funk singer born in Archibald, Louisiana, who moved to Ashtabula, Ohio at a young age. She first performed professionally in 1963 at Club Castaway in Geneva, Ohio, and quickly became a fixture on the Chitlin' Circuit, a network of venues catering to Black performers and audiences. In the late 1960s, Lyons' career gained momentum when she was hired by James Brown as one of his "Funky Divas" and served as a vocalist with the King Curtis Band in New York City in 1964. She performed alongside major artists including Jackie Wilson, Fats Domino, The Coasters, and Jerry Lee Lewis, establishing herself as a talented and versatile performer during the soul music era.

In 1968, while touring with James Brown, Lyons traveled to Cincinnati and recorded at King Records studio what would become her only album, "Soul Fever," released on DeLuxe Records in 1970. The album, produced by Henry Glover with pianist Don Pullen as bandleader, showcased Lyons' powerful and captivating voice through a combination of covers—including "Fever" and "Try Me"—and original compositions. Billboard awarded the album "Four-Stars" in its October 10, 1970 edition, recognizing its sales potential within the soul music category. The album was also released in Brazil that same year and later in Spain on Vampi Soul in 2018.

Despite the critical acclaim and the album's eventual cult classic status, Lyons mysteriously disappeared from the music industry after "Soul Fever's" release, never recording or performing publicly again. Over the decades, the album has become recognized as one of the rarest and most prized Southern soul albums from the early 1970s, with critics praising it as one of the funkiest soul LPs ever recorded. According to reports from the Buckeye Beat, Lyons remained active in her community, operating Queenie's Lounge, a bar in Ashtabula, Ohio, which was still open as of 2014.

Fun Facts

• Lyons performed under the pseudonym "Shelley Shoop And The Shakers" and released a 1965 single titled "Fair Shake" before her Soul Fever album.
• Her rendition of the jazz standard "Fever" begins with breathy, spoken lyrics as an homage to earlier versions by Sarah Vaughan and Peggy Lee, and is considered one of the best embodiments of the soul-funk hybrid sound of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
• Soul Fever was released in Brazil in 1970 and remained relatively obscure until nearly 40 years later when it was finally issued in Spain on the Vampi Soul label in 2018, eventually achieving cult classic status.
• Lyons penned one song and co-penned two songs on the Soul Fever album, demonstrating her talents as both a vocalist and songwriter during the recording sessions.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• James Brown - Hired Lyons as one of his "Funky Divas" and she toured with him; he was her idol and inspiration (Soul Fever album (James Brown classic "Try Me" covered by Lyons)) [Late 1960s]

Key Collaborators

• King Curtis - Lyons served as vocalist in King Curtis' band in New York City (King Curtis Band performances) [1964]
• Henry Glover - Producer of Soul Fever album; wrote several songs for the album including "Your Key Don't Fit It Anymore" and "I'll Drown In My Tears" (Soul Fever (1970)) [1968-1970]
• Don Pullen - Pianist and bandleader on Soul Fever recording sessions; co-wrote songs with Lyons including "I Want My Freedom" and "You Used Me" (Soul Fever (1970)) [1968-1970]
• Jackie Wilson - Performed with Lyons as opening act (Live performances) [Late 1960s]
• Fats Domino - Performed with Lyons as opening act (Live performances) [Late 1960s]
• The Coasters - Performed with Lyons (Live performances) [Late 1960s]

External Links

• Spotify