Farewell to funky diva Marva Whitney: Funk singer Marva Whitney, who was dubbed Soul Sister #1 by her mentor James Brown,
has passed away at the age of 68. Backed by the whip-crack James Brown band (the JBs), Whitney's raw expression was just what the doctor ordered for those who wanted their funk uncut. Witness the supreme grooving goodness of
It's My Thing (live TV appearance),
Unwind Yourself,
What Do I Have To Do To Prove My Love To You,
I Made a Mistake Because It's Only You, and
Things Got to Get Better (another live TV appearance, with James Brown himself conducting the band and Whitney resplendent in platinum blonde afro). Here she is in a southern-flavored soul ditty recorded for Excello in 1972 called
Live and Let Live. Later in her career she cut an album with a JBs soundalike band from Japan called Osaka Monaurail, which included a recreation of the James Brown hit
Give It Up or Turnit a Loose. And here's a
radio interview from 2006, in which she reminisces about meeting James Brown and working under his wing. Heaven is a funkier place tonight. RIP Marva Whitney.
The first video link in this post is a live version of her reworking of the Isley Brothers' classic "It's Your Thing", which Marva changed to "It's My Thing". Here's the
original recording of the song.
Marva Whitney, here at Metafilter just a few months
previously.
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