OPEN POST: Manor Music Monday With The Breathtaking Brenda Holloway!

Greetings, music sloots, and welcome to another edition of Manor Music Monday. You are, as they say, in the right place at the right time, just like our delightful jazz, pop and deeply soulful songstress was back in the day. But more on that in a sec. Did you know that today is National Chocolate Brownie Day? Isn't that delightful? Aren't you hankering for some now? Then make sure to head to the Manor's exclusive "Salty Glue" after hours club and dessertery, where DJ Li'l Cat will be spinning tunes by a songstress who's career was short, but impactful, and where "special" Alice B. Toklas-approved brownies will be served on a first-some-first-serve basis. Meanwhile some gals know just how to style their hair: 

Yes, it's the renown Brenda Holloway, who retired from showbiz...at age 22. Whaaaaat? You are intrigued, no? Brenda was multitalented. As a youngster in Watts, LA, she played the piano, the flute, the violin, and later, wrote or cowrote many of her hit songs (because she's just that amazing). Like many divas back in the day, she first started singing in her church. Everyone took notice. By age 14, she was already recording demos and backing R&B acts with her sister Patrice, even singing with a group that later became The Whispers. 

But it was being in the right place at the right time that really set fire to her burgeoning career. At a Los Angeles music party in the early 1960s, she happened to meet Barry Gordy. He was no fool. Brenda became the first person from the West Coast he signed to his label. She was only 17 years old.

In her gorgeous 1964 debut LP, she flat-out kills. The album's title song, "Every Little Bit Hurts," became a smash hit and is now rightly regarded as a classic. Give a listen below. Her vocals are a masterful blend of soulful sweetness, thunderous gospel power and sophisticated technique - all those seductive whispers, those mournful coos - yet none of it feels contrived. Her delivery is emotionally intense - and very real. 

Soon after, she left Motown and the music business entirely, which wasn't too much of a surprise to those who knew her well, since she felt sharp conflict between her religious beliefs and the industry's sordid "lifestyle." Which is true, of course, but she also left Motown for - yes, you guessed it - money, or rather, all the money cruelly picked from her pocketbook by Barry Gordy. She didn't take it lying down. Later, she sued Motown in a closely watched 1969 case over royalties and other monetary issues, the case largely stemming from the massive success of Blood, Sweat & Tears' cover of her co-written song, "You've Made Me So Very Happy." Happily, she won.

But you can't keep Brenda down. She returned to performing and recording in the late 1980s and 90s, becoming a beloved figure to youngsters like Alicia Keyes, who covered several of her songs, most notably "Every Little Bit Hurts," and she was delighted to find herself celebrated in the Northern Soul scene in the UK. It's only gotten better. In 1999, she was awarded The R&B Foundation's Pioneer Award alongside several other notables at their 10th anniversary ceremony, including Patti LaBelle and Isaac Hayes. She's still with us at age 79, so kick back, pop a special brownie, and celebrate her talents with a collection of some of her very best tunes (click-through Spotify to hear the complete album).

What are you listening to this week? DJ Li'l Scratch wants to know.
Till next time...purr, bitches, purr! 🐾

Photo Credits: Getty Images; Motown Records