Charmayne Maxena Maxwell (January 11, 1969 – February 28, 2015), professionally known as Maxee, was a Guyana-born singer–songwriter. In the mid 1990s, Maxwell came to prominence as a member of the female R&B trio

Brownstone Brownstone is a brown Triassic–Jurassic sandstone that was historically a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States and Canada to refer to a townhouse clad in this or any other aesthetically similar material. Type ...

Career

Maxwell found fame in the mid 1990s after she formed the group

with singers Monica "Mimi" Doby and Nicci Gilbert. After an a cappella audition, the trio were signed to

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...

's Epic Records-distributed imprint, MJJ Music. The band released their debut album '' From the Bottom Up'' in 1995 which earned a

platinum certification Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

from the

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

(RIAA) and received a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for their top ten hit single " If You Love Me." After going through the first of a few lineup switches and the release of their commercially less successful second album '' Still Climbing'' (1997), the trio disbanded. Following the disbandment of Brownstone, Maxwell moved to

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

and signed with

Mercury Records Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...

in 2000 to pursue a solo career. Her solo debut single "When I Look Into Your Eyes" spawned a remix by producer

Fred Jerkins III Fred Jerkins III, also known as Uncle Freddie, is an American songwriter and record producer who is best known for his work with his brother Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Jerkins has co-written several hit songs with Rodney Jerkins and LaShawn Dan ...

and peaked at number 55 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. Follow-up "This Is Where I Wanna Be" failed to chart. Its commercial underperformance led to the cancellation of Maxwell's same-titled solo album.

Death

On February 28, 2015, Maxwell died after an accident in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...

. The singer was at her home when she fell and cut her throat on a drinking glass that shattered during the fall. She died shortly afterwards in hospital, aged 46.

Personal life

Maxwell was married to Danish record producer Carsten Schack from duo Soulshock and Karlin. The couple had a son, Nicholas Hojer.

Discography

Singles

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Charmayne 1969 births 2015 deaths Accidental deaths from falls African-American women singer-songwriters American contemporary R&B singers American women pop singers American soul singers 20th-century African-American women singers 21st-century African-American women singers