Mayme P. Watts, aka Maymie Watts, was an American
songwriter
A songwriter is a person who creates musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music genre and film scoring. ...
and R&B singer. Watts is best known for co-writing the
jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions that are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive List ...
"
Alright, Okay, You Win
"Alright, Okay, You Win" is a jazz standard written by Sid Wyche (music) and Mayme Watts (lyrics). It was first recorded in 1955 by several artists including Ella Johnson, The Modernaires, Bill Farrell, and Count Basie, but failed to chart na ...
" with
Sid Wyche. Watts also co-wrote (with
Robert Mosely
Robert Henry Mosely, Jr., sometimes written as Mosley, is an American singer, songwriter and producer. He has recorded singles as a solo artist as well as in the duo Mayme & Robert. Mosely is best known for co-writing the songs " Sha-La-La" and ...
) the charting songs "Give Me Your Love" and
Midnight Flyer" by
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...
, "Since I Made You Cry" by
The Rivieras
The Rivieras were an American rock band that formed in the early 1960s in South Bend, Indiana. They had a hit with the song " California Sun".
History
The Rivieras were made up of teenagers from South Bend Central High School. Originally cal ...
, "Point of No Return" by
Adam Wade, and "Ooh! What a Day!", recorded by both
Craig Douglas
Terence Perkins (born 13 August 1941) known professionally as Craig Douglas, is an English pop singer, who was popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s. His sole UK chart-topper, "Only Sixteen" (1959), sold more copies in the UK than Sam Cooke ...
and
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan (, March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer and pianist. Nicknamed "Sassy" and "List of nicknames of jazz musicians, The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, ...
.
Watts was a vocalist with the
Lionel Hampton Orchestra.
[Washington Afro-American, March 11, 1958, Page 19] She also recorded singles as a solo artist as well as in the duo Mayme &
Robert
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...
.
In March 1958, Watts married Ralph Sawyer in Germany.
In August 1959, Watts filed a lawsuit against former
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. Mercury Records released ...
executive Brad Shad, for songwriting royalties she believed were owed to her from “Alright, Okay, You Win”. By the mid-1960s she was performing as a vocalist with the
Walter Davis Jr. Trio, and married pianist Walter Davis.
[Jet Magazine, Vol 38, No. 10, June 11, 1970, Page 33]
Discography
As Maymie Watts (solo)
* "Quicksand" / "There Goes That Train" (
Groove
Groove or Grooves may refer to:
Music
* Groove (music)
* Groove (drumming)
* The Groove (band), an Australian rock/pop band of the 1960s
* The Groove (Sirius XM), a US radio station
* Groove 101.7FM, a former Perth, Australia, radio station
...
4G-0103, 1955)
* "Doo Ba Dee" (Track 23, Rockin' the Groove,
Bear Family
Bear Family Records is a Germany-based independent record label, that specializes in reissues of archival material, ranging primarily in country music but varying in everything from 1950s rock and roll to old German movie soundtracks.
History
T ...
BCD 17412, 2016)
* "Wheel of Time" (Track 35, Rockin' The Groove, Bear Family BCD 17412, 2016)
With Mayme & Robert / Maymie and Robert
* "Ain't No Way in the World" / "Parting Tears" (Glory 45-260, 1957)
* "Sweet Lips" / "Ha Ha Hee Hee Ho Ho Hum Hum" (
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
K12702, 1958)
* "You Ought to Know" / "That's When" (
Roulette
Roulette (named after the French language, French word meaning "little wheel") is a casino game which was likely developed from the Italy, Italian game Biribi. In the game, a player may choose to place a bet on a single number, various grouping ...
R-4347, 1961)
References
Year of birth missing
Year of death missing
20th-century American composers
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