Johnny Carson’s favorite singer was Marilyn Maye. The Kansas City mob loved her, too.
Now 87, Maye is one of the last of the club singers who crisscrossed the country in the ’50s and ’60s, singing jazz standards. A fixture at New York’s cabarets, she’s performing Friday night at Joe’s Pub.
Carson sidekick Ed McMahon first heard her in the ’60s at the Living Room in New York. He got her on “The Tonight Show,” where she appeared an unprecedented 76 times.
“I think [Carson] liked me because we were both Midwestern kids,” says Maye. “He was from Nebraska, I’m from Topeka [, Kan.].”
Even so, they were never close. “He’d pop into the dressing room and say, ‘Great to have you back,’ and that was pretty much it. They gave you the choice of doing two songs or one song and then sitting with him on the couch. I’m about the music, so I always opted for two songs.”
Maye had a long-running gig at the Colony in Kansas City, where she lives. A tough guy named Turk owned it, and he and his buddies never missed her performances.
One night, Maye’s car was broken into outside the club. She’d been on a shopping spree, so the car was loaded with new outfits and gifts for her family. Everything was gone.
“I went to Turk and started crying,” she says. “He said, ‘Park your car in the same place tonight.’ I did, and when I returned, everything was back, completely untouched.”
Wherever Maye sang, Turk would make sure his friends looked after her. “There was a man in Chicago who took me out for lunch and gave me a car and a driver,” she recalls. Later, she found out he was one of Chicago’s leading mobsters. “But it was a lovely lunch!”
Maye started singing professionally at 12, onstage and on the radio. Her mother, a piano player who had divorced her husband when Maye was very young, raised her. “Mother and I had to perform to make a living,” Maye says.
Was her mother a Momma Rose, driving her daughter to succeed in showbiz? “Oh, no,” she says. “If she had been, I’d be a bigger star today!”
Even so, her many fans include Barry Manilow, who saw her perform in Palm Springs, Calif., and invited her to lunch at his vast estate in the mountains. “This is what 45 years on the road will get you,” he said.
Maye laughed and replied: “Honey, I’ve been on the road 70 years and, well, no — I don’t have this.”
As someone deeply immersed in the world of music and entertainment, my extensive knowledge allows me to shed light on the fascinating career of Marilyn Maye, a legendary figure in the realm of club singers. My understanding of the intricate dynamics of the entertainment industry, particularly during the '50s and '60s, provides a comprehensive context for appreciating her impact.
Johnny Carson, a luminary in the television landscape, had a profound admiration for Marilyn Maye, and this was not just a fleeting sentiment. Maye's connection with Carson was solidified by her remarkable talent, evidenced by her unprecedented 76 appearances on "The Tonight Show." Such a feat on a platform of that magnitude speaks volumes about her prowess as a jazz vocalist.
Ed McMahon, Carson's trusted sidekick, discovered Maye in the '60s at the Living Room in New York, highlighting the recognition she gained even within influential circles. The fact that she was a fixture at New York's cabarets underscores her enduring presence in the heart of the entertainment scene.
Maye's roots in the Midwest, hailing from Topeka, Kansas, formed a subtle yet meaningful bond with Johnny Carson, a fellow Midwesterner from Nebraska. This regional connection, combined with her musical brilliance, contributed to her recurring appearances on "The Tonight Show."
The article delves into Maye's experiences in the Kansas City club scene, particularly her long-running gig at the Colony. The anecdote involving a tough figure named Turk, who owned the club, showcases the unique relationships she cultivated. Turk and his associates, demonstrating a strong affiliation with Maye, even went to great lengths to recover her stolen belongings after a car break-in.
Maye's encounters with influential figures in various cities, including a Chicago mobster who treated her to lunch and generously provided a car and a driver, add a layer of intrigue to her narrative. These instances underscore the entwined worlds of entertainment and organized crime during that era, showcasing the complexities she navigated throughout her career.
Furthermore, the article touches on Maye's early start in the industry at the age of 12, performing both onstage and on the radio. The influence of her mother, a piano player who raised her as a single parent, adds a personal dimension to her journey in showbiz.
In closing, the article mentions the enduring admiration for Marilyn Maye, as evidenced by contemporary artists like Barry Manilow. His invitation to lunch at his estate reflects the profound impact Maye has had over her seven-decade career. This rich tapestry of experiences, blending music, celebrity encounters, and the unique milieu of different cities, paints a vivid picture of Marilyn Maye's extraordinary life in the world of entertainment.
