I remember the first time I saw The Marvells.  I was a  very young girl from a very small town.  A friend took me to see them at Cajun's Wharf in Little Rock, Arkansas.  I had never seen a band like that before.  So much versatility and true showmanship.  Everyone in the group could sing well, dance well, play a variety of instruments as well as do comedy impersonations.  It was a real show and I was totally blown away!  I remember saying that night "I'm going to be in a band like that some day". 

Ironically, several years later, while working in a club in Destin, FL,  I was approached by the leader of The Marvells about auditioning for the group.  Due to circumstances and a bound contract, auditioning was out of the question. 

Upon moving to Memphis, TN in 1990,  I called the manager of the group, Ed Zapp in Nashville and asked if there would be any possible openings for the group.  He mentioned that the band was doing a final show with  Dick Clark from American Bandstand.  Once they finished the tour, they were going to be replacing two members.

It's crazy how things in life turn out.  Ten years had passed since I saw The Marvells for the first time.  I auditioned, got the job, my resume' went up and I became a member of this phenomenal group.  We toured the US, Canada and the Caribbean for two years and had one of the finest rhythm sections in the mid-south.  To this day I feel deeply blessed to have worked with such an incredibly talented group of people.  They will forever be in my heart!

I've included both photos and video excerpts of the group.  Towards the final months of my career with them, we had several member changes.  The group I worked most consistently with included:  Grady Gambrell, Freeman Brown, Kelly Spencer, Kenny Posey, Tony Kozloski and Ira Sellars.  Our sound engineer during that time was Joe Burkman.  Most of the video footage is taken from performances in St. Louis, Memphis, Little Rock and the Caribbean.  Thanks to all of you out there who have provided this footage.  It is a joy to have it in my possession and I am always searching for more as my archives are slim.  The audio is straight from camera, several years old and has been though a few transfers.  Despite the quality, it's still worth checking out!