In 1959, Ross was brought to the attention of Milton Jenkins, the manager of the local doo-wop group The Primes, by Mary Wilson. Primes member Paul Williams convinced Jenkins to enlist Ross in the sister group The Primettes, which included Wilson, Florence Ballard and Betty McGlown.
In 1976, Billboard magazine named her the female entertainer of the century. In 1993, The Guinness Book Of World Records listed her as the most successful female artist ever (the title is now attributed to Madonna), partly due to her combined total of eighteen number-one singles, six of them recorded solo and the remaining dozen from her work with the Supremes.
Ross was also one of the few pop singers to find modest success in the acting world winning an Academy Award nomination for her role as Billie Holiday in the 1972 film, "Lady Sings the Blues" as well as having hits with other film roles such as "Mahogany", "Out of Darkness" and "Double Platinum", not to mention her role in "The Wiz".
Ross has been awarded many lifetime achievement accolades from many organizations and media outlets: she has been featured on BET, Soul Train, and awarded multiple times at the NAACP Image Awards, the Kennedy Center Honors in 2007 and given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement in 2011.
Ross' professional vocal collaborators have included the following during her career: Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Julio Iglesias, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Smokey Robinson, among many others.
Big Mable Murphy
Diana Ross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was a Honky tonk named Big Mable Murphy
She had a sweetheart, mean Little Melvin
And hell would fly between them every Saturday night
Why? Because Little Melvin, he got wild on bathtub gin
Well, it made him feel like he was almost twice his size
So he'd try to take over and sass Big Mable
Ya see, Big Mable Murphy, she loved her Little Melvin
But he never did learn to do just what she said
'Cause poor Little Melvin, woke up early every morning
With two black eyes and knuckle bumps on his head
Late one rainy night, Scarface, muscle and all might
He came in and started shoving everybody around
Well, Big Mable Murphy, she was way back in the kitchen
So just for fun, ol' Scarface shot Little Melvin down
Early next morning, down by the river
They say, old Scarface was found real short of breath
They say, he died, uhh, oh, the man died from a good ol' whipping
He had two black eyes and knuckle bumps on his head
Big Mable, Big Mable Murphy
She gave him two black eyes and knuckle bumps on his head
The song "Big Mable Murphy" by Diana Ross tells the story of a honky tonk in Coffeeville named after its owner, Big Mable Murphy. The song is set in 1929 and focuses on the turbulent relationship between Big Mable's lover, Little Melvin, and a man named Scarface. Little Melvin would often get wild on bathtub gin, making him feel twice his size and leading him to take over and sass Big Mable. However, Big Mable was not one to be trifled with, and her great big fist would black Little Melvin's eyes. Despite this, Big Mable loved Little Melvin, but he never did learn to do just what she said.
One night, Scarface, a man with muscle and a bad attitude, came into the honky tonk and started shoving everyone around. Big Mable was in the kitchen at the time, but Scarface shot Little Melvin down for fun. The next morning, Scarface was found dead down by the river, having suffered a good old whipping from Big Mable, leaving him with two black eyes and knuckle bumps on his head.
The song uses vivid language and strong imagery to tell the story of a fierce woman who would not be pushed around. It also highlights the dangerous effects of alcohol and the violent behavior it can sometimes cause. The song is a testament to the strength and resilience of women in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Way back in '29, 1929, somewhere in Coffeeville
The song starts by introducing a setting, which is a honky tonk named Big Mable Murphy in Coffeeville back in 1929.
She had a sweetheart, mean Little Melvin
Big Mable Murphy had a boyfriend named Little Melvin, but he had a mean streak in him.
And hell would fly between them every Saturday night
Because Little Melvin would get drunk on bathtub gin and start trouble with Big Mable Murphy, every Saturday night would be a chaotic scene between them.
Well, it made him feel like he was almost twice his size
Little Melvin's consumption of bathtub gin made him feel more powerful and in control than he really was.
So he'd try to take over and sass Big Mable
As a result of feeling invincible while under the influence of gin, Little Melvin would try to dominate Big Mable Murphy by disregarding her instructions and being disrespectful.
But her great big fist would black little Melvin's eyes
Big Mable Murphy wasn't afraid to use physical force to put Little Melvin back in his place if he went too far with his actions and words.
'Cause poor Little Melvin, woke up early every morning
Little Melvin suffered the consequences of his actions and would wake up with physical evidence of Big Mable Murphy's retaliation every morning.
Late one rainy night, Scarface, muscle and all might
One night, a man named Scarface, who was known for being intimidating and strong, entered the honky tonk while it was raining.
Well, Big Mable Murphy, she was way back in the kitchen
Big Mable was busy working in the kitchen when Scarface arrived, so she wasn't aware of his presence right away.
So just for fun, ol' Scarface shot Little Melvin down
Without any provocation, Scarface irresponsibly shot and killed Little Melvin for fun.
They say, he died, uhh, oh, the man died from a good ol' whipping
After Scarface killed Little Melvin, he was later found dead from being beaten up badly, presumably by Big Mable Murphy who took revenge for her boyfriend's murder.
Big Mable, Big Mable Murphy
The song ends by repeating the name of the central character, Big Mable Murphy.
She gave him two black eyes and knuckle bumps on his head
The repetition of this line emphasizes how big of a force Big Mable Murphy was, and how Little Melvin and Scarface both suffered physical consequences of crossing her.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DALLAS FRAZIER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind