Maxine Sullivan (born Marietta Williams, May 13, 1911 – April 7, 1987) was … Read Full Bio ↴Maxine Sullivan (born Marietta Williams, May 13, 1911 – April 7, 1987) was an American jazz vocalist and performer.

As a vocalist, Maxine Sullivan was active for half a century, from the mid-1930s to just before her death in 1987. She is best known for her 1937 recording of a swing version of the Scottish folk song "Loch Lomond". Throughout her career, Sullivan also appeared as a performer on film as well as on stage. A precursor to better-known later vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Sarah Vaughan, Maxine Sullivan is considered one of the best jazz vocalists of the 1930s.

Maxine Sullivan was born in Homestead, Pennsylvania in 1911. Sullivan began her music career singing in her uncle's band, The Red Hot Peppers, in her native Pennsylvania, in which she occasionally played the flugelhorn and the valve trombone, in addition to singing. In the mid-1930s she was discovered by Gladys Mosier (then working in Ina Rae Hutton's big band). Mosier introduced her to Claude Thornhill, which led to her first recordings made in June of 1937. Shorty thereafter, Sullivan became a featured vocalist at the Onyx Club in New York. During this period, she began forming a professional and close personal relationship with bassist John Kirby, to whom she was married from 1938 to 1941.
Early sessions with Kirby in 1937 yielded a hit recording of a swing version of the Scottish folk song "Loch Lomond" featuring Sullivan on vocals. This early success "branded" Sullivan's style, leading her to sing similar swing arrangements of traditional folk tunes mostly arranged by pianist Claude Thornhill, such as "Darling Nellie Gray", "I Dream of Jeanie", "Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes", and "If I Had a Ribbon Bow". Her early popularity also led to a brief appearance in the movie Going Places opposite Louis Armstrong. In 1940, Sullivan and Kirby were featured on the radio program Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm, making them the first black jazz stars to have their own weekly radio series. From 1940-1942, Sullivan often performed with her husband Kirby's sextet. During the 1940s Sullivan then performed with a wide range of bands, including those of Teddy Wilson, Benny Carter, and Jimmie Lunceford. Sullivan also performed at many of New York's hottest jazz spots such as the Ruban Bleu, the Village Vanguard, the Blue Angel, and the Penthouse.
In 1956, Sullivan shifted away from her earlier style and recorded the album A Tribute to Andy Razaf. Originally on the Period record label, A Tribute to Andy Razaf featured Sullivan's interpretations of a dozen tunes featuring the lyrics of the poet and lyricist Andy Razaf. The album also highlighted the music of Fats Waller, including versions of "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now", "How Can you Face Me?", "My Fate is in Your Hands", "Honeysuckle Rose", "Ain't Misbehavin'", and "Blue Turning Grey Over You". Sullivan was joined by a sextet that was reminiscent of John Kirby's group of 15 years prior, including trumpeter Charlie Shavers and clarinetist Buster Bailey. In 1953 Sullivan starred in the play, Take a Giant Step.
From 1958 to 1966, Sullivan began working as a nurse and raising her children, which largely consumed most of her time. Her music career did not reassert itself until 1966, when she began performing in jazz festivals alongside her new husband, Cliff Jackson, who can be heard on the 1966 live recording of Sullivan's performance at the Manassas Jazz Festival.
Sullivan continued to perform throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and produced an output of recordings during the 1980s despite being over 70 years old. She was nominated for the 1979 Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Musical for her role in My Old Friends. She participated in a documentary film portrait, Maxine Sullivan: Love to Be in Love, shortly before her death.
Maxine Sullivan died in 1987 in New York. She was inducted into the Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame in 1998.

I Have A Dream
Maxine Sullivan Lyrics

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Don't want my mammy
I don't need a friend
My heart is broken, it won't ever mend
I ain't much carin'
Just where I will end
I must have that man

I'm like an oven

That's cryin' for heat
He treats me awful
Each time we meet
It's just unlawful
How that boy can cheat
But I must have that man

He's hot as Hades
A lady's not safe in his arms when she's kissed
But I'm afraid that when he's cooled off
And maybe I'm ruled off his list
I'll never be missed
I need that person much worse 'n just bad
I'm half alive 'n he's drivin' me mad
He's only human if he's to be had
I must have that man

I must have that man

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Maxine Sullivan's song "I Must Have That Man" are a poignant reflection of the desperation and heartbreak experienced when in love with someone who is not good for you. Sullivan sings of how brokenhearted she is, and how she doesn't care where she will end up as long as she has the man she desires. She compares herself to an oven, crying for heat, and speaks of how the man treats her terribly, cheating on her with other women, yet she cannot help but feel that she must have him. She notes that the man is as hot as Hades, and that a woman is not safe in his arms when he is around.

The lyrics also show how Sullivan is conflicted about her feelings for the man. She is afraid that when he cools off or decides to move on, she will be completely forgotten. She describes how she needs him much more than just moderately and how he is driving her crazy. She acknowledges that the man is only human, but she still cannot resist the temptation to be with him.

Overall, the lyrics to "I Must Have That Man" provide a powerful commentary on the nature of love and how it can often be all-consuming and devastating.

Interesting facts about the song:

1) "I Must Have That Man" was written by Dorothy Fields and Jimmy McHugh for the 1928 musical "Blackbirds of 1928."
2) The song has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, and Sarah Vaughan.
3) Maxine Sullivan's rendition of the song was the first to feature a swinging rhythm, which helped make it a popular jazz standard.
4) The lyrics to the song were considered somewhat scandalous at the time, as they spoke openly about a woman's sexual desire for a man.
5) The song has been featured in numerous films, including "Some Like It Hot" and "The Cotton Club."
6) Sullivan's version of the song was included in the soundtrack for the popular video game "BioShock Infinite."
7) The song's lyrics have been translated into numerous languages, including French and Japanese.
8) In 1932, the song was adapted into an animated short film featuring Betty Boop.
9) The song's lyrics were a favorite of feminist author and activist Gertrude Stein.
10) The chord progression for "I Must Have That Man" is relatively simple and includes F, G7, C7, and A7.

Chords (key of C):
Intro: C7
Verse 1: C7 | F | Dm7 | G7
Chorus: C7 | F | Dm7 | G7 | C7 | F | A7 | Dm
Verse 2: C7 | F | Dm7 | G7
Chorus: C7 | F | Dm7 | G7 | C7 | F | A7 | Dm
Outro: C7

Line by Line Meaning

Don't want my mammy
I don't need anyone to baby me

I don't need a friend
I don't need someone to talk to

My heart is broken, it won't ever mend
My heart is too hurt to heal

I ain't much carin'
I'm not really concerned

Just where I will end
Where I will end up doesn't really matter to me

I must have that man
I need that man in my life

I'm like an oven
I'm extremely hot and bothered

That's cryin' for heat
Desperately in need of someone to make me feel desirable

He treats me awful
He doesn't treat me well

Each time we meet
Whenever we see each other

It's just unlawful
It's just not right

How that boy can cheat
He is very good at cheating

But I must have that man
But I still need that man in my life

He's hot as Hades
He is very attractive and desirable

A lady's not safe in his arms when she's kissed
Being in his arms is dangerous for a lady because he's so alluring

But I'm afraid that when he's cooled off
But I'm scared he'll lose interest in me

And maybe I'm ruled off his list
And maybe he'll decide he doesn't want me anymore

I'll never be missed
He won't care if I'm not in his life

I need that person much worse 'n just bad
I need him so much that it's beyond just wanting him

I'm half alive 'n he's drivin' me mad
I'm so obsessed with him that I feel crazy

He's only human if he's to be had
He's just like any other man if he's available

I must have that man
I still need that man in my life

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: DOROTHY FIELDS, JIMMY MC HUGH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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