FEBUARY 9, 2011:
It saddens me to report that legendary bluesman, Marvin Sease has passed away.He wasn't just an artist but he also was a dear friend of mine.I first met him back in 2001 in Greenwood,Mississippi and we remained close friends up until his death.I will always be thankful too him for allowing me to be a part of his inner circle.I have a lot of fond memories just sitting backstage with him and enjoying all the stories from his long tenured career.The last time I talked to him was right before New Years and he sounded so upbeat and positive but I knew he was very ill.I just didn't know this would be the last time I would talk too my friend.He always greeted me with a big smile everytime he saw me.My prayers go out to his entire family.
BIOGRAPHY:
Marvin Sease (February 16, 1946 - February 8, 2011) was an American blues and soul singer, known for his racy lyrics. Born in Blackville, South Carolina, Sease started as a gospel artist, joining a gospel group called the Five Gospel Crowns, located in Charleston, South Carolina. After singing with them, Sease then left at age 20 for New York City. At this young age settling into New York, he then joined another gospel group called the Gospel Crowns. Having a preference for the musical style of R&B, Sease left the gospel circuit to form his own R&B group. In this group Sease was accompanied by his own three brothers, and named the backing band Sease. This band did not find popularity and eventually broke up.
He did not quit performing musically, but began to cover songs that started a career with a recurring gig at the Brooklyn club, Casablanca. In 1986, he recorded a self titled album, featuring one of his more popular songs, "Ghetto Man". This started his professional career with his fans in the South's circuit of bars, blues festivals, and juke joints. While promoting his self produced and publicized debut album, he entered a recording contract with Polygram. With this contract, he was able to launch his music nationally with the re-release of his self titled LP on Mercury Records in 1987. This updated release of his previous material also included the new ten minute track "Candy Licker," which became an instant success for Sease through the South.
Success had finally come to Sease without the help of airplay which deemed his sound too explicit for the audience. Over the next decade Sease released several more records for Mercury and Jive Records, which ranked on the US Billboard R&B chart. Sease's success was notably linked with his chart topping song "Candy Licker", and ensured a strong female based following. He is said to have a comparable sound to the likes of Johnnie Taylor and Tyrone Davis, but without the commercial success. Sease died of pneumonia in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on February 8, 2011, eight days before his 65th birthday
It saddens me to report that legendary bluesman, Marvin Sease has passed away.He wasn't just an artist but he also was a dear friend of mine.I first met him back in 2001 in Greenwood,Mississippi and we remained close friends up until his death.I will always be thankful too him for allowing me to be a part of his inner circle.I have a lot of fond memories just sitting backstage with him and enjoying all the stories from his long tenured career.The last time I talked to him was right before New Years and he sounded so upbeat and positive but I knew he was very ill.I just didn't know this would be the last time I would talk too my friend.He always greeted me with a big smile everytime he saw me.My prayers go out to his entire family.
BIOGRAPHY:
Marvin Sease (February 16, 1946 - February 8, 2011) was an American blues and soul singer, known for his racy lyrics. Born in Blackville, South Carolina, Sease started as a gospel artist, joining a gospel group called the Five Gospel Crowns, located in Charleston, South Carolina. After singing with them, Sease then left at age 20 for New York City. At this young age settling into New York, he then joined another gospel group called the Gospel Crowns. Having a preference for the musical style of R&B, Sease left the gospel circuit to form his own R&B group. In this group Sease was accompanied by his own three brothers, and named the backing band Sease. This band did not find popularity and eventually broke up.
He did not quit performing musically, but began to cover songs that started a career with a recurring gig at the Brooklyn club, Casablanca. In 1986, he recorded a self titled album, featuring one of his more popular songs, "Ghetto Man". This started his professional career with his fans in the South's circuit of bars, blues festivals, and juke joints. While promoting his self produced and publicized debut album, he entered a recording contract with Polygram. With this contract, he was able to launch his music nationally with the re-release of his self titled LP on Mercury Records in 1987. This updated release of his previous material also included the new ten minute track "Candy Licker," which became an instant success for Sease through the South.
Success had finally come to Sease without the help of airplay which deemed his sound too explicit for the audience. Over the next decade Sease released several more records for Mercury and Jive Records, which ranked on the US Billboard R&B chart. Sease's success was notably linked with his chart topping song "Candy Licker", and ensured a strong female based following. He is said to have a comparable sound to the likes of Johnnie Taylor and Tyrone Davis, but without the commercial success. Sease died of pneumonia in Vicksburg, Mississippi, on February 8, 2011, eight days before his 65th birthday