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| Klymaxx |
| Origin |
Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres |
funk, R&B, dance pop |
| Years active |
1979-1990, 2008-present |
| Labels |
Solar, Elektra,
Constellation/MCA EMI |
| Associated acts |
Prince, Sheila E., The Time, Cherrelle, Madame X |
| Website |
Myspace.com/TheRealKlymaxx |
| Members |
Bernadette Cooper
Joyce "Fenderella" Irby
Lorena "Lungs" Porter (Shelby)
Lynn Malsby
Robbin Grider |
| Former members |
| Cheryl Cooley |
Klymaxx is a female Urban/Funk band from Los Angeles, California.
Biography
While in college, Klymaxx's founder Bernadette Cooper noted the scarcity of all-female bands in the mostly male-dominated music industry, and set to the task of creating one of her own. She began honing her vision of a band comprised of women who could exude sex appeal, enhance female attitudes toward self awareness and appreciation while also showcasing their talent. Cooper created the name "Klymaxx" and began auditioning female musicians. Ultimately she decided on the lineup of members that would soon make history, becoming the first all-female funk/R&B/pop band in which every female member played an instrument. The group consisted of founder Bernadette Cooper, vocalist Lorena Porter (Shelby), bassist Joyce Irby, guitarist Cheryl Cooley and keyboardists Lynn Malsby and Robbin Grider.
In 1981, they were signed to Solar Records. Their debut album, Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman, included the single "Multi-Purpose Girls." Upon beginning work on their second album, they became one of the first acts to work with writers/producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis of The Time. The team wrote and produced the song "Wild Girls" for that second album, entitled Girls Will Be Girls. After the second Solar album in 1983, they switched to the MCA-distributed Constellation label for Meeting In The Ladies' Room, featuring the 1985 hit "I Miss You," which peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at #3 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart. "I Miss You" remained on the Hot 100 chart for 29 weeks, an extremely long chart run at the time, and good enough to rank it as the third-biggest-selling song of 1986, ahead of several songs that hit #1. The album also featured the hits "The Men All Pause" and "Meeting in the Ladies Room." 1986 saw the release of "Man Size Love" from the Running Scared motion picture soundtrack. Lorena Shelby was replaced by Pennye Ford for a brief time. The following year, this song was included on their self-titled Klymaxx album, which went on to provide another solid hit with the ballad "I'd Still Say Yes," written by Babyface (credited as K. Edmonds), G. Scelsa, and Joyce Irby. It peaked at #18 on the Hot 100 and #8 on the adult Contemporary chart in 1987.
The group was down to three members by the end of 1989, when the band was composed of Porter, Cooley, and Grider. In 1990, they returned with The Maxx Is Back, which featured the singles "Good Love" and "Don't Run Away." "Good Love" peaked at #4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks charts.
- 1994
The trio Porter, Cooley and Grider attempted a comeback in 1994 with the album titled One Day, released on the Valley Vue label, and featuring the single "All I Think About Is You." Even though it received a positive reception from fans, it met with little interest at radio.
- 2003-Present
Five of the six members from the original Klymaxx lineup (the one exception being keyboardist Robbin Grider) reunited on an episode of the VH1 series Bands Reunited in 2003 in order to perform some of their vintage hit singles. Unfortunately, the reportedly unauthorized use and attempted trademark of the Klymaxx name by guitarist Cheryl Cooley caused disagreements with the rest of the band (particularly founding member Bernadette Cooper), resulting in Ms. Cooley not reuniting or performing with her former bandmates on the show. In March 2009, the Klymaxx members (excluding Cooley) received approval from the United States Patent and Trademark Office examining attorney for the ownership of the trademarke "Klymaxx." They are set to release an album under the Klymaxx banner fronted by Bernadette Cooper and Joyce Irby.
The documentary Klymaxx: Unsung premiered on the TV One cable network on November 15, 2009 chronicling the story of the group's genesis and rise to fame.[1][2]
Bernadette Cooper
She signed with MCA Records for a lone solo album entitled The Drama According to Bernadette Cooper in 1990. The set yielded the singles "I Look Good" and "Stupid" that year. Another single, "The Underground," followed in 1991. Cooper also made a cameo appearance on Teena Marie's 1990 single "Here's Looking At You." Though The Drama According to Bernadette Cooper is now out of print, "I Look Good" was included on the Klymaxx Greatest Hits compilation. On her own, Cooper continued writing and producing for other artists such as Cheryl Lynn (1987), and most notably the trio Altitude, whose two singles "Silly" and "Work It (Like a 9 to 5)" broke the Billboard Top 40 in 1991. Cooper engineered the female singing trio Madame X in the 1980s. She also produced Salt-N-Pepa's "I Am the Body Beautiful" for the soundtrack of the motion picture To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, Paula Abdul, and Bette Midler's "(Diva's Las Vegas)," among many others. Cooper is presently producing, writing and performing with Klymaxx, and continues to write and produce for other artists and movie soundtracks as well.
Joyce Irby
Joyce "Fenderella" Irby signed with Motown Records and released the dance-oriented Maximum Thrust in 1989. The solo set spawned two singles and music videos for "Hey Mr. DJ" with Doug E. Fresh, and "She's Not My Lover." Irby signed Dallas Austin as a 16-year-old songwriter/producer and together they produced tracks for the male R&B group Troop, and wrote "I Will Always Love You" for their debut album. More recently, Irby has been involved with launching the career of young R&B vocalist and The Inc/Def Jam recording artist Lloyd. Lloyd Polite was once a member of the teen pop group N-Toon, whom Irby put together and signed to Dreamworks Records in the mid-1990's.
Discography
Albums
Compilation Albums
Singles
Solo Albums
- 1989: Joyce "Fenderella" Irby — Maximum Thrust (Motown)
- 1990: Bernadette Cooper — The Drama According To Bernadette Cooper (MCA)
References
External links
