Bio By She Rox All Female Bands: Klymaxx began in the late 1970's in Los Angeles, California by drummer and vocalist, Bernadette Cooper who wanted to start the first ever all female funk band. The original line up along with drummer Bernadette Cooper would include Lynn Malsby on keyboards, Cheryl Cooley and Ann Williams on guitars, Lorena Shelby on lead vocals, Denise Walk on bass, and percussionist Cheryl McLennen who left the band shortly after and Denise was replaced by Joyce "Fenderella" Irby on bass guitar .Keyboardist and guitarist, Robbin Gridder was added along with new percussionist Judy Takeuchi. This line up was signed to Solar Records and would release their debut album in 1981, Never Underestimate The Power Of A Woman with the title single reaching #74 on Billboard’s Hot Soul Singles chart. A second single off the album however fail to chart, and the band released their second album in 1982, Girls Will Be Girls, with one single, Wild Girls reaching #78. The band was set released a third album with Solar Records titled Girls In The Band in 1983 however never met a release date and the label dropped guitarist Ann Williams, and Judy left the band, the remaining members now down to six would sign with Constellation Records, the hard work the band had been striving for would finally pay off by their fourth release, 1984’s Meeting In The Ladies Room. The hit record landed a #18 spot on Billboard’s Top 200 and #9 on Billboard’s R&B Charts. With three hit singles under their belt from the album itself, the music world finally took notice and the band gained mainstream status with the #5 Top 40 hit, "I Miss You" which stayed on the Top 100 for 29 weeks and opened the band up to pop and dance music fans, written by keyboardist Lynn Malsby, and featured bassist Joyce Irby on lead vocals.The single helped the album reach Platinum and was in the top 3 of the biggest songs for Billboard’s 1986 year. Worldwide mainstream success would follow and the band found themselves on numerous television spots and radio play. By the mid 1980’s all female bands were still somewhat considered a novelty and Klymaxx were pioneers in proving a unit solely of women were more than capable of writing and playing their own music and being successful however Klymaxx were the first all female band of color to do so. By 1986 the band released their fifth album, self-titled although the album reached #25 on Billboard’s R&B chart it stalled at #98 on Billboard’s top 200. The album however was still a strong effort bolstered by the hit single I’d Still say Yes, which landed the band a #18 slot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and #8 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks Chart. At the height of their success bassist Joyce Irby and founder and drummer Bernadette Cooper would leave the band in order to pursue their own solo careers in 1987. Now down to to a trio the remaining members would release The Maxx is Back with drummer Maria Martinez. The album reached #32 on the R&B charts and the single Good Love received marginal success even though many critics panned it as failure. Bassist Joyce Irby would reunite with the band and by 1994 now with new drummer Terri Lyne Carrington would release the band’s seventh studio album, One Day. Even with the single All I Think About is You, penned by Babyface, the album failed to chart, but remains a strong effort by the band and worth a listen for serious fans of the band. By 2003 a revival in the band would surface when the VH1 hit show Band’s Reunited would showcase the legendary women of Klymaxx, however marred with issues of long time guitarist Cheryl Cooley’s continuous use of the band name with new female musicians, without the approval of the original members. Ousted from the show by the remaining members minus keyboardist Robbin Gridder, the show went on without long time guitarist Cheryl Cooley. Regardless of any inter personal turmoil the path the band provided for female musicians in undeniable to say the least and with total of seven studio albums and four Top 10 R&B hits, two of which also fell into the Top 10 pop charts the band's accomplishments far surpass anything else. Various members of the band continue to play current day with two versions of Klymaxx, one with guitarist Cheryl Cooley and the other with the remaining band members minus original Keyboardists Robbin Gridder, and Lynn Malsby..Klymaxx was and continues to be an instrumental part of women in music history not only for their duration and unwillingness to become a novelty band, in a time when women musicians not to mention women of color were so few and far between.
Joyce Irby-Bass and Vocals,Robbin Gridder-Keyboards,Cheryl Cooley-Guitar,Lynn Malsby-Keyboards,Lorena Shelby-Lead Vocals,Bernadette Cooper-Drums and Vocals. like us at [ Ссылка ]
