In the 1950s there was an American rhythm and blues singer called Margie Hendrix. She was best known for her incredible performances as a leader and founder member of the Raelettes girl group. She sang, played piano, and sang at her local church choir during her teenage year.
She sang back up for her child’s father, Ray Charles, and also joined a group just after she moved to New York in the early 1950 and made her solo recording debut in 1954. In her last days, the singer battled with drug addiction and alcoholism. Even though the cause of her death remains officially unknown, there were speculations that it was caused by heroin overdose.
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE AMERICAN SINGER
Margie Hendrix was born to Katie and Renzy Hendrix on March 13, 1935, in Statesboro, Georgia, United States. Her birth name was Marjorie Hendricks. Growing up, Hendrix enjoyed playing the piano along with crescendo singing. She had always wanted to be a singer as a child.
She joined a group called cookies an American R&B Girls Group replacing Beulah Robertson. The other existing group members were Dorothy Jones and Darlene McCrea. The same year she joined the group, they were signed with Atlantic record. The group first met Ray Charles while working as a session singer at Atlantic. The group’s song, in paradise, had a No. 9 hit on the R&B chart. The group later auditioned to be part of Charles’ song, leave my woman alone.
Hendrix later left the cookies together with another member, McCrea because they were not happy working with the other group members. When they left, the cookies became a great success and fans credited it to its new line up. Hendrix and McCrea formed a new group which they called, ‘the Raelettes’.
The Raelettes later became Charles’ backing singers and they recorded their first song, ‘night time is the right time’ together in October 1958, the song reached no.5 on the R&B chart the following year. Subsequently, Hendrix and the group were featured on many of Charles recordings including ‘Tell the truth’, ‘What’d I say’, ‘Sticks and Stones’, ‘Hit the road Jack’, ‘Unchain my Heart My Baby’, ‘Bye Bye Love’, ‘You are my Sunshine’ and many others.
Hendrix became the leader of the Raelettes but that did not go well as she got too personal with Charles and it really affected her especially after she started having problems of drug addiction to alcohol and heroin. She began to pick fights during recording sessions because of the new habits she developed and even her relationship with Charles deteriorated.
The Raelettes released their single, a lover’s blues in 1964 and it featured Hendrix as the lead vocals. The latter had a serious argument with Charles in July 964 and she was fired from the group.
THE BEGINNING OF HER SOLO CAREER
Hendrix began her solo career after she left the Raelettes in 1964 and released five singles after she signed a new record deal with Mercury Records and most of the songs were produced by gene bowlegs miller. She released the first two singles on Mercury Records in 1965 and the rest in 1967.
In 1968, the singer’s final recordings were issued on the sound stage 7 label, but things did not go well with her and it pushed her to the extent she could not stop drinking and abusing drugs.
FACTS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT MARGIE HENDRIX
1. Her relationship with Charles
While she was with the Raelettes, she had an affair with Charles even though he was already married to his second wife, Della Beatrice Robinson. After a year, Hendrix had their son, Charles Wayne on October 1, 1959, in New York City.
2. Her singles with Mercury Records
The singles she recorded with Mercury Records did not really get a lot of attention which made her drank more alcohol and used more damaging drugs.
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3. The tragic accident with her husband
On September 7, 1967, Hendrix and her husband Robert Fulson were hit by a truck carrying lumber while driving in Texas. She was injured and so was her husband, she suffered neck injuries and slight loss of hearing in her right ear.
4. Her financial status before she died
On July 14, 1973, the American singer died in New York at the age of 38. Even though the cause of her death remains unknown, there were sources that claimed she was living in abject poverty before she died.
5. Popular culture
In 2004, Regina King portrayed her character in the 2004 movie, ‘Ray’.
