Marva Whitney

American funk vocalist, and artist.

Born: 1 May 1944 in Kansas City, Kansas, USA.
Died: 22 December 2012 in Kansas City, Kansas, USA (aged 68).

In 1960, when she was 16, she joined a Kansas gospel group, the Alma Whitney Singers, and ended up marrying [a=Harry Whitney (2)], the brother-in-law of the group's leader. Ever since, she has gone by her married name, Marva Whitney.

Much like her contemporary, [a=James Brown], many funk enthusiasts consider her as being one of the rawest and brassiest music divas, both vocally, and as a performer.