Martha High - Jazz and Blues (2024)

Born in Victoria, Virginia, Martha Harvin was a long time vocalist with James Brown who has toured with Lyn Collins, Vicki Anderson, and Marva Whitney as a member of the Original Funky Divas. She began her career in Washington, D.C. and attended the same High School as several other of the Soul fraternity including the Four Jewels and Margie Clarke. She was discovered by The Godfather of Soul, James Brown, at the age of 18 in the mid-1960s while singing with The Four Jewels at the world famous Apollo Theater in New York. They later become The Jewels after Mr. Brown invited them to join him on the road with the James Brown Revue. After the Four Jewels disbanded in the sixties, Martha Harvin was later renamed Martha High by Mr. Brown who also crowned her The Goddess of Soul. She performed with Mr. Brown for 32 years and has the distinction of having worked with him longer than any other singer.

When Martha High sang the high note during the intro of James Brown’s The Payback, she wrote her name indelibly into the pages of Funk and Soul history, much like Merry Clayton's cry “It’s just a shot away!” on the Rolling Stones’ song, Gimme Shelter, wrote her name into the pages of Rock and Roll history. She left James Brown's entourage in 1995 to tour with Maceo Parker.

Amid her success with Mr. Brown, she has joined other legendary artists on stage including Michael Jackson, Bo Diddley, and BB King. She was featured in The Blues Brothers film and the television series, New York Undercover. She performed for audiences around the world in addition to giving special guest performances on over 50 television series featuring world renown hosts like Johnny Carson, Don Cornelius (Soul Train), Jay Leno, David Letterman, Arsenio Hall, Jerry Springer, and Jonathan Ross.

After working with Maceo Parker and his band for 16 years, she has become a highly sought-after performer and currently enjoys a successful solo career. She’s also one of the best live performers in the business and has taken the stage at the Montreal Jazz Festival, the Indianapolis Jazz Festival, and many other live events throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan.

Today, Martha High is an internationally acclaimed performer, author, vocal instructor, radio talk show host, and artist.