Marie Queenie Lyons -

Marie Queenie Lyons is an American soul singer who released the 1970 album Soul Fever on DeLuxe Records.

Background

Marie Queenie Lyons was born in Archibald, Louisiana, and grew up in Ashtabula, Ohio. Her public biography starts with teenage club work around Geneva-on-the-Lake, a Lake Erie resort area east of Cleveland. At fifteen, Lyons sang three shows a week at a local venue. Early professional dates included Club Castaway in Geneva, Ohio, and New York engagements after her move to Queens in the early 1960s. One New York booking placed her with Gene Krupa at the Metropole Café in Times Square, and touring work placed her with Fats Domino and Ray Charles.

In 1964, Lyons sang with King Curtis in New York. Groove, an RCA subsidiary, issued “Fair Shake” (b/w “Big Man”) in 1965 under the Shelley Shoop and the Shakers name. Later discographic notes identify Lyons as the singer behind the record. Sims Records issued her first Queenie Lyons single in 1967 with “A Minute of His Goodtime” (b/w “Good Soul Lovin’”), recorded at Sambo Studio in Louisville. DeLuxe followed with “Drown In My Own Tears” (b/w “Try Me”) in 1968 and “Fever” (b/w “Your Key Don’t Fit It Anymore”) in 1969.

A New York club date brought Lyons into the James Brown Enterprises circle after a representative handed her a business card. Lyons toured briefly with Brown’s organization, and Brown linked her with King Records after regional dates in southwest Ohio. When the tour reached Cincinnati in mid-1968, Lyons entered the King Records studio and cut material for DeLuxe. She recorded the Soul Fever material with producer Henry Glover and pianist Don Pullen, who led the studio band and co-wrote session material.

Soul Fever

Marie Queenie Lyons released her singular album, Soul Fever, in October 1970 on DeLuxe.

Soul Fever contains five Don Pullen titles, two Miller–McCoy songs, and covers associated with Little Willie John (“Fever”), Ray Charles (“I’ll Drown in My Tears”), and James Brown (“Try Me”). Pullen led the session band.

“Your Thing Ain’t No Good Without My Thing” lunges through Lyons’s answer-song retort with propulsive bite. “Your Key Don’t Fit It Anymore” snaps double-entendre phrases into a tight workout. “Fever” starts with breathy speech, then a saxophone line cuts in before half-step lifts. “You Used Me” slows to a ballad reading. “We’ll Cry Together” softens Lyons’s lead into a more vulnerable line. “I’ll Drown in My Tears” stomps through a brisk tempo. “I Want My Freedom” shuffles through short, even steps. “Try Me” slows under a tough-edged vocal.

A1. “See and Don’t See” (3:15) – McCoy
A2. “Daddy’s House” (3:08) – Miller, McCoy
A3. “You Used Me” (3:35) – Pullen
A4. “Your Thing Ain’t No Good Without My Thing” (2:24) – Pullen
A5. “Snake in the Grass” (2:39) – Pullen
A6. “Your Key Don’t Fit It Anymore” (2:22) – Evelyn, Glover

B1. “Fever” (2:56) – Cooley, Davenport
B2. “I Don’t Want Nobody to Have It but You” (2:01) – Pullen
B3. “We’ll Cry Together” (3:12) – Miller, McCoy
B4. “I’ll Drown in My Tears” (2:37) – Glover
B5. “I Want My Freedom” (2:28) – Pullen
B6. “Try Me” (2:35) – Brown

In mid-1968, Lyons recorded the album at King Records Studio in Cincinnati. D. Harrison, Hal Neely, and Henry Glover produced the sessions. Eddie Smith handled audio.

Soul Fever appeared in a Dan Quest Studio cover. The front sleeve places arched yellow title lettering above a dark portrait of Lyons; the back cover places Bill “Hoss” Allen’s WLAC liner notes beside the tracklist and production credits.

DeLuxe issued “Drown in My Own Tears” in 1968 (b/w “Try Me”), followed in 1969 by “Fever” (b/w “Your Key Don’t Fit It Anymore”). “See and Don’t See” became a March 1970 single (b/w “Daddy’s House”) before Soul Fever reached the LP market in October.

Postlude

Soul Fever remained Lyons’s only album. After the DeLuxe period, Lyons settled in Ashtabula and opened Queenie’s Lounge, a local bar that remained associated with her decades later. Her recordings circulated through the DeLuxe singles, the 1970 album, later reissues, and compilation appearances.

Discography: