Margie Hendrix

Margie Hendrix was born on March 13, 1935 in Register, Georgia, the daughter of Kattie and Renzy Hendrix.[1] She sang, played piano and directed her local church choir while in her teens. In the early 1950s she moved to New York City, and made her first solo recording, "Everything", on the Lamp label in 1954, but it did not hit the charts. In 1956, she replaced Beulah Robertson in the Cookies, joining existing members Dorothy Jones and Darlene McCrea. The group signed to Atlantic Records, and had a #9 hit on the R&B chart with "In Paradise". They also started working as session singers at Atlantic, where they were introduced to Ray Charles. The Cookies auditioned for Charles on the song "Leave My Woman Alone". In 1958, Margie and McCrea left the Cookies (who later went on to greater success with a different line-up), and later formed the Raelettes as Ray's backing singers.[2]

In October 1958, Ray Charles recorded his first song with the Raelettes, "Night Time Is the Right Time", which reached #5 on the R&B chart the following year. The song features Margie's barely controlled voice to Ray to "tease me, squeeze me, please me, oh don't leave me..."[3] Margie and the Raelettes sung on several of Ray's other recordings of the time, including "Tell the Truth", "What'd I Say", "Sticks And Stones", "Hit the Road Jack", "Unchain My Heart", "My Baby!", "I Can't Stop Loving You", "Bye Bye Love, and "You Are My Sunshine." She started having affairs with Ray and their son Charles Wayne was born on October 1, 1959 in New York City, New York.[2][4] Margie would become the effective leader of The Raelettes, but her personal relationship with Ray began to deteriorate and she developed problems of drug addiction to alcohol and heroin which led to her picking fights during recording sessions. In 1964 the Raelettes released the single "A Lover's Blues" which featured Margie on lead vocals. This was the last song that she recorded with Ray; in July 1964, after a final argument with Ray, she was fired from the Raelettes.[5] Margie later performed at the Apollo with the other Raelettes.

After leaving the Raelettes in 1964, Margie signed a record deal with Mercury Records, and released five singles on the label, mostly produced by Gene "Bowlegs" Miller. The first two singles were released in 1965 ("Now the Hurt's On You" and "Baby"), and three followed in 1967 ("Restless", "Nothin' But a Tramp" and "One Room Paradise"). However, these singles received little attention, which worsened her use of alcohol and more damaging drugs.[2]In 1966 Margie married Jazz singer Robert Fulson who was the brother of singer Lowell Fulson.[6] On September 7, 1967 while driving in Texas, Margie was injured with Robert, when her car was hit by a truck carrying lumber. She suffered neck injuries and slight loss of hearing in her right ear.[7] Margie and Robert divorced in 1968.[8] Her final records were released on the Sound Stage 7 label from 1968 to 1969, but they received little attention as well[2] Margie later faded into obscurity, but her use of alcohol and drugs reportedly increased.[9]

Margie died in New York, New York on July 14, 1973, aged 38. The official cause of her death is unknown since no autopsy was performed on her, but many sources claim it was caused by a heroin overdose. Some sources also claim that she was living in poverty at the time of her death.[1][10]

Hendrix was portrayed by Regina King in the 2004 film Ray. King received her first NAACP Image Award and Satellite Award for her performance.

• Discography at discogs.com