God, the Devil & James Brown: Memoirs of a Funky Diva

**** MOJO

**** Record Collector

Baptized ‘Soul Sister Number One’ by her producer and mentor James Brown, Kansas City funk siren Marva Whitney was on the cusp of stardom in the late 1960s. During that time she scored three US R&B hit singles, released two albums, picked up a Golden Mike Award and was voted second in Record World magazine’s readers’ poll for the Most Promising Female R&B Vocalist of 1969. She also made numerous appearances on US television but just as her star seemed to be in the ascendant, Whitney’s career took a spectacular turn for the worse after personal problems forced her to quit the James Brown organization in early 1970. She then spent 35 years in the wilderness before successfully reviving her career in 2005.

In her absorbing and sometimes shockingly frank memoir, God, The Devil & James Brown, Marva Whitney - who died in 2012 at the age of 68 – tells her story with an unflinching, tell-it-like-it-is directness. Her detailed account of life with James Brown is particularly disturbing but leavened with a laugh-out-loud humor that makes Marva Whitney’s autobiography a compelling page-turner.

"This reprint then is much welcomed and the Kansas City singer’s story of a hard lived life unfolds with straight talking aplomb." Lois Wilson MOJO

"Now back in print, with slight revisions, you no longer need to fork out triple-figure sums on the second-hand market to discover Whitney's story. Sympathetically rendered by Waring to ensure the authenticity of her voice, its re-emergence in the #MeToo era ensures it's considered an important corrective title."

Jason Draper, Record Collector (4-star review)

“(An) eye-opening life-story. Whitney is an engaging raconteur ... she recalls her struggles and triumphs vividly, with humility and humour.”

Terry Staunton, Record Collector

“Her tenure with ‘The Godfather’ is remarkably honest and forthright; sometimes unbelievable even. After reading this, and her candid remarks about her life - particularly the period spent with James Brown - I feel I know her like a friend... it’s a cracking read!”

Sharon Davis, SoulMusic.com