Maxine Sullivan
Maxine Sullivan (May 13, 1911 – April 7, 1987), born Marietta Williams in Homestead, Pennsylvania, United States, was an American jazz vocalist and performer. As a vocalist, Sullivan was active for half a century, from the mid-1930s to just before her death in 1987. She is best known for her 1937 recording of a swing version of the Scottish folk song "Loch Lomond". Throughout her career, Sullivan also appeared as a performer on film as well as on stage. A precursor to better-known later vocalists such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, Sullivan is considered one of the best jazz vocalists of the 1930s. Singer Peggy Lee named Sullivan as a key influence in several interviews. |
Birth and Death Data: Born New York City, Died April 7, 1987 (New York City)
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1937 - 1942
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, leader
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-021054 | 10-in. | 3/1/1938 | Moments like this | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-021055 | 10-in. | 3/1/1938 | Please be kind | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-021056 | 10-in. | 3/1/1938 | It was a lover and his lass | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-021057 | 10-in. | 3/1/1938 | Dark eyes | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-023750 | 10-in. | 6/29/1938 | Spring is here | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-023751 | 10-in. | 6/29/1938 | Down the old ox road | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-023752 | 10-in. | 6/29/1938 | St. Louis blues | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-023753 | 10-in. | 6/29/1938 | L'amour, toujours l'amour | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-030382 | 10-in. | 12/10/1938 | Night and day | Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-030383 | 10-in. | 12/10/1938 | Kinda lonesome | Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-030384 | 10-in. | 12/10/1938 | It ain't necessarily so | Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-030385 | 10-in. | 12/10/1938 | Say it with a kiss | Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | PBS-036051 | 10-in. | 3/20/1939 | I dream of Jeanie with the light brown hair | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | PBS-036053 | 10-in. | 3/20/1939 | I'm happy about the whole thing | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | PBS-036054 | 10-in. | 3/20/1939 | Drink to me only with thine eyes | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | PBS-036055 | 10-in. | 3/20/1939 | Corn pickin' | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-041596 | 10-in. | 8/22/1939 | Jackie boy | Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-041597 | 10-in. | 8/22/1939 | Turtle dove | Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-041598 | 10-in. | 8/22/1939 | Sing something simple | Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-041599 | 10-in. | 8/22/1939 | Ill wind | Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| Decca | 69364 | 10-in. | 6/17/1941 | Loch Lomond | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 69369 | 10-in. | 6/17/1941 | Just like a gypsy | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 69370 | 10-in. | 6/17/1941 | My blue heaven | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 69371 | 10-in. | 6/17/1941 | St. Louis blues | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 69988 | 10-in. | 12/3/1941 | When your lover has gone | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 69989 | 10-in. | 12/3/1941 | My ideal | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 69990 | 10-in. | 12/3/1941 | The night we called it a day | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 69991 | 10-in. | 12/3/1941 | Concerto for two | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 70244 | 10-in. | 1/28/1942 | Kentucky babe | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 70245 | 10-in. | 1/28/1942 | Ma curly-headed baby | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 70246 | 10-in. | 1/28/1942 | When your lover has gone | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 70247 | 10-in. | 1/28/1942 | My ideal | Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 70541 | 10-in. | 3/19/1942 | Beside the river Clyde | John Kirby Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 70542 | 10-in. | 3/19/1942 | How do I know it's real? | John Kirby Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | vocalist | ||
| ARC | 21244 | 10-in. | 6/14/1937 | Gone with the wind | Claude Thornhill Orchestra ; Maxine Sullivan | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| ARC | 21472 | 10-in. | 8/6/1937 | Loch Lomond | Maxine Sullivan Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| ARC | 21473 | 10-in. | 8/6/1937 | I'm coming Virginia | Maxine Sullivan Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| ARC | 21474 | 10-in. | 8/6/1937 | Annie Laurie | Maxine Sullivan | Female vocal solo, with jazz/dance band | vocalist | |
| ARC | 21475 | 10-in. | 8/6/1937 | Blue skies | Maxine Sullivan Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| ARC | 21937 | 10-in. | 10/22/1937 | The folks who live on the hill | Maxine Sullivan ; Claude Thornhill | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| ARC | 21938 | 10-in. | 10/22/1937 | Darling Nellie Grey | Maxine Sullivan ; Claude Thornhill | Female vocal solo, with orchestra | vocalist | |
| ARC | 22368 | 10-in. | 2/4/1938 | It's wonderful | Maxine Sullivan Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| ARC | 22369 | 10-in. | 2/4/1938 | Dark eyes | Maxine Sullivan Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| ARC | 22370 | 10-in. | 2/4/1938 | A brown bird singing | Maxine Sullivan Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | vocalist | |
| ARC | 22371 | 10-in. | 2/4/1938 | You went to my head | Maxine Sullivan Orchestra | Jazz/dance band, with female vocal solo | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Sullivan, Maxine," accessed December 11, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103182.
Sullivan, Maxine. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 11, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/103182.
"Sullivan, Maxine." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 11 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Maxine Sullivan
Discogs: Maxine Sullivan
Allmusic: Maxine Sullivan
Grove: Maxine Sullivan
IMDb: Maxine Sullivan
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Sullivan, Maxine, 1911-1987 - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81071133
Wikidata: Maxine Sullivan - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q281341
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/66653147
MusicBrainz: Maxine Sullivan - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/813de8c0-1cec-485b-989c-7ed17e998e65
Fast: http://id.worldcat.org/fast/74851 - http://id.worldcat.org/fast/74851
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