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Zilla Mays

voc, 1931-1995 US, Atlanta
Singer of Blues and R&B/Soul

Zilla Mays, later sometimes credited Zilla Mayes (September 1, 1931 – September 19, 1995), and later Zilla Mays Hinton, was an American R&B and gospel singer who became a popular radio DJ and community leader in Atlanta. She was the first African-American female radio announcer in Georgia, and only the third in the United States. She was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and started singing in church. By her teens, she had started performing with her brother's band, the Roy Mays All Stars, which later became the Willie Mays Blues Caravan.("Willie" was Roy Mays' nickname.) After graduating from Booker T. Washington High School, she studied at Reed Business College while continuing her singing career. In late 1950, she was signed as a blues singer by Savoy Records in Newark, New Jersey. She made her first recordings in early 1951, but none were issued until the Coral label released "I'll Keep Singing My Song" in late 1952. The following year, she signed for the Mercury label and recorded with the John Peek orchestra, releasing the singles "If You Were On The Other Side", "Seems Like You Just Don't Care", and "Don't Take My Good Love Away". In 1954 she began broadcasting on radio station WAOK in Atlanta, where she was known as "The Mystery Lady" as her identity was not disclosed to listeners. After it was revealed in 1955, she was known as "The Dream Girl", and often performed on-air with Piano Red. She also continued to record in the mid-1950s, for labels including Groove, a subsidiary of RCA, and then Atco. She continued as a popular radio personality and community leader in the Atlanta area and was instrumental in bringing live R&B and gospel music to the area. Her career increasingly turned to gospel music, broadcasting a regular "Cathedral of Friends" Sunday program as well as a regular gospel show. In 1961, Checker Records released an album, Prayers for Jackie, and the same year she recorded another album, for the NRC label, The Men I Love And The Songs They Sing. She also continued to work with Piano Red in shows and on radio. In about 1968, she recorded a version of Allen Toussaint's “All I Want Is You” for his Tou-Sea label. Her radio show on WAOK changed to a gospel format in the late 1970s. She won a Pioneer Award from the NAACP in 1986. After spending almost 40 years at WAOK, she died in Atlanta in 1995 at the age of 64.

     
Genres
  • Blues
  • R&B/Soul
  • Jazz
  • Rock
  • Pop
Popular Tracks   
Calypso Blues on Rhythm 'n Boogaloo by Various Artists
Train Train Blues on Best Of Blues, Vol. 1 by Various Artists
Right Now on The Rhythm & Blues of Groove Records by Various Artists
Romance In The Dark on The Rhythm & Blues of Groove Records by Various Artists
Right Now on Leroy Kirkland & Various - Thrill-La-Dill by Various Artists
Since You Went Away on The Rhythm & Blues of Groove Records by Various Artists

Track list and 30sec audio provided by


Band Members
Discography



Title Artist Year Type
Calypso BluesZilla Mays / Ray Johnson2013Single
I Love You Still / All I Want Is YouZilla Mays1968Single
The Men I Love And The Songs They SangZilla Mays1965Album
Come Back To Me / Right NowZilla Mays1955Single
Thank YouZilla Mays1954Single
You Just Don't Care / Take Your TimeZilla Mays1954Single
Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall / Old Buttermilk SkyZilla Mays And Jay LewisSingle
External Links
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Acknowledgements
To all the music fans that are contributing on Discogs, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia. Thanks to Franz Flückiger for providing Storygram used to visualize band membership.
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Zilla Mays & The Blues Caravan
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