Marva Whitney
Marva Whitney | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Marva Ann Manning |
| Born | May 1, 1944 Kansas City, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | December 22, 2012 (aged 68) Kansas City, Kansas |
| Genres | R&B, soul, funk |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | mid-1960s–2000s |
| Labels | King, T-Neck, Forte |
Marva Whitney (born Marva Ann Manning; May 1, 1944 – December 22, 2012) was an American funk singer commonly referred to by her honorary title, Soul Sister #1. Whitney was considered by many funk enthusiasts to be one of the "rawest" and "brassiest" music divas.
Her most famous song is a response to the Isley Brothers' hit "It's Your Thing" titled "It's My Thing". This was famously sampled in "Bring The Noise" by Public Enemy, off their album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, as well as in "Fuck tha Police" by the N.W.A.