Marva Denise Hicks (May 5, 1956 – September 16, 2022)^[1] was an American R&B singer and actress. She signed withPolydor in the late 1980s, recorded her self-titled album in 1991,^[2] and later worked inBroadway theatre and on television.

Hicks was born and grew up inPetersburg, Virginia, and studied atHoward University.^[3]

Initially agospel singer,^[2] she recorded commercial secular music in the late 1970s, first releasing her debut single "Looking Over My Shoulder" in 1978,^[4] before being a member of the short-lived quintet Eighties Ladies. The quintet released their only albumLadies of the 80s in 1980, which was entirely produced byRoy Ayers andEdwin Birdsong.^[5] In 1991, Hicks released her self-titled debut album and scored her biggest chart hit with the single "Never Been in Love Before", written and produced by Jimmy Scott.^[6] The record peaked at number seven on the R&B charts in 1991, while two singles followed. On July 16, 1996, she performed as a background singer forMichael Jackson in a free concert at theJerudong Park Amphitheatre in Bandar Seri Begawan. The concert was in celebration of the fiftieth birthday ofHassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan ofBrunei and was attended by the Brunei Royal Family. As part of the set list, Hicks sang the female part of the duet "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" with Jackson. She also performed as a background singer during Michael Jackson'sHIStory World Tour.

She also performed as Rafiki inThe Lion King, as an understudy for the leading actress. Her otherBroadway credits includedMotown: The Musical, andLena Horne, The Lady and Her Music. She won theHelen Hayes Award for her stage work on three occasions.^[3]

On television, she played T'Pel, the wife ofTuvok, in two episodes ofStar Trek: Voyager, and appeared in several other recurring roles in other series.^[3] She sang the gospel song "There's No Hiding Place Down Here" in theBabylon 5 episode "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place".^[7]

In 2013, Hicks appeared on theYeah Yeah Yeahs' albumMosquito, performing as part of Broadway Inspirational Voices on the first single "Sacrilege".^[8]

She died in New York City on September 16, 2022, at the age of 66.^[3][9]

• Ladies of the 80s(with Eighties Ladies)(1980, Uno Melodic)
• Marva Hicks(1991,Polydor)

• "Looking Over My Shoulder"(1978, Infinity)
• "I Got You Where I Want"(1991, Polydor)
• "Never Been in Love Before"(1991, Polydor)
• "One Good Reason"(1991, Polydor)

• Marva Hicks atIMDb
• Marva Hicks at theInternet Broadway Database
• Marva Hicks discography atDiscogs

• 1956 births
• 2022 deaths
• African-American women singer-songwriters
• American women singer-songwriters
• American film actresses
• 21st-century African-American women singers
• 21st-century American women singers
• 20th-century African-American women singers
• 20th-century American women singers
• 20th-century American singers
• People from Petersburg, Virginia
• Singers from Virginia
• Actresses from Virginia
• 20th-century African-American actresses
• 20th-century American actresses
• 21st-century African-American actresses
• 21st-century American actresses
• Polydor Records artists

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