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b. Ollie Marie Givens, 19 October 1925, Linden, Texas, USA. Known affectionately as ‘TV Mama’ (the one with the big, wide screen) by her colleagues in the Johnny Otis band, singer Marie Adams began her recording career in Houston, Texas, for the local Peacock label in 1952, accompanied by the bands of Bill Harvey, Chuck Dillon and Pluma Davis, finding success with her first release, ‘I’m Gonna Play The Honky Tonks’.
Covering Johnny Ace’s ‘My Song’ in 1953 at a Peacock session in New York City with the Cherokee Conyers Orchestra (a cut-down Buddy Johnson unit), she joined Johnny Otis’ band, staying until the late 50s and appearing on Otis recordings for Peacock and, as lead singer with the Three Tons Of Joy, for Capitol Records on such pop rock ‘n’ roll classics as ‘Ma, He’s Making Eyes At Me’, ‘In The Dark’ and ‘What Do You Want To Make Those Eyes At Me For’. In the early 60s she made records in Los Angeles for Sure Play and Encore Artists. She was back performing with the Three Tons Of Joy and was on a world tour with Otis in 1972, but she is believed to have died shortly afterwards.