b. Agatha Natalie Weston, 20th December 1939, Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A.
Kim Weston was born Agatha Natalie Weston in Detroit in 1939.
Kim signed the Motown label in 1963, at the suggestion of Johnny Thornton, the cousin of two of the label's top producers, Eddie and Brian Holland.
it should have been me - 1963 / just loving you - 1964
She then had a minor hit with 'Love Me All the Way' b/w 'It Should Have Been Me' (R & B number 24, Pop number 88, and later recorded by Gladys Knight and Yvonne Fair and an early Norman Whitfield production) in 1963.
Two other single releases followed, namely, 'Just Loving You' and 'Looking For The Right Guy'.
Kim joined Marvin Gaye's soul revue, forming a partnership that came to fruition in the recording studio in 1964 ('What Good Am I Without You') and again in 1966 ('It Takes Two').
In the meantime she was produced by Holland / Dozier / Holland on several, now classic recordings.
Her biggest solo hits with Motown were 'A Little More Love' (in 1964), 'I'll Never See My Love Again' (in 1965), 'Take Me in Your Arms (Rock Me a Little While)' (R & B number 4, Pop number 50, in 1965, and 'Helpless' (R & B number 13, Pop number 56, in 1966.
'Take Me in Your Arms' was later covered by The Isley Brothers, Blood, Sweat & Tears and The Doobie Brothers.
A bigger chart hit came in the form of 'It Takes Two', recorded with Marvin Gaye in 1966, which was followed by the Black National Anthem, 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' (taken from her album 'This Is America').
take 2 - 1966 / for the first time - 1967
An album entitled 'Take 2' was released in 1966.
Two further Motown albums were both shelved ('Take Me In Your Arms' in 1966 and 'Kim Weston Is Kim Weston' in 1967).
'Lift Every Voice' was released as a single and featured in the movie Wattstax, with all the proceeds being donated to the United Negro College Fund.
Marvin Gaye was encouraged by the male female duo format, and subsequently teamed up with Tammi Terrell for some further studio recordings.
In 1966, Kim married Motown producer, and A & R man, Mickey Stevenson, who encouraged her to join him at MGM Records the following year.
She later sued the Motown regarding disputes about royalties.
Kim recorded a few singles for MGM, including 'I Got What You Need', 'That's Groovy', 'The Impossible Dream', 'I Will Understand' and 'Nobody', which were poorly promoted.
this is america - 1968 / johnny nash and kim weston - 1969
Two albums were released on the label, entitled 'For The First Time' and 'This Is America'.
She then recorded for several other imprints including Stax/Volt, People and Pride, and recorded an album of duets with Johnny Nash for the Banyan Tree imprint in 1969.
The latter duets album produced one single entitled 'We Try Harder' b/w 'My Time'.
kim, kim, kim - 1970 / big brass four poster - 1970
In 1970, Kim released two albums for the Stax/Volt imprint, entitled 'Kim, Kim, Kim' and 'Big Brass Four Poster'.
In the 70's, she devoted much time to community projects and art groups, besides finding time to record an album of jazz standards with the Hastings Street Jazz Experience.
She, sporadically released material on the Banyan Tree, People, Pride, Volt, Mikim, Enterprise and Rahkim (recording 'Detroit, That's My Home Town') labels, in between 1969 and 1975.
In 1980, she teamed up with the Motown group, The Marvelettes, for one single release entitled 'Do Like I Do' b/w 'Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers' (the second side by the Marvelettes on their own).
Along with many of her fellow Motown artists, Kim then signed with Ian Levine's Motorcity Records in the late 1980's, and was the first ex-Motown artist to do so.
She teamed up with Marvin Gaye's brother, the late, Frankie Gaye for a remake of 'It Takes Two' in 1989.
She released the single 'Signal Your Intention', which was followed by the album 'Investigate' in 1990.
A second album for the label 'Talking Loud' (recorded in 1992) was never saw the light of day.
investigate - 1990 / the very best of - 1992
Some the songs were included on the compilation 'The Best Of Kim Weston', which was released in 1996.
In the new milleniium, Kim is a disc jockey on a local Detroit, Michigan radio station, where she sponsors the summer events at Hart Plaza.
She also tours occasionally, sometimes with former Motown colleagues Mary Wilson, Martha Reeves and Brenda Holloway.
She is also featured on the 2006 four CD release of the Motortown Revue series.
Marvin Gaye & Kim Weston
Albums:
with Marvin Gaye:
Take Two (Tamla Records 1966)
Solo:
For The First Time (MGM Records 1967)
This Is America (MGM Records 1968)
with Johnny Nash:
Johnny Nash and Kim Weston (Banyan Tree Records 1969)
Solo:
Kim, Kim, Kim (Volt Records 1970)
Big Brass Four Poster (Volt Records 1970)
Investigate (Motorcity Records 1990)
Talking Loud (unreleased) (Motorcity Records 1992)
The Very Best Of Kim Weston (Motorcity Records 1996)
