Klymaxx
| Company type | Musical group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1979 |
| Founder | Bernadette Cooper |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles, California , United States |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
| Website | www |
Klymaxx is a female pop and contemporary R&B ensemble originating from Los Angeles, California. The group's classic roster featured Bernadette Cooper, Lorena Porter Shelby, Cheryl Cooley, Robbin Grider, Lynn Malsby, and Joyce "Fenderella" Irby. They gained widespread recognition with their 1985 global hits "I Miss You" and "Meeting in the Ladies Room".
History
Founded in 1979 by Bernadette Cooper—who served as producer, drummer, vocalist, and named the band—Klymaxx initially included Lorena "Lungs" Porter Shelby on lead vocals, Cheryl Cooley on guitar, Robbin Grider handling keyboards and guitar, and Lynn Malsby on keyboards. Before releasing their first album, Joyce "Fenderella" Irby joined as bassist, vocalist, and producer. Cooper was instrumental in crafting their signature sound and became the group's prominent spokesperson. Their debut record Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman came out in 1981, succeeded by Girls Will Be Girls.
The band achieved major success with their 1984 release Meeting in the Ladies Room, which included the top five US Billboard R&B chart single "The Men All Pause", co-written by Cooper and Irby, alongside the popular title track. Their self-produced song "I Miss You", penned by Lynn Malsby, reached number five on the Hot 100, marking their crossover into mainstream pop. Lorena Shelby’s distinctive vocal style defined much of Klymaxx’s sound, while Cooper contributed spoken word segments and creative leadership. Critics observed that Irby’s vocal tone bore resemblance to that of Michael Jackson.
The original lineup dissolved in 1989 but reunited intermittently for subsequent album releases. After disbanding, disputes emerged concerning unauthorized use of the band’s name and trademark rights, culminating in the legal case Cheryl Cooley v. Bernadette Cooper and Joyce Irby. According to the Truth In Music Advertising Act, members are permitted to perform as Klymaxx but must clarify their rendition by including individual names.
In 2004, five of the six founding members appeared together on VH1's Bands Reunited, although Cooley abstained from performing due to unresolved conflicts. Around this period, an episode of SNL featured Halle Berry portraying Cooper. Subsequently, the band officially reassembled under the name Klymaxx featuring Bernadette Cooper. Various members now tour using the Klymaxx name appended with their own.
In 2009, all six classic members were showcased on TV One's series Unsung.
On June 25, 2021, Klymaxx was inducted into the Women Songwriters Hall of Fame. Nevertheless, some members criticized the organization for honoring a touring lineup led by Cheryl Cooley, whose involvement was limited. Cooper, Malsby, and Irby accused Cooley of manipulating songwriting credits within ASCAP and Sony Music Publishing records. These fraudulent alterations were later exposed by Billboard magazine.
Recently, increased interest via social media and streaming services has revitalized Klymaxx’s influence among newer generations. Their distinction as one of the rare all-female R&B/funk groups who wrote, produced, and performed their own music continues to receive acclaim in retrospectives focusing on women’s contributions to music.
Studio albums
| Year | Album | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | Label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 |
US R&B |
CAN | NZ | ||||
| 1981 | Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman | — | — | — | — | SOLAR | |
| 1982 | Girls Will Be Girls | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1983 | Girls in the Band | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1984 | Meeting in the Ladies Room | 18 | 9 | 46 | 18 |
|
Constellation (MCA) |
| 1986 | Klymaxx | 98 | 25 | — | — | ||
| 1990 | The Maxx Is Back | 168 | 32 | — | — | MCA | |
| 1994 | One Day | — | — | — | — | Valley Vue | |
- This album was not officially released
Compilation albums
- Greatest Hits (1996, MCA)
- 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Klymaxx (2003, MCA)
Singles
rowspan=3 1985 align= "left" "Meeting in the Ladies Room" 59 4 22 — — — — — align= "left" "Lock and Key" — 47 — — — — — — — align= "left" "I Miss You" 5 11 — 3 28 1 32 2 89- MC: Gold
| Year | Title | Highest chart rankings | Certifications | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Hot 100 |
US R&B |
US Dance |
US A/C |
BEL | CAN | NLD | NZ | UK | |||||
| 1981 | "Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman" | — | 74 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Never Underestimate the Power of a Woman | ||
| "I Want to Love You Tonight" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1982 | "Heartbreaker (I'm Such a Mess)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Wild Girls" | — | 78 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 'Girls Will Be Girls' | |||
| 1983 | "Multi-Purpose Girl" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 'Girls in the Band' | ||
| 1984 | "The Men All Pause" | 105 | 5 | 9 | — | — | — | — | —
| | align= "left" rowspan= "5"|'Meeting in the Ladies Room' | | ||||
|
align= "left" rowspan= "4" Klymaxx |
- align= "left" "Sexy" — 18 — — — — — — |
- rowspan= "2"1987 align= "left" "I'd Still Say Yes" 18 7 — 8 — 50 — — — |
- align= "left" "Divas Need Love Too" — 14 — — — — — — |
- rowspan= "3"1990 align= "left" "Good Love" — 4 — — — — — — 89 |
align= "left" rowspan= "3" The Maxx Is Back |
- align= "left" "Private Party" — 62 — — — — — — |
- align= "left" "When You Kiss Me" — — — — — — — — |
- 1994 align= "left" "All I Think About Is You" – 124 – – – – – – – |
align= "left" One Day |
- colspan=13 style= "text-align:center; font-size:9pt;" "| '—' indicates singles that did not enter charts or were unavailable in that region. | |||
External links
- Articles with short description
- American all-female bands
- African-American girl groups
- American dance girl groups
- American dance music groups
- American funk musical groups
- American soul musical groups
- SOLAR Records artists
- Musical groups established in 1979
- Musical groups disbanded in 1994
- Musical groups reunited in 2003
- Musical groups disbanded in 2013
- Musical groups disestablished in 1994