{{Short description|Guyanese singer–songwriter (1969–2015)}} {{Infobox person | name = Maxee | image = Charmayne Maxwell picture.jpg | image_size = | caption = Maxwell in 2001 | birth_name = Charmayne Maxena Maxwell | birth_date = {{birth date|1969|1|11}} | birth_place = Guyana | death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|2|28|1969|1|11}} | death_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter}} | children = 1 | spouse = | education = | height = | module = {{Infobox musical artist | embed = yes | instrument = Vocals | genre = {{flatlist| *Pop *R&B *urban adult contemporary }} | years_active = 1994–2015 | past_member_of = Brownstone | website = }} }}
'''Charmayne Maxena Maxwell''' (January 11, 1969 – February 28, 2015<ref name="Bobb 2015"/>), professionally known as '''Maxee''', was a Guyana-born American singer and songwriter. In the mid-1990s, Maxwell came to prominence as a member of the female R&B trio Brownstone.
==Career== Maxwell found fame in the mid-1990s after she formed the group Brownstone with singers Monica "Mimi" Doby and Nicci Gilbert. After an a cappella audition, the trio were signed to Michael Jackson's Epic Records-distributed imprint, MJJ Music.<ref name="latimes"/> The group released their debut album ''From the Bottom Up'' in 1995 which earned a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for their top ten hit single "If You Love Me".<ref name="latimes"/> After going through the first of a few lineup switches and the release of their commercially less successful second album ''Still Climbing'' (1997), the trio disbanded.<ref name="latimes"/>
Following the disbandment of Brownstone, Maxwell moved to London and signed with Mercury Records in 2000 to pursue a solo career.<ref name="Bobb 2015"/> Her solo debut single "When I Look into Your Eyes" spawned a remix by producer Fred Jerkins III and peaked at number 55 on the UK Singles Chart.<ref name="uk"/> Follow-up "This Is Where I Wanna Be" failed to chart.<ref name="uk"/> Its commercial underperformance led to the cancellation of Maxwell's same-titled solo album.<ref name="nme">{{cite web | title=Musiq Sounds Better With Maxee| website=NME | date=January 29, 2001 | url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/various-artists-5236-1398732 | access-date=September 24, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | title=Maxee Goes To The UK For Solo Launch| magazine=Billboard | date=March 10, 2001 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6xMEAAAAMBAJ&q=%22MAXEE%22+%22album%22+%22This+Is+Where+I+Wanna+Be%22&pg=PA64 | access-date=September 24, 2020}}</ref>
==Personal life== Maxwell was married to Danish record producer Carsten Schack from duo Soulshock and Karlin.<ref name="Bobb 2015">{{cite web | last=Bobb | first=Maurice | title=Charmayne Maxwell, Member Of '90s Group Brownstone, Died In Mysterious Fall | website=MTV News | date=March 1, 2015 | url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2093298/charmayne-maxwell-brownstone-death/ | archive-url=https://archive.today/20150309142304/http://www.mtv.com/news/2093298/charmayne-maxwell-brownstone-death/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 9, 2015 | access-date=September 24, 2020}}</ref> The couple had a son, Nicholas Hojer.<ref name="latimes"/>
==Death== On February 28, 2015, Maxwell died after an accident in Los Angeles.<ref name="latimes">{{cite web | last= Kennedy| first=Gerrick D.| title=Charmayne 'Maxee' Maxwell of Brownstone fame dies at 46 | website=Los Angeles Times | date=March 2, 2015 | url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-charmayne-maxee-maxwell-brownstone-dies-20150302-story.html | access-date=September 24, 2020}}</ref> She was at her home when she fell and cut her throat on a drinking glass that shattered during the fall.<ref name="latimes"/> She died shortly afterwards in a hospital, aged 46.<ref name="latimes"/>
==Discography== {{see also|Brownstone (group)#Discography}}
===Singles=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |- ! rowspan="2"| Year ! rowspan="2"| Single ! colspan="3"| Peak chart positions ! rowspan="2"| Album |- style="font-size:smaller;" ! width="30"| US<br><ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maxee-mn0000397723|title=Maxee|publisher=Allmusic|access-date=September 24, 2020}}</ref> ! width="30"| US<br>R&B<br><ref name="allmusic"/> ! width="30"| UK<br><ref name="uk">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/10304/maxee/|title=UK Charts > Maxee|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=September 24, 2020}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"|2001 | align="left"| "When I Look into Your Eyes" | — | — | 55 | align="left" rowspan="2"| Non-album singles |- | align="left"| "This Is Where I Wanna Be" | — | — | — |- | colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/234727618/charmayne_maxena-maxwell Charmayne Maxwell] At Find A Grave * {{discogs artist}} * {{IMDb name|id=nm2021374|name=Charmayne Maxwell}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Charmayne}} Category:1969 births Category:2015 deaths Category:Accidental deaths from falls in the United States Category:African-American women singer-songwriters Category:American women singer-songwriters Category:American contemporary R&B singers Category:American women pop singers Category:American soul singers Category:Guyanese emigrants to the United States Category:20th-century African-American women singers Category:20th-century American women singers Category:20th-century American singers Category:21st-century African-American women singers Category:21st-century American women singers