| Marva Hicks | |
| Birth Name: | Marva Denise Hicks |
| Birth Date: | 5 May 1956 |
| Birth Place: | Petersburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Death Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Genre: | Soul, Broadway theatre |
| Occupations: | Singer, actress |
| Years Active: | 1978–2022 |
| Label: | Polydor Records |
Marva Denise Hicks (May 5, 1956 – September 16, 2022)[1] was an American R&B singer and actress. She signed with Polydor in the late 1980s, recorded her self-titled album in 1991,[2] and later worked in Broadway theatre and on television.
Hicks was born and grew up in Petersburg, Virginia, and studied at Howard University.
Initially a gospel singer,[2] she recorded commercial secular music in the late 1970s, first releasing her debut single "Looking Over My Shoulder" in 1978,[3] before being a member of the short-lived quintet Eighties Ladies. The quintet released their only album Ladies of the 80s in 1980, which was entirely produced by Roy Ayers and Edwin Birdsong.[4] 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.[5] 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 for Michael Jackson in a free concert at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre in Bandar Seri Begawan. The concert was in celebration of the fiftieth birthday of Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei 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's HIStory World Tour.
She also performed as Rafiki in The Lion King, as an understudy for the leading actress. Her other Broadway credits included , and Lena Horne, The Lady and Her Music. She won the Helen Hayes Award for her stage work on three occasions.
On television, she played T'Pel, the wife of Tuvok, in two episodes of , and appeared in several other recurring roles in other series. She sang the gospel song "There's No Hiding Place Down Here" in the Babylon 5 episode "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place".
In 2013, Hicks appeared on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' album Mosquito, performing as part of Broadway Inspirational Voices on the first single "Sacrilege".[6]
She died in New York City on September 16, 2022, at the age of 66.[7] [8]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Enemy Territory | Hysterical Woman | ||
| 1993 | Bodies, Rest & Motion | Singer | ||
| 1995 | Virtuosity | Onscreen Talent | ||
| Balboa | TV movie | |||
| 1996 | For the Future: The Irvine Fertility Scandal | Tanya | TV movie | |
| 1998 | The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars | Singer (voice) | Video | |
| 1999 | Asunder | Roberta Williams | ||
| 2000 | In a Blue Mood | Iris Blue | Short | |
| 2005 | On the One | Cora Lee | ||
| 2007 | AfterLife | Alicia | Short | |
| 2013 | Labor Day | Morning Anchor |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–93 | L.A. Law | Lee Johnson | Episode: "Love on the Rox" & "Spanky and the Art Gang" | |
| 1993–95 | Mad About You | Remy | Recurring Cast: Season 2–3 | |
| 1994 | The Bold and the Beautiful | Stewardess | Episode: "Episode #1.1745" | |
| The Sinbad Show | Rachel | Episode: "Love Lessons" | ||
| South Central | - | Episode: "CO-op" | ||
| 1994–96 | Sister, Sister | Various | 4 Episodes | |
| 1995–2000 | T'Pel | Guest Cast: Season 2 & 5 & 7 | ||
| 1996 | Babylon 5 | Singer | Episode: "And the Rock Cried Out, No Hiding Place" | |
| 1997–98 | One Life to Live | Jacara Principal | Regular Cast | |
| 2008 | E! True Hollywood Story | Herself | Episode: "Star Jones" | |
| 2013 | House of Cards | Strategist 1 | Episode: "Chapter 5" | |
| 2015 | Daredevil | District Attorney | Episode: "Daredevil" | |
| 2016 | Search Party | Virginia | Episode: "The Return of the Forgotten Phantom" | |
| 2017 | The Blacklist | Judge | Episode: "Smokey Putnum (No. 30)" | |
| 2019 | Madam Secretary | Chief Clerk | Episode: "The New Normal" |