Biography
Born in Kansas City, Kansas, Marian Love possessed a multi-octave range and a jazzy delivery that initially signaled a bright future in music, only for her career to fade so rapidly that few recall her vibrant performances today. The second youngest among six siblings, she first gained local notice performing alongside sisters Geraldine, Laverna, and Dora in the group known as the Love Sisters. While the remaining three siblings ultimately chose careers as schoolteachers, Marian alone followed a professional path in song. After receiving her diploma from Wyandorne High in 1963, she attended Kansas Junior College, where education formed her major and music and voice her minors. A deep ambition to sing professionally set her apart from her family members. In 1966 she earned billing as the Jazz Discovery of the Year. Strong audience reactions at two separate Kansas concerts—one shared with Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder, the other with Lou Rawls and Stan Kenton before a crowd of 7,000—finally secured parental approval for her chosen vocation. Local fame grew quickly, and a spot on a regional television program drew the interest of three businessmen who formed her management team. They arranged her first trip beyond the Kansas City area, sending her to Hollywood to record for Capitol Records. The resulting album earned favorable notices yet failed commercially. Her single pairing “Try a Little Loneliness” with “Can’t Forget About You” continues to be prized by certain collectors. After completing two and a half years of college coursework, Love grew weary of the music industry’s instability and returned to teaching alongside her sisters.