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At 97-years-old, and after nine decades of performing, Marilyn Maye isn’t slowing down. When asked if she’s ever considered retiring, she says, “It’s not in my vocabulary.”
Early career
Starting in 1966, the celebrated vocalist appeared 76 times on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” the record for appearances by a singer. Johnny called her “Super-Singer” and would often turn to the camera after she performed and say, “And THAT, young singers, is how it’s done.”
Throughout the 1960s-1970s, she also performed multiple times on “The Merv Griffin Show,” “The Mike Douglas Show,” “Hollywood Palace,” “The Jim Nabors Show,” and made three appearances on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
Recent and upcoming events
In 2023, Maye presented a two-hour solo concert in the Isaac Stern Auditorium of Carnegie Hall in front of a sold-out audience of more than 2,800 fans. Accompanied by the New York Pops Orchestra, she received 12 standing ovations during the concert, and eight rave reviews followed the success of the glorious night. During the event, New York City Mayor Adams issued a proclamation declaring March 24, 2023, “Marilyn Maye Day.”
In 2025, Marilyn will perform for the 13th consecutive year at New York’s prestigious 54 Below nightclub. Her engagements there are always scheduled for 10 days in April and 10 days in October. Each December, she performs eight shows at the renowned Birdland jazz club in New York City.
As part of a celebration for her friend Johnny Carson’s 100th birthday, she’ll also perform two nights at the Lied Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her solo performance on October 22 will be in the Carson Theater.
Maye keeps up a demanding performance schedule. “This is what I was put on this earth to do,” said Maye. “My mother played piano, and I started singing when I was probably 6-years-old and doing shows when I was 7, 8 and 9 in amateur contests. And then when I was 9, the gift that they gave you for winning was a radio show. So I was 9-years-old, doing my own radio show.”
Maye’s advice to artists
On what advice she’d give to young artists, Maye says, “If you’re talented and willing to work, it brings great joy, with many ups and a lot of downs. It takes great dedication—more than eight hours a day. Yes, it’s fun, but you have to love what you do—love your process and your audience.”
“I also believe strongly that you should respect the people who come to see and hear you. We should acknowledge and honor their presence. That’s our job! We should bring joy into the lives of the people who come to see and hear us. It’s not a contest. It’s our job, our mission to make them happy. It’s called entertainment!”
And yes, she still includes her signature high kicks in every show.
See Maye in action
You can see Marilyn Maye’s solo cabaret show in the Lied Center’s Carson Theater on October 22. She’ll also perform as part of Carson Tonight: Johnny’s 100th Birthday on October 23 on the Lied Main Stage. Tickets and info for both events are available at liedcenter.org.
