256:
Jimmy Jam heard her singing while he was playing piano in the studio with the girls which led her to the opportunity to lead
Klymaxx songs. She was the lead singer on 3 of Klymaxx’s 4 biggest records, including their biggest hit “I Miss You.” She also penned and recorded the group’s first hit, “The
231:
In her teenage years, she used to stand outside concert arenas in the South with her bass around her neck, playing on loading ramps. There she was first noticed by George
Clinton. He used to make her sit with him after concerts, encouraging her by listening to her play.
252:
Dick
Griffey, president of Solar Records, saw Irby perform on a loading ramp and asked Leon Sylvers, the producer, if he could contact her. They were in search of a female bass player for their new group Klymaxx.
430:
356:
Irby won an ASCAP songwriter award in 2012 for co-penning one of the most played Urban records in the US, a top 5 single, “Another Round”, by Fat Joe, Chris Brown, & Mary J Blige.
498:
493:
315:
There, she founded Diva One
Productions, a production and publishing company. Her greatest impact in this respect, may have been the result of her signing a 16 year-old
538:
523:
518:
543:
503:
244:'s P-Funk Collective as "Fenderella". While she never featured on any Funkadelic/George Clinton albums, she considers him her lifetime friend and mentor.
345:
as an 11-year-old and developed and guided his career through four major record deals (Warner, DreamWorks, Magic
Johnson Music/MCA, The Inc/Universal).
528:
473:
508:
533:
488:
300:
in the mid 1980s and began to attempt the rise of
Atlanta as an urban music center by soliciting major record labels and producers
513:
241:
192:(born July 27, 1956, Orlando, FL - according to her 2022 memoir, "Id Still Say Yes") is an American singer, songwriter,
450:"[INTERVIEW] Joyce "Fenderella" Irby of Klymaxx Opens Up On Four Decades In Music, Upcoming Autobiography"
301:
385:
411:
365:
82:
478:
483:
449:
368:"Jams For Animals", to raise consciousness and promote kindness to animals through music and video.
309:
335:
197:
342:
266:
204:
193:
162:
74:
70:
467:
316:
270:
90:
78:
348:
Irby gave multi platinum writer/producer Jasper
Cameron his first songwriting deal.
216:
208:
324:
285:
166:
142:
134:
116:
320:
104:
86:
305:
112:
108:
393:
220:
297:
281:
200:
269:
and had three charting
Billboard singles, most notable "Mr. DJ" (with
331:
212:
100:
280:
In 2012, Irby scored a top 5 Billboard hit as a co-writer with the
138:
319:
as a songwriter and producer in 1988. Dallas produced the first
126:
Singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, artist developer
273:) which peaked at #2. All were included on the album,
176:
172:
158:
148:
130:
122:
96:
66:
48:
38:
28:
21:
196:and producer. She was the co-lead vocalist of the
338:launching his career when he was 12 years old.
327:projects while still signed to Irby's company.
8:
203:. Irby has also worked with artists such as
499:20th-century African-American women singers
405:
403:
364:An avid animal lover, Irby started her own
18:
494:People from Fort Liberty, North Carolina
431:"Joyce "Fenderella" Irby Facebook entry"
410:Izabella, Vanessa (September 15, 2019).
539:21st-century African-American musicians
377:
524:20th-century American women guitarists
412:"Saying Yes: Insights from Joyce Irby"
312:to form regional offices in the area.
519:20th-century American bass guitarists
265:In 1989, she scored a solo deal with
16:American singer, musician (born 1956)
7:
544:21st-century African-American women
504:20th-century American women singers
296:Irby relocated from Los Angeles to
14:
429:Irby, Joyce (October 18, 2018).
236:George Clinton/P-Funk Collective
529:People from Eatonville, Florida
448:Davis, Todd (October 1, 2019).
474:American women bass guitarists
240:She originally signed on with
1:
509:20th-century American singers
334:, to a deal with Dallas and
534:African-American guitarists
330:She then signed child star
560:
489:Musicians from Los Angeles
277:, released the same year.
386:"Joyce "Fenderella" Irby"
302:Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis
288:song, "Another Round".
190:Joyce "Fenderella" Irby
23:Joyce "Fenderella" Irby
514:American women singers
180:www.jamsforanimals.org
292:Diva One Productions
416:guitargirlmag.com
352:Honors and awards
341:Irby also signed
184:
183:
551:
458:
457:
445:
439:
438:
426:
420:
419:
407:
398:
397:
382:
257:Men All Pause."
151:
62:
58:
56:
41:
31:
19:
559:
558:
554:
553:
552:
550:
549:
548:
464:
463:
462:
461:
447:
446:
442:
428:
427:
423:
409:
408:
401:
384:
383:
379:
374:
362:
354:
343:Lloyd (The Inc)
336:Capitol Records
294:
263:
250:
238:
229:
198:all-female band
187:
165:
149:
81:
60:
54:
52:
39:
29:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
557:
555:
547:
546:
541:
536:
531:
526:
521:
516:
511:
506:
501:
496:
491:
486:
481:
476:
466:
465:
460:
459:
440:
421:
399:
376:
375:
373:
370:
361:
358:
353:
350:
293:
290:
275:Maximum Thrust
267:Motown Records
262:
259:
249:
246:
242:George Clinton
237:
234:
228:
225:
194:bass guitarist
186:Musical artist
185:
182:
181:
178:
174:
173:
170:
169:
163:Motown Records
160:
156:
155:
152:
146:
145:
132:
128:
127:
124:
120:
119:
98:
94:
93:
75:Eatonville, FL
71:Fort Bragg, NC
68:
64:
63:
50:
46:
45:
42:
36:
35:
32:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
556:
545:
542:
540:
537:
535:
532:
530:
527:
525:
522:
520:
517:
515:
512:
510:
507:
505:
502:
500:
497:
495:
492:
490:
487:
485:
482:
480:
479:Living people
477:
475:
472:
471:
469:
455:
451:
444:
441:
436:
432:
425:
422:
417:
413:
406:
404:
400:
395:
391:
387:
381:
378:
371:
369:
367:
360:Personal life
359:
357:
351:
349:
346:
344:
339:
337:
333:
328:
326:
322:
318:
317:Dallas Austin
313:
311:
307:
303:
299:
291:
289:
287:
283:
278:
276:
272:
271:Doug E. Fresh
268:
260:
258:
254:
247:
245:
243:
235:
233:
226:
224:
222:
218:
214:
210:
206:
202:
199:
195:
191:
179:
175:
171:
168:
164:
161:
157:
154:1970s–present
153:
147:
144:
140:
136:
133:
131:Instrument(s)
129:
125:
123:Occupation(s)
121:
118:
114:
110:
106:
102:
99:
95:
92:
88:
84:
80:
76:
72:
69:
65:
61:(age 68)
59:July 27, 1956
51:
47:
43:
40:Also known as
37:
33:
27:
20:
454:parlemag.com
453:
443:
435:facebook.com
434:
424:
415:
390:allmusic.com
389:
380:
363:
355:
347:
340:
329:
314:
295:
279:
274:
264:
255:
251:
239:
230:
217:The SOS Band
189:
188:
150:Years active
484:1956 births
332:Sammie Bush
325:Boyz II Men
286:Chris Brown
167:MCA Records
143:bass guitar
117:smooth soul
83:Los Angeles
468:Categories
372:References
87:California
55:1956-07-27
44:Fenderella
34:Joyce Irby
30:Birth name
306:L.A. Reid
261:Solo Work
109:jazz-funk
394:Allmusic
310:Babyface
221:Shalamar
366:charity
298:Atlanta
282:Fat Joe
248:Klymaxx
201:Klymaxx
177:Website
101:R&B
308:&
304:, and
227:Career
213:Sammie
159:Labels
135:Vocals
97:Genres
67:Origin
209:Troop
205:Lloyd
139:piano
323:and
219:and
105:soul
91:U.S.
79:U.S.
49:Born
321:TLC
113:pop
470::
452:.
433:.
414:.
402:^
392:.
388:.
223:.
215:,
211:,
207:,
141:,
137:,
115:,
111:,
107:,
103:,
89:,
85:,
77:,
57:)
456:.
437:.
418:.
396:.
284:/
73:/
53:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.