I felt compelled to write a song tribute to my mother, Marva Ann Fairfax, because this woman went through hell and back to raise and keep her 6 girls fed, clothed and most importantly, kept us all together even in her weakest moments when she could have easily walked away from us allowing the system to deal with us.  You see my mother was raised with very strict rules as being the only daughter with 2 brothers growing up in the 1940s. Her courtship started at the age of 16 to an older man and back in those days, a lady had to remain pure and untouched until marriage. Now her mother, my grandmother was a very strict woman and didn’t allow any bullshit. So once my mother turned 18 she had to marry, but yet, didn’t know what to expect when it came to making and bearing children. Of course, it was not lady like for her mother to indulge in such conversations with her only daughter.  So to try and make a long story short, my mother, once married, was subjected to terrible physical and mental abuse from her first husband, which also included being starved (on purpose), while being pregnant with twins. My mother was then subjected to being beaten by drunken husband on a regular basis, about once a week while being treated as inferior.  When time to give birth, my mother told me that she didn’t have a clue as to where or how this baby was coming from. I was also told that my grandmother, at time of my mother being in labor, told her it was like having a huge “bowel” movement.  Back in those days, there were no form of birth control and even though Marva didn’t want any more children, her husband would “rape” her and she would conceive. 
 - Garnetta Cromwell

MISS MARVA ANN

WOMAN'S WORLD (Dance & Shout)

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