Marva Hicks

Marva Denise Hicks (May 5, 1956 – September 16, 2022) was an American actress, singer, and Broadway performer born in Petersburg, Virginia. She studied at Howard University and built a career spanning gospel music, R&B recording, stage performance, and television acting across more than four decades.

Hicks began her professional recording career as a gospel singer before transitioning to secular music in the late 1970s. Her debut single, "Looking Over My Shoulder," was released in 1978 on the Infinity label. She subsequently joined the quintet Eighties Ladies, whose sole album, Ladies of the 80s, appeared in 1980 on Uno Melodic and was produced entirely by Roy Ayers and Edwin Birdsong. After signing with Polydor, Hicks released her self-titled debut solo album in 1991. The album's single "Never Been in Love Before," written and produced by Jimmy Scott, reached number seven on the R&B charts that year and was followed by two additional singles, "I Got You Where I Want" and "One Good Reason."

Her concert work included a notable appearance on July 16, 1996, when she performed as a background singer for Michael Jackson at a free concert held at the Jerudong Park Amphitheatre in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei. The event celebrated the fiftieth birthday of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah and was attended by the Brunei Royal Family. During the performance, Hicks sang the female part of the duet "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" alongside Jackson. She also served as a background singer during Jackson's HIStory World Tour.

Hicks maintained an active Broadway presence from 1978 to 2013. Her stage credits included Eubie!, Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music, Caroline, or Change, and Motown: The Musical. She performed in The Lion King as an understudy for the leading actress in the role of Rafiki. Her stage work earned her three Helen Hayes Awards.

On television, Hicks portrayed T'Pel, the wife of Tuvok, in two episodes of Star Trek: Voyager, and appeared in recurring roles in other series. She performed 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, she appeared on the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' album Mosquito, performing as part of Broadway Inspirational Voices on the single "Sacrilege." In 2020, she played Tallulah Clarke in the world premiere of the musical Gun & Powder.

Hicks died from glioblastoma in New York City on September 16, 2022, at the age of 66.