Marla Glen

File:Marla Glen 0309130720.jpg

Marla Glen in concert in Germany, 2003.

Marla Glen (born January 3, 1960) is an American singer from Chicago who has been based in Germany since 1998.

Career

Marla Glen was born to Mexican-American and Jamaican-American parents<ref name=":1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and grew up on the South Side of Chicago.<ref name=":0">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Glen received a toy harmonica from Muddy Waters when he was five, which started his fascination with music.<ref name=":0" /> When he was 11 years old, he wrote his first song, "Repertoire", which later appeared on his album Love and Respect.<ref name=":2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Glen won first prize performing at a local open mic contest in New Orleans and was rewarded with a trip to France, where he first performed in front of a European audience and after a few years signed with Vogue Records. He formed the Marla Glen Band in Niort, France.<ref name=":2" /> He was once a bodyguard for Nina Simone,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and was mentored by and lived with both Simone and Bo Diddley during his early career.<ref name=":3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

He released his debut album entitled This Is Marla Glen in 1993 followed by Love and Respect in 1995. These albums have received platinum and gold awards.<ref name=":2" />

He release a memoir co-authored with Stacey McClain in 2023.<ref name=":3" />

Personal life

Glen moved to Germany in 1998.<ref name=":1" /> On July 2, 2004, he entered into a civil union with Sabrina Conley, but they later got divorced.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Glen came out as a trans man in 2023 and kept the same name.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Discography

• 1993: This is Marla Glen (Disques Vogue)
• 1995: Love and Respect (Disques Vogue)
• 1997: Our World (Ariola)
• 1998: The Best of Marla Glen
• 2003: Friends
• 2005: Greatest Hits Live
• 2006: Dangerous
• 2011: Humanology
• 2020: Unexpected

External links

• Official website
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