Charmayne Maxwell

Charmayne Maxwell (11 January 1969, Guyana — 28 February 2015, Los Angeles, California), known under her stage name Maxee, was an American singer-songwriter, a long-time member of the R&B trio Brownstone (from 1994 to 1998, reunited in 2007). She was married to Danish record producer Carsten Schack. Maxwell died in a freak accident at forty-six — she fell at her LA home holding a wine glass that shattered and cut her throat; Charmayne died at the hospital shortly after arrival. (While severe injuries and death during household falls aren't uncommon, the specific circumstances of Maxwell's demise are exceedingly rare, with only one other recorded case: in June 2017, a fifty-eight-year-old Californian woman fell from a gold cart, also holding a wine glass that broke and terminally wounded her.) The singer came to prominence in 1994 as one of the members of the Brownstone trio, signed by Michael Jackson's label, MJJ Music, distributed by Epic. Their debut album, in 1995, earned RIAA platinum certification; the second single, "If You Love Me," peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and UK Singles Chart and earned a Grammy Award nomination as "Best Duo/Group R&B Performance with Vocals." Following the extensive worldwide tour, one of the original members, Monica Doby, left the band citing health reasons. (According to later interviews, it was an internal conflict between the artists.) Kina Cosper replaced Doby, and Brownstone released the sophomore album Still Climbing in 1997. The band's last appearance was on the soundtrack for Ice Cube's 1998 directorial debut, The Players Club; they disbanded shortly after. Charmayne Maxwell relocated to the United Kingdom and pursued a solo career, signing a record deal with Mercury in 2000. Her debut single, When I Look Into Your Eyes, reached number 55 on the UK Single Chart. The follow-up This Is Where I Wanna Be flopped and never charted; discouraged by the poor reception, Mercury canceled Maxee's self-titled solo album. Maxwell re-joined Brownstone in the 2007 reunion and was a member until her untimely demise.