Last May, Cleveland blues vocalist and harmonica player “Crazy Marvin” Braxton celebrated his 80th birthday with a blowout at the Treelawn on Waterloo where he’d been hosting weekly gigs. He did so despite his increasingly poor health, which had caused him to dial back such stage antics as dancing on bar tops, antics which gave him his nickname. He didn’t make it to 81. Braxton passed away December 27.
Braxton had been singing and blowing the blues over the course of a 60-year career, all the way back to the days of Cleveland’s legendary Leo’s Casino which all the legendary blues and soul performers made their home in the 60s. he performed for years under the name Crazy Marvin & the Blues Express, holding down regular gigs at area clubs such as Brothers Lounge where he gave full vent to his high-energy stage show and colorful costumes. He became known for always getting the party in full swing from the moment he hit the stage.