Joyce “Fenderella” Irby is best known as the bassist and lead vocalist of the 1980s all-girl band Klymaxx. She is the voice you hear on 3 of the groups top 4 hit singles, including Klymaxx’s biggest crossover smash, “I Miss You”.
She originally signed on with George Clinton’s P-Funk crew as “Fenderella”. In 1989, she scored a solo deal with Motown Records and had 3 charted Billboard singles, most notable “Mr. DJ” with Doug E. Fresh which peaked at #2.
In 2012, BET viewers voted “Klymaxx” as the #5 female
group of all time behind, The Supremes, Destiny’s Child, EnVogue & TLC
Joyce’s Motown album, “Maximum Thrust” charted 2 urban and 1 pop
single. Joyce also has an expanded demo because of her crossover into
hip hop, and her lifelong association with George Clinton as “Fenderella”
Irby relocated from Los Angeles to Atlanta in the late 1980s and in 1986 began soliciting major record labels and producers Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and LA Reid & Babyface to form regional offices in the Atlanta area.
Irby’s greater impact may have been the result of her signing a young Dallas Austin as a songwriter and producer in 1988. Dallas produced the first TLC and Boyz II Men projects while still signed to Irby’s company Diva One Entertainment.
As an artist developer she signed child star Sammie Bush, and made a deal with Dallas and Capitol Records which launched Sammie’s career when he was 12 years old. Irby also signed Lloyd (The Inc) as an 11-year-old and developed and guided his career through four major record deals (Warner, DreamWorks, Magic Johnson Music/MCA, The Inc/Universal). Irby gave multi platinum writer/producer Jasper Cameron, his first songwriting deal. In 2012 Irby scored a top 5 Billboard hit as a co-writer with the Fat Joe/Chris Brown song, “Another Round”.
Joyce “Fenderella” Irby is still a voice to be heard as she delivers “Diva Heaven” an exciting new part of Joyce’s live Klymaxx show which features short, rapid tributes to artists like Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Donna Summer, Prince, Teena Marie…etc. This is a crowd favorite!!!
As an avid animal lover, Irby started her own charity “Jams For Animals”, to raise consciousness and promote kindness to animals through music and video. As she performs around the world her goal is to bring awareness to education along side schools and HBCU’s with Visual and Performing Arts Programs by encourging our yourths and being a voice in our communities one city at at time through music. “I’d Still Say Yes And Do It All Again for the fans around the world”.
Top Klymaxx Hits:
1. “The Men All Pause”
2. “I Miss You”
3. “Meeting in the Ladies Room”
4. “I’d Still Say Yes”
5. “Hey Mr. DJ”
