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Mary Jane Girls

About

The Mary Jane Girls were brought together by Rick James in 1979, hired as back-up singers for his tour. It is believed that with the formation of rival Prince's sexy new girl group Vanity 6 in 1982, James wished to compete with his own sexy quartet. He got a deal for the girls on Motown and gave them their group name, which was based on his funk hit Mary Jane (an obvious reference to his beloved marijuana). He also conceived sexy stage names for the members: JoJo, Candi, Maxi, and Cheri. They had instant success on the soul charts with their James produced self-titled debut album, which spawned hits in "Boys", "All Night Long", and "Candy Man". Singers Joanna McDuffie, Lisa Sarna, and Tabby Johnson (aka The Mary Jane Band) were the first three group members who were credited as "Mary Jane Girls" on releases from 1981 and 1982.

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In 1985, 'Cheri' (aka Ann Bailey, who became lead singer of Morris Day's short-lived girl group The Day Zs) left the group and was replaced by 'Corvette'. They released their second and last album, Only Four You, which included successful singles "Wild and Crazy Love", "Break It Up", and their biggest hit "In My House". A remake of the Four Seasons' song "Walk Like a Man" (from the soundtrack of the film A Fine Mess) was their final release. Due to Rick James' battle with Motown, they were dropped, and though it was rumored that they were recording a new album with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in 1987, it was never released.

In 2009, Maxi and Cheri reunited and began touring as MJG Starring Maxi and Cheri of the Original Mary Jane Girls. In 2010, original member Candi Ghant reformed her version of the Mary Jane Girls with new members Val Young and Farah Melanson.

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Mary Jane Girls is on Tour!

3 shows scheduled

Next Show:

May 2, 2026

Blue Note Hawaii

Honolulu, HI

View all 3 shows in the Tour tab below
Upcoming Tour Dates
Vinyl & Merchandise
The Mary Jane Girls - Only For You - Sealed LP

The Mary Jane Girls - Only For You - Sealed LP

$11.00
Mary Jane Girls - Self Titled LP Gordy 6040GL 1983 Pressing Rick James VG+

Mary Jane Girls - Self Titled LP Gordy 6040GL 1983 Pressing Rick James VG+

$39.95
Mary Jane Girls Only For You Vinyl LP Record 1985

Mary Jane Girls Only For You Vinyl LP Record 1985

$9.99
Mary Jane Girls- All Night Long VG+/VG+ Ultrasonic Clean 1983 Vinyl Record

Mary Jane Girls- All Night Long VG+/VG+ Ultrasonic Clean 1983 Vinyl Record

$16.50
People Also Ask

Mary Jane Girls has 3 upcoming concerts. They will be performing in cities including Honolulu, Honolulu, Detroit. Check the tour dates section for the complete schedule and ticket information.

You can purchase Mary Jane Girls concert tickets through our partner Ticketmaster. View all upcoming tour dates on this page and click on any event to see available tickets and seating options.

Some of Mary Jane Girls's most popular tracks include All Night Long, In My House, Candy Man, In My House - Single Version, Boys. Listen to these songs and discover more from their extensive catalog.

The Mary Jane Girls were brought together by Rick James in 1979, hired as back-up singers for his tour. It is believed that with the formation of rival Prince's sexy new girl group Vanity 6 in 1982, J... Read the full biography on this page.

You can find Mary Jane Girls vinyl records and merchandise on eBay. We feature a curated selection of vinyl releases and collectibles available for purchase.

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