Monday 2 August 2021

Ann Sexton

Ann Sexton (born Mary Ann Sexton, February 5, 1950) is an American soul singer who recorded mainly in the 1970s. Her biggest hit, "You're Gonna Miss Me", reached the R&B chart in 1973. 

 

 

 

 

 

 








She was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and is the cousin of singer and songwriter Chuck Jackson. Influenced by gospel music, she sang in her church choir and won local talent shows before singing back-up on a recording by Elijah and the Ebonies. She formed her own band, Ann Sexton and the Masters of Soul, in the late 1960s.















She was seen performing with the group by songwriter David Lee, the owner of the small local Impel record label, who recorded and released her first solo single, "You're Letting Me Down", in 1971. She then signed to John Richbourg's Seventy 7 Records, part of the Sound Stage 7 group, for whom she recorded a series of singles in Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee. In 1973, "You're Gonna Miss Me" reached no.47 on the Billboard R&B chart, and she released the album Loving You, Loving Me. Many of her recordings were co-written by herself and her husband, and several later became popular on the Northern soul scene in the UK. She recorded ballads as well as dance tracks, and the Sound Stage 7 label released her album The Beginning in 1977. It featured the single "I'm His Wife (You're Just a Friend)" which reached no.79 on the R&B chart.

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

After her 1973 recording of "You're Losing Me" was featured in the 2003 film, 21 Grams, Sexton agreed to go on stage again after a 30-year absence. In March 2007, she made her first performance since the 1970s at the Baltic Soul Weekender in Germany. She performed again at the Baltic Soul Weekender in April 2008, and has continued to make occasional appearances at festivals in the US and Europe since then.