Ann Sexton (born Mary Ann Sexton, February 5, 1950) is an American

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

singer who recorded mainly in the 1970s. Her biggest hit, "You're Gonna Miss Me", reached the

R&B chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

in 1973.

Biography

She was born in Greenville, South Carolina, and is the cousin of singer and songwriter

Chuck Jackson Chuck Jackson (born July 22, 1937) is an American R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961. His hits include "I Don't Want to ...

. Influenced by

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, she sang in her church choir and won local talent shows before singing

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on a recording by Elijah and the Ebonies. She married the group's saxophonist, Melvin Burton, and the pair formed their own band, Ann Sexton and the Masters of Soul, in the late 1960s. Official website, "Ann's Story"
. Retrieved April 10, 2013 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

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and

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...

. Ann Sexton at SoulWalking.co.uk
Retrieved April 10, 2013 In 1973, "You're Gonna Miss Me" reached no.47 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' 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. She later worked at a New York City school as a

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, using her married name Mary Burton. After her 1973 recording of "You're Losing Me" was featured in the 2003 film, '' 21 Grams'', Sonny Hudson, who worked in the same school, answered some internet inquiries about her. Hudson, acting on her behalf and that of the German DJ and promoter Dan Dombrowe, began negotiations and after a lengthy period, 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 The Baltic Soul Weekender is an annual music festival with a maximum attendance of 4,700 visitors held for the first time in 2007. The Baltic Soul Weekender offers a musical journey through the past decades of music: soul, funk, soulful house and ...

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.

Discography

*''Loving You, Loving Me'' (Seventy 7 Records, 1973) *''The Beginning'' ( Sound Stage 7, 1977) *''You're Gonna Miss Me'' (

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, 1995) *''Anthology'' (Soul Brother Records, 2004)

References

External links

BiographyAnn Sexton Live in Europe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sexton, Ann 1950 births Living people American women singers American soul singers Musicians from Greenville, South Carolina Northern soul musicians 21st-century American women