ANN SEXTON

Biography

Mary Ann Sexton, born on February 5, 1950, in Greenville, South Carolina, grew up in a family deeply influenced by gospel music and began singing in church as a child. She gained early local recognition through talent shows and joined the soul group Elijah & The Ebonies as their vocalist, recording the single 'I Confess' in 1967 or 1968 under the name Mary Sexton. While with the group, she met and married saxophonist Melvin Burton, and together they formed Ann Sexton and The Masters of Soul, releasing singles on Impel Records in Shelby, North Carolina.[1][2][3][4]

Spotted by songwriter David Lee in 1971, Sexton launched her solo career with the single 'You're Letting Me Down' / 'You've Been Gone Too Long' on Impel's Seventy-Seven label, produced by Nashville DJ John R. Richbourg. She recorded prolifically between 1971 and 1977, releasing around thirteen singles and two albums—'Loving You, Loving Me' (1973) and 'The Beginning' (1978)—featuring hits like 'You're Gonna Miss Me' (R&B #47 in 1973) and 'I'm His Wife.' Her style blended smooth southern soul ballads with funkier grooves, earning acclaim in northern soul circles, particularly for tracks like 'Colour My World Blue.'[1][2][3][4]

By 1977, Sexton left the music industry amid its stresses, moving to New York to teach special needs students for 20 years, retiring in 2010 without widely sharing her musical past. She made occasional comeback performances, including at the Baltic Soul Weekender in 2007 and 2008, cementing her legacy as a lesser-known but revered southern soul artist.[3][4]

Fun Facts

• Ann Sexton is the cousin of soul singer Chuck Jackson.
• She kept her music career secret from most colleagues while teaching special needs students for 20 years, only performing soul at school events.
• Her 1971 B-side 'You've Been Gone Too Long' became a UK northern soul favorite despite limited original success.
• A planned 1970s single 'Just In Time To Be Too Late' on Prelude Records was never released.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• John R. Richbourg - Producer and label owner who guided her solo career (Singles and albums on Seventy-Seven including 'You're Gonna Miss Me', 'I'm His Wife') [1971-1977]
• David Lee - Songwriter who discovered her and wrote her breakthrough single ('You're Letting Me Down', 'Love, Love, Love') [1971]

Key Collaborators

• Melvin Burton - Husband and saxophonist, co-formed bands and contributed compositions (Ann Sexton and The Masters of Soul singles; tracks on Seventy-Seven releases) [Late 1960s-1970s]
• Elijah & The Ebonies - Early band where she was lead vocalist ('I Confess' single) [1967-1968]
• Clifford Curry - Contributor of ideas and suggestions (The Beginning album) [1977-1978]

External Links

• Spotify