One of the greatest female singers of Southern soul music, Ann Peebles grew up singing gospel in her father’s Baptist choir, idolising and occasionally backing the legendary Mahalia Jackson.
Her secular music career began with an impromptu performance at the Rosewood club in Memphis in 1969, which caught the attention of famed producer Willie Mitchell of Hi Records (Al Green‘s label).
Alongside Green it was Ann who shaped the Hi soul sound with her hits; I Can’t Stand The Rain (1973), and I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down (1974) – but it is her lesser-known tracks like Trouble, Heartaches and Sadness from her second album – Straight From The Heart (1971) – that best exemplify her forthright gospel-inflected country soul.
Ann recorded seven albums and 24 singles during her eleven years on the Hi label. Nineteen of the singles landed on the Billboard R&B charts.
While her vocal style is similar to Tina Turner‘s, Ann brought with it a subtlety and fragile intensity often lacking in Turner’s phrasing, and which evoked emotion at every turn.
After spending some time raising a family, Ann returned to the recording studio.
Related Posts
Al Wilson Al Wilson was born in Meridian, Mississippi, in June 1939 and sang in a church choir and his own gospel…
Astrud Gilberto Astrud Gilberto was born Astrud Evangelina Weinert - to a Brazilian mother and a German father - in Brazil in…
Smith Smith formed in Los Angeles in 1969 and were discovered by 1960s rocker Del Shannon in a nightclub there. Shannon…
Maggie Bell Margaret "Maggie" Bell was born on 12 January 1945, at Maryhill, Glasgow, in Scotland. She began singing in her teenage years and…
Millie Jackson An R&B star with a stunning voice, Millie was born Mildred Jackson in Thompson, near Augusta, Georgia, on 15 July 1944.…
Brownsville Station Guitarists Mike Lutz and Cubby Koda formed Brownsville Station in 1969. Drummer Henry Weck came onboard in 1971, and when…
Phoebe Snow Born Phoebe Ann Laub in New York City in 1952, the singer changed her name after seeing 'Phoebe Snow', a…
Rufus Thomas Born on 26 March 1917 in Cayce, Mississippi, Rufus Thomas first hit the stage as a dancer and comedian with…
