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Inez and Charlie Foxx

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Inez & Charlie Foxx
OriginGreensboro, North Carolina, United States
GenresPop, soul
Years active1963–1971 (as duo)
LabelsSymbol, Musicor, Dynamo, Volt, United Artists, Stateside
Past membersInez Foxx
Charlie Foxx
Inez Foxx
Born
Inez Rebecca Fox

(1937-09-09)September 9, 1937
Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedAugust 25, 2022(2022-08-25) (aged 84)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Other namesInez Johnston
Charlie Foxx
Born
Charlie James Fox

(1933-10-23)October 23, 1933
Greensboro, North Carolina, U.S.
DiedSeptember 18, 1998(1998-09-18) (aged 64)
Mobile, Alabama, U.S.

Inez Foxx (September 9, 1937 – August 25, 2022) and her elder brother Charlie Foxx (October 23, 1933 – September 18, 1998) were an American rhythm and blues and soul duo from Greensboro, North Carolina. Inez sang lead vocal, while Charlie sang back-up and played guitar.[1] Casey Kasem, and doubtless many others, mistakenly thought that the two were husband and wife.[2]

Biography

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Both children were born in Greensboro to John and Peggy Fox. According to published information in the North Carolina Birth Index, and the U.S. census, Charlie James Fox was born in 1933 and Inez Rebecca Fox in 1937, though subsequent publicity indicated later birth years for both siblings.[3][4] They changed their professional names to Foxx with a double 'x'.

Charlie Foxx began singing with a gospel choir as a child in the early 1950s, and was later joined by his sister Inez. In 1960, Inez traveled to New York City and recorded for Brunswick Records using her then-married name Inez Johnston, but with little success. In early 1963, the pair introduced themselves to Henry 'Juggy' Murray, the owner of Sue Records, and sang him their arrangement of the traditional lullaby "Hush, Little Baby". The song, re-titled "Mockingbird," was released on Sue's subsidiary label Symbol Records in June 1963. The single reached the top 10 on both the US rhythm and blues and pop charts.[5] It was their most successful record, selling over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.[6] It was later covered by artists including Aretha Franklin, James Taylor and Carly Simon, Dusty Springfield, Etta James with Taj Mahal and Toby Keith.

The record company, keen to promote Inez Foxx as a solo singer, issued later recordings under her name alone, despite the presence of two voices on the records. Perhaps because "Mockingbird" was seen as a novelty record, the pair had difficulty following it up, although "Ask Me" and "Hurt by Love" made the lower reaches of the US charts, and "Hurt by Love" also reached the UK singles chart.[5] In 1966, the pair joined Musicor Records and recorded for its subsidiary label, Dynamo. They returned to the pop charts in 1967 with "(1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count the Days", and became known for their exciting live performances. They toured extensively in Europe and their music played a key role in the development of the Northern soul movement, in which scene they had the very popular "Tightrope" single.[citation needed]

Inez Foxx married songwriter and producer Luther Dixon in the late 1960s. Together they wrote, and he produced, the Platters' mid-1960s return to hit-making with the single "I Love You 1000 Times".[7] Luther Dixon produced Inez and Charlie's 1967 Dynamo album Come By Here,[8][9] but the couple later divorced.[7]

Inez also had some success recording on her own, beginning in 1969, but her popularity faded in the 1970s. Charlie was already working as a songwriter and record producer when they finally disbanded their act. Inez continued to record as a solo singer for Volt Records in the 1970s.[1][5]

Charlie Foxx died from leukemia in 1998, at the age of 64,[10] and was buried in Mobile, Alabama. Inez Foxx died in Los Angeles on August 25, 2022, at the age of 84 (though some sources incorrectly stated her age as 79).[11][12]

Discography

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Chart singles

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Year Single Chart Positions
US Pop[13] US
R&B[14] 		UK[15]
1963 "Mockingbird" 7 2 -
"Hi Diddle Diddle"
Inez Foxx 		98 -[16] -
1964 "Ask Me"
Inez Foxx 		91 -[16] -
"Hurt By Love"
Inez Foxx 		54 -[16] 40
1966 "No Stranger To Love" - 49 -
1967 "I Stand Accused" 127 41 -
"You Are The Man" - 32 -
"(1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count The Days" 76 17 -
1969 "Mockingbird" (reissue) - - 33
1973 "I Had A Talk With My Man"
Inez Foxx 		- 74 -
1974 "Circuit's Overloaded"
Inez Foxx 		- 83 -

Albums

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  • Mockingbird (1964)
  • Come By Here (1967)
  • Greatest Hits (1968)
  • Inez & Charlie Foxx's Swinging Mockin' Band (1968) (instrumental album featuring Inez & Charlie Foxx's backing band)
  • Inez Foxx At Memphis (1973) (Inez Foxx solo album)
  • Inez & Charlie Foxx (1983)

References

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  1. ^ a b Ron Wynn. "Inez & Charlie Foxx | Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  2. ^ American Top 40, 16 February 1974.
  3. ^ North Carolina Birth Index, Fox, Charlie James: Book 21 page 941
  4. ^ Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950: Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Greensboro, Guilford, North Carolina; Roll: 5671; Sheet Number: 7; Enumeration District: 104-46
  5. ^ a b c "Inez Foxx". Way Back Attack. 2012-09-06. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  6. ^ Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 159. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.
  7. ^ a b Cartwright, Garth (11 November 2009). "Luther Dixon obituary". The Guardian. Guardian.co.uk.
  8. ^ "Inez & Charlie Foxx* - Come By Here (Vinyl, LP)". Discogs.com. 1967. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  9. ^ "Dynamo Album Discography". Bsnpubs.com. 2006-11-23. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
  10. ^ "Charlie Foxx, Songwriter and Musician, 64", New York Times, October 12, 1998. Retrieved August 31, 2022
  11. ^ Charles Cochran, Facebook, August 26, 2022. Retrieved September 6, 2022
  12. ^ "RIP Inez Foxx, 79, Famed R&B Singer of the Original "Mockingbird"". Showbiz 411. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  13. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2003). Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 (1st ed.). Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p. 260. ISBN 0-89820-155-1.
  14. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1996). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-1995. Record Research. p. 156.
  15. ^ Betts, Graham (2004). Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004 (1st ed.). London: Collins. p. 295. ISBN 0-00-717931-6.
  16. ^ a b c No Billboard R&B chart was published during this period
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