Sue Ann Carwell
Sue Ann Carwell | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Sue Ann |
| Born | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Minneapolis sound, funk, R&B, Blues |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
| Years active | 1970s–present |
Sue Ann Carwell is an American singer/songwriter who was a notable early contributor to the Minneapolis sound pioneered by Prince in the late 1970s.[1] As well as working as a background singer with many prominent artists, she recorded two albums in the 1980s – Sue Ann (1981) and Blue Velvet (1988) – and her third album, Painkiller, was released in 1992. Artists with whom Carwell has worked since the 1970s include, among many others, Prince, Jesse Johnson, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Lionel Richie, Boney James, Bobby Brown, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Cher, Christina Aguilera, Shola Ama, Jeff Golub, Geri Halliwell, Rod Stewart, Barbra Streisand, Nancy Wilson, Johnny Winter, Ronan Keating, Toni Braxton, Sheena Easton, Zac Harmon, Mya, Kirk Whalum, CeCe Winans, Whitney Houston, Diane Warren, Chaka Khan and Rufus.[2][3][4] Carwell is also a prolific songwriter, whose compositions have been widely performed.[5]
Biography
[edit]Born in Chicago, Illinois,[6] Carwell showed musical potential when she was very young,[7] and as a teenager she began singing on the Minneapolis R&B scene,[1] working with the likes of Jesse Johnson.[8] After Prince attended one of her performances, she became a protégée of his; however, she resisted his suggestion that she used the name "Susie Stone".[9][10][11] In 1981, aged 19, she released her debut album, titled Sue Ann, on Warner Bros Records.[1] Her 1988 second album, Blue Velvet, was produced by Jesse Johnson.[12]
Discography
[edit]Albums
[edit]- 1981: Sue Ann[13]
- 1988: Blue Velvet[14]
- 1992: Painkiller[15]
- 2010: Blues In My Sunshine, featuring Jesse Johnson[16]
Singles
[edit]- 1981: "Let Me Let You Rock Me [Long Version] / Let Me Let You Rock Me"[17]
- 1988: "I'll Give You Love"
- 1988: "Pleasure"
- 1988: "Rock Steady"
- 1992: "7 Days 7 Nights"
- 1992: "Sex Or Love"
- 1992: "Here 4 U"[18]
Appears on
[edit]- 1987: Beverly Hills Cop II (soundtrack)[19]
- 2001: Crush by Richard Elliot[20]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Swensson, Andrea (March 8, 2018). "20 pioneering women in Minnesota music". The Current. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "Sue Ann Carwell | Credits". Rate Your Music. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "Sue Ann Carwell | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ "Chaka Khan & Rufus - I'm A Woman Reaction". The True Rock And Roll Podcast – via YouTube.
- ^ "Carwell Sue Ann". ASCAP | Repertory. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "Sue Ann Carwell". RYM. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "Purple Snow — An Introduction to the Twin Cities Sound". Numero Group | Stories. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ Barendregt, Erwin (October 27, 2019). "Jesse Johnson – Verbal Penetration". A Pop Life. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "Associated artists & people | Sue Anne Carwell". Prince.org. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "Early Prince side projects that never got off the Ground". Lipstick Alley. August 24, 2020. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "Fascinating early Prince side projects that never got off the ground". Dangerous Minds. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ Rain, Casey (February 9, 2019). "An Introduction to Jesse Johnson — #PrinceCelebration2019". The Violet Reality. Retrieved December 27, 2024 – via Medium.
- ^ Carwell, Sue Ann. "Sue Ann". RY. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ Sue Ann. "Blue Velvet". RYM. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ Carwell, Sue Ann. "Painkiller". RYM. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "Blues In My Sunshine" at Discogs.
- ^ "Let Me Let You Rock Me". princevault.com. Retrieved December 26, 2024.
- ^ "Here 4 U" at AllMusic.
- ^ "Beverly Hills Cop II". RYM. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ Elliot, Richard. "Crush". RYM. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
Further reading
[edit]- "Prince, Alexander O’Neal and Husker Du – 'Purple Snow: Forecasting The Minneapolis Sound'", blackcountryrock.co. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
External links
[edit]- Sue Ann – Sue Ann Carwell (1981)", Beatopolis, September 14, 2016.