Ann Cole
| Ann Cole | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Cynthia Coleman |
| Born |
January 29, 1934 Newark, New Jersey, United States |
| Died | November 1986 (aged 52) Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Genres | Soul, R&B, gospel |
| Occupation(s) | singer |
| Years active | 1949–1962 |
| Labels | Timely, Apollo, Baton, Sir, MGM, Roulette |
| Associated acts | Colemanaires |
Ann Cole (January 24 or 29, 1934 – November 1986), born Cynthia Coleman, was an American R&B and gospel singer who has been described as "a genuinely great soul singer who had the misfortune to be too far ahead of her time". She had several minor hits in the late 1950s and early 1960s, but is now most noted as the original performer of "Got My Mojo Working", later popularised by Muddy Waters.
She was born in Newark, New Jersey; her father Wallace and her uncles were members of a spiritual vocal group, the Coleman Brothers. In 1949, she formed her own singing group, the Colemanaires, with Joe Walker, Sam Walker, and Wesley Johnson. They toured throughout the US, with Cynthia as lead singer, and released several gospel records in 1953-54 on the Timely and Apollo labels. She released her first secular recordings on the Timely label in 1954, using the pseudonym "Ann Cole", and performed as a singer and pianist in bars around New York City and New Jersey. There, she was discovered by Sol Rabinowitz who was establishing a new company, Baton Records. Her first recording for Baton, a cover version of Sheb Wooley's country song "Are You Satisfied?", featuring guitar work by Mickey Baker, reached no. 10 on the Billboard R&B chart in early 1956. Later that year, she was voted the Most Promising Female R&B Vocals by Cash Box magazine. Her fourth single for Baton, "In The Chapel", on which she was backed by vocal group the Suburbans, also reached the R&B chart, in 1957.
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