Sue Ann Carwell | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Sue Ann; Sueann Carwell |
| Born | Chicago,Illinois, U.S. |
| Genres | Minneapolis sound,funk,R&B,blues,pop,disco,jazz,country |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, vocals arranger |
| Years active | 1978–present |
Sue Ann Carwell, also known asSue Ann, is an American singer/songwriter whose career spans more than four decades, going back to when she was an early contributor to theMinneapolis sound pioneered byPrince in the late 1970s.[1] She recorded two albums in the 1980s –Sue Ann (1981) andBlue Velvet (1988) – with a third album, Painkiller, being released in 1992, and in 2010 an album of her original songs, calledBlues In My Sunshine, featuringJesse Johnson. In addition, Carwell has worked as a background singer with many prominent artists over the years.
Notable artists, songwriters and producers with whom Carwell has collaborated as vocalist or vocals arranger include Prince,Al Jarreau,George Benson,Lionel Richie,The Brecker Brothers,George Duke,Boney James,Bobby Brown,Britney Spears,Celine Dion,Cher,Christina Aguilera,Chanté Moore,David Foster,Shanice,Shola Ama,Jeff Golub,Jeff Lorber,Elvis Costello,Rod Stewart,Barbra Streisand,Nancy Wilson,Johnny Winter,Rebbie Jackson,Ronan Keating,Toni Braxton,LeAnn Rimes,Rollins Band,Hoku,Vitamin C,Zac Harmon,Oleta Adams,Mya,Kirk Whalum,Tony Toni Toné,CeCe Winans,Whitney Houston,Diane Warren,The Time, andRufus.[2][3][4] Carwell is also a prolific songwriter, whose compositions have been widely performed.[5]
Born inChicago,Illinois, Carwell as a young child moved with her family toSt. Paul, Minnesota.[6][7] She showed musical potential when she was very young,[8] and as a teenager she began singing on theMinneapolisR&B scene, winning talent shows, and working with musicians including funk bandFlyte Tyme, and the likes ofJesse Johnson.[1][9] After she was spotted singing at the Elks Club by bass guitaristAndré Cymone,[7]Prince attended one of her performances, and she became aprotégée of his; he produced her firstdemo tape,[10] but she resisted his suggestion that she used the name "Susie Stone",[7][11][12][13] and recordings Prince had been working on with her for a projected 1978 album ("I'm Saving It Up", "Make It Through the Storm", "Since We've Been Together" and "Wouldn't You Love To Love Me?") were not released.[14][15][16]
In 1981, aged 19, Carwell released a debut album, self-titledSue Ann, onWarner Bros. Records.[1] Her second album,Blue Velvet (1988), also released using the name Sue Ann, was produced byJesse Johnson;[16] as noted by reviewer Justin Kantor, the album "offers generous portions of a tasty entree ... in gems like the down 'n dirty 'Fiction'; the melodic, midtempo 'Pleasure' ; and the serene, rhythmic ballad 'I'll Give You Love.' A true vocal chameleon, Sue Ann plays the sassy, no-holds-barred street diva on 'Fiction,' while she's sultry and jazzy on the Robert Brookins-produced 'Pleasure,' and straightforward and sensitive on 'I'll Give You Love.'[17]
Reviewing Carwell's 1992 album,Painkiller (for which her full name was used),AllMusic said that it "effectively showcases her as a sassy soul diva", describing it as "an impressive offering".[18]
In 2010, she released what theSanta Monica Mirror described as "a superb blues album of original songs":[19]Blues In My Sunshine, featuring Jesse Johnson ofThe Time.[20] The album was characterised byCasey Rain as "phenomenal".[16]
Carwell has featured as vocalist and vocal arranger on such notable recordings asCeline Dion's 1996 single "Because You Loved Me" (written byDiane Warren and produced byDavid Foster), which receivedGrammy Award nominations including forBest Female Pop Vocal Performance.[39]