b. Anita Ward, 20th December 1957, Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.A.
Anita Ward is an American Soul songstress, perhaps unfairly, associated with one highly commercial 1979 single, entitled ‘Ring My Bell’.
Anita attended Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, where, as a student, she achieved a degree in psychology.
She was later to become a teacher, before signing a recording contract.
Signing with Frederick Knight to the Juana Records imprint, Frederick suggested she might want to listen to a song, which had been originally intended for the artist Stacy Lattisaw.
Anita was not keen on the song, but was convinced to record it, following some gentle persuasion by Frederick.
Originally, the track contained some dubious lyrics, with the teenage market being targeted as a listening audience.
‘Ring My Bell’ was to later reach number one in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada in 1979.
A follow-up single (‘Ring My Bell’s flip side originally) entitled ‘Make Believe Lovers’, was released, without charting.
songs of love - 1979 / sweet surrender - 1980
A parent album was released, entitled ‘Songs Of Love’, mainly containing Southern Soul styled material, an album followed on by a second, entitled ’Sweet Surrender’ later the same year.
The album contained the single ‘Don't Drop My Love’, which reached number 87 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Although Anita’s albums were designed for the disco market, they were very much ‘deeper’ than the ‘Ring My Bell’ single might suggest.
A third disco album was in the process, however, due to contractual issues between Frederick and Anita, it was cancelled after only three of the songs had been recorded.
These tracks were later included on a reissue of her first album ‘Songs Of Love’.
Anita was later involved in a serious car accident, this, along with the ineviatble demise of the Disco genre, left the singer with the fate she originally feared.
In 1989, she released a third album entitled ‘Wherever There's Love’.
wherever there's love - 1989 / it's my night - 2011
The album featured the single ‘Be My Baby’, which was released in Australia.
Anita then took a break from the music industry, focusing on family matters.
On New Year's Eve 2002 Anita performed ‘Ring My Bell’ in New York City's Times Square.
On New Year's Eve 2005 she performed ‘Ring My Bell’ on Beale Street in Memphis.
In early 2011, Anita returned to the studio to start work on a new album titled 'It's My Night'.
Albums:
Songs Of Love (Juana Records 1979)
Sweet Surrender (Juana Records 1980)
Wherever There's Love (Phillips Records 1989)
It's My Night! (Unreleased 2011)
