Ann Cole

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.

Life and career

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 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.

Dignity (album)

Dignity is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Hilary Duff. It was released on March 21, 2007, by Hollywood Records. After launching her third record Hilary Duff (2004), she experienced an eventful personal life, including a stalking incident, her parents' separation, and breaking up with her boyfriend. Consequently, Duff assumed an integral position in its production, co-writing almost every track with longtime collaborator Kara DioGuardi instead of her previously-limited involvement.

Duff was musically inspired by indie rock band The Faint and pop singers Beyoncé and Gwen Stefani. In contrast to the pop rock themes of her prior releases, Dignity takes on more of a dance sound, which she said was not her intention while writing the album. The lyrics reference the events Duff experienced in the years leading to the album's release, and the album's songs contain influences of rock and roll and hip hop music.

Critical response was mostly positive; the album was praised for its songwriting and her new musical direction. Upon release, Dignity debuted at number three in the US, a lower peak than Duff's previous albums and with lower sales, which Billboard attributed to the loss of fans during her musical evolution. Despite this, it produced Duff's highest-peaking US single to date, "With Love" (number 24), and two US number one club hits. The album has reached the top ten in several countries and was certified Gold in the US by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Gypsy Woman

Gypsy Woman may refer to:

Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)

"Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" (also released as "Gypsy Woman (La da dee la da da)") is a house music song by American singer Crystal Waters. It was written by Neal Conway, Nathaniel S. Hardy, Jr. and Waters and is the first single from her 1991 debut album, Surprise. The song includes the chorus of "La da dee, la da da" and a much-sampled organ refrain.

Slant Magazine ranked the song 48th in its 100 greatest dance songs list, adding: "'Gypsy Woman' sets its portrait of a crusty, haphazardly made-up bag lady begging dementedly on street corners to the Basement Boys' unforgivingly brutish, mongoloid thump."

Chart performances

It peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and at number two in the UK Singles Chart, and it went to number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play Chart.

When the song was descending the charts, it appeared on the benefit album Red Hot + Dance in a new incarnation mixed by Joey Negro, who took the song into a new musical direction.