Biography
Although Edna Wright earned her primary recognition across four years spent fronting the vocal trio Honey Cone, the Los Angeles native already carried an extensive résumé prior to assembling that ensemble and sustained her musical involvement well after the group dissolved. Born in Los Angeles in 1944, Wright was the younger sister of vocalist Darlene Love, whose early-’60s successes came with Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans. Like her sibling, Wright belonged to the L.A.-based vocal collective the Blossoms and, despite gospel training, concentrated her career on secular R&B. During the 1960s, she performed gospel material with the Church of God in Christ Singers, yet the bulk of her output remained secular. Before Honey Cone, Wright supplied backing vocals for Ray Charles and the Righteous Brothers; she also issued a solo single under the alias Sandy Wynns, recording “A Touch of Venus” for Champion. The track never achieved national prominence, though it registered a modest regional success in Southern California.
Wright’s most celebrated chapter began in 1969 when she assembled Honey Cone and recruited Shellie Clark, born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1943, alongside Carolyn Willis, born in Los Angeles, California, in 1946. Both newcomers arrived with established credits: Clark had previously sung with Ike & Tina Turner’s Ikettes, while Willis, like Darlene Love, had performed with Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans. Only months after forming, the trio attracted producer and songwriter Eddie Holland, who, together with Lamont Dozier and brother Brian Holland, constituted the renowned Holland-Dozier-Holland team. Having recently departed Motown—where they had crafted major hits for the Four Tops, the Supremes, the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, the Isley Brothers, and others—Holland-Dozier-Holland launched the Detroit-based Hot Wax/Invictus labels, conceived as sister imprints comparable to Stax and Volt in Memphis. Intending to replicate Berry Gordy’s Motown model, they sought Detroit-inflected talent, and Honey Cone’s blend of sweetness and grit, shaped by Motown predecessors such as Martha & the Vandellas and the Marvelettes, aligned perfectly. The group became Hot Wax’s inaugural act, and their debut single, “While You’re Out Looking for Sugar,” marked the label’s first release. Although the record did not become a blockbuster, it reached number 26 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and number 62 on the pop singles chart.
Subsequent releases fared better. “Girls, It Ain’t Easy” climbed to number eight on the R&B chart in 1969, and in 1971 Honey Cone scored their signature success when “Want Ads”—later covered by dance-pop and adult-contemporary artist Taylor Dayne in 1988—attained number one on both the R&B and pop charts. Additional hits included “Stick Up,” which topped the R&B chart while peaking at number 11 on the pop side; the ballad “The Day I Found Myself”; and the Latin-tinged “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” which attained number five on the R&B chart and number 15 on the pop chart. Despite this commercial peak between 1969 and 1972, activity waned in 1973. None of the singles issued that year achieved significant chart placement, and Hot Wax/Invictus itself encountered severe financial strain. Even with a roster that encompassed Freda Payne, the Chairmen of the Board, 100 Proof (Aged in Soul), and Laura Lee, the company struggled with cash flow, reportedly unable to collect from independent distributors. Discouraged by declining sales, Honey Cone disbanded in 1973; Hot Wax/Invictus ceased operations the following year.
Freed to pursue solo work, Wright released her debut album, Oops! Here I Go Again, on RCA in 1976. Although the LP sold modestly, it later acquired cult status in England, remaining a sought-after collectible among enthusiasts of 1970s soul vinyl. Wright recorded few additional solo projects but contributed background vocals for Kim Carnes, U2, and Andrae Crouch during the 1980s and for Maria McKee of Lone Justice and Aaron Neville during the 1990s. Edna Wright died on September 12, 2020, at age 76 following a heart attack.
Wright’s most celebrated chapter began in 1969 when she assembled Honey Cone and recruited Shellie Clark, born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1943, alongside Carolyn Willis, born in Los Angeles, California, in 1946. Both newcomers arrived with established credits: Clark had previously sung with Ike & Tina Turner’s Ikettes, while Willis, like Darlene Love, had performed with Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans. Only months after forming, the trio attracted producer and songwriter Eddie Holland, who, together with Lamont Dozier and brother Brian Holland, constituted the renowned Holland-Dozier-Holland team. Having recently departed Motown—where they had crafted major hits for the Four Tops, the Supremes, the Miracles, Marvin Gaye, the Isley Brothers, and others—Holland-Dozier-Holland launched the Detroit-based Hot Wax/Invictus labels, conceived as sister imprints comparable to Stax and Volt in Memphis. Intending to replicate Berry Gordy’s Motown model, they sought Detroit-inflected talent, and Honey Cone’s blend of sweetness and grit, shaped by Motown predecessors such as Martha & the Vandellas and the Marvelettes, aligned perfectly. The group became Hot Wax’s inaugural act, and their debut single, “While You’re Out Looking for Sugar,” marked the label’s first release. Although the record did not become a blockbuster, it reached number 26 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and number 62 on the pop singles chart.
Subsequent releases fared better. “Girls, It Ain’t Easy” climbed to number eight on the R&B chart in 1969, and in 1971 Honey Cone scored their signature success when “Want Ads”—later covered by dance-pop and adult-contemporary artist Taylor Dayne in 1988—attained number one on both the R&B and pop charts. Additional hits included “Stick Up,” which topped the R&B chart while peaking at number 11 on the pop side; the ballad “The Day I Found Myself”; and the Latin-tinged “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” which attained number five on the R&B chart and number 15 on the pop chart. Despite this commercial peak between 1969 and 1972, activity waned in 1973. None of the singles issued that year achieved significant chart placement, and Hot Wax/Invictus itself encountered severe financial strain. Even with a roster that encompassed Freda Payne, the Chairmen of the Board, 100 Proof (Aged in Soul), and Laura Lee, the company struggled with cash flow, reportedly unable to collect from independent distributors. Discouraged by declining sales, Honey Cone disbanded in 1973; Hot Wax/Invictus ceased operations the following year.
Freed to pursue solo work, Wright released her debut album, Oops! Here I Go Again, on RCA in 1976. Although the LP sold modestly, it later acquired cult status in England, remaining a sought-after collectible among enthusiasts of 1970s soul vinyl. Wright recorded few additional solo projects but contributed background vocals for Kim Carnes, U2, and Andrae Crouch during the 1980s and for Maria McKee of Lone Justice and Aaron Neville during the 1990s. Edna Wright died on September 12, 2020, at age 76 following a heart attack.
Albums
