Honey Cone

The vocal trio Honey Cone brought together Edna Wright, Carolyn Willis, and Shellie Clark. Although the lineup lasted only four years, the women ranked among the strongest female soul acts of the early 1970s. Lead singer Wright assembled the group in Los Angeles in 1968, yet its recordings drew from the Northern soul tradition, particularly the Detroit style. Key influences included Martha & the Vandellas and the Marvelettes, two female ensembles that defined the Motown sound of the 1960s. The trio, known for mixing sweetness with grit, collaborated closely with former Motown producer-songwriters Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Eddie Holland.

Before linking with the Holland/Dozier/Holland team, each member already possessed substantial industry experience. Willis, born in 1946 in Los Angeles, California, had sung with Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans, whose 1960s hits encompassed “Why Do Lovers Break Each Other’s Heart?” and “Not Too Young to Get Married.” Clark, born in 1943 in Brooklyn, New York, previously belonged to the Ikettes, Ike & Tina Turner’s female backing vocalists. Wright, born in 1944 in Los Angeles, California, had performed with the Blossoms; her older sister, singer-actress Darlene Love, also served in both Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans and the Blossoms while maintaining a solo career. Wright herself issued solo material during the 1960s, including the Champion single “A Touch of Venus” issued under the name Sandy Wynns, which achieved modest regional success in Southern California. Raised in the Church of God in Christ, she sang gospel with the Church of God in Christ Singers before concentrating on secular R&B.

Within months of forming, Wright, Clark, and Willis attracted Eddie Holland’s notice in 1969; he supplied the name Honey Cone. The prolific Holland/Dozier/Holland team, responsible for numerous Motown successes, had recently departed that label to establish the Detroit-based Hot Wax/Invictus imprint, and Honey Cone became its inaugural act. The group’s debut single, the 1969 track “While You’re Out Looking for Sugar,” also marked Hot Wax’s first release. Although the strongly Motown-flavored number reached number 26 on Billboard’s R&B singles chart and number 62 on its pop singles chart, it provided a solid beginning for the fledgling company. The follow-up, “Girls, It Ain’t Easy,” likewise echoed the Motown aesthetic and climbed to number eight on the R&B chart.

Honey Cone then scored its largest successes. Issued in late 1970, the catchy “Want Ads,” later covered by Taylor Dayne in 1988, gained traction slowly, taking four months to register on either Billboard or Cash Box. Once it broke through, however, the song ascended to number one on both the R&B and pop charts. In 1971 the trio returned to the top of the R&B list with “Stick Up,” which peaked at number 11 on the pop side. Additional 1972 hits included the ballad “The Day I Found Myself” and the Latin-tinged “One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show,” the latter reaching number five R&B and number 15 pop. Momentum faded in 1973: none of the three Hot Wax singles—“If I Can’t Fly,” “The Truth Will Come Out,” and “Ace in the Hole”—achieved major chart impact. Despite strong sales from Honey Cone, Freda Payne, 100 Proof Aged in Soul, Laura Lee, and the Chairmen of the Board, Hot Wax/Invictus encountered severe cash-flow difficulties that year, reportedly because independent distributors failed to remit payments. Honey Cone disbanded in 1973; the label ceased operations the next year.

Wright subsequently recorded the solo album Oops! Here I Go Again for RCA in 1976. All five Honey Cone LPs—Honey Cone (1969), Take Me with You (1970), Sweet Replies (1971), Soulful Tapestry (1971), and Love, Peace & Soul (1972)—went out of print when the company folded. Fantasy’s 1990 compilation Greatest Hits gathered the group’s principal singles across fourteen tracks, while Castle’s 2001 anthology Soulful Sugar assembled forty-five selections. Founding member Edna Wright died on September 12, 2020, after suffering a heart attack at age 76.