Anita Ward
Anita Ward | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ward at the 2015 Miami International Film Festival presentation of The Record Man | |
| Background information | |
| Born | December 20, 1956[1] Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instrument(s) | Vocals |
| Years active | 1979–present |
| Labels | |
Anita Ward (born December 20, 1956
Early life and education
Ward was born in Memphis, Tennessee, United States.[3] Ward obtained a degree in psychology from Rust College[4] in Holly Springs, Mississippi.
Career
Ward was a schoolteacher before signing a recording contract.
While
Ward released a second album later in the year; it was common in the 1970s to release albums several months apart. The album, entitled Sweet Surrender, featured the minor hit "Don't Drop My Love", which peaked at No. 87 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.[3] The album, similar to Songs of Love, was disco-infused. A third disco album was in the works due to contractual issues between Knight and Ward, but was canceled after three songs had been recorded.[2] These songs were later included on low-budget compilations featuring Anita Ward's first album Songs of Love. These disputes with Knight, a severe car accident Ward later was in, and the fading appeal of disco music halted Ward's career, and she came to be regarded as a one-hit wonder, the fate she originally feared.[6]
Many years later, Ward recorded another album, 1989's Wherever There's Love. The album was recorded in the United States, but was only released internationally as it had no US distributor. The album was a departure from Ward's disco past but still contained mostly fast-tempo 1980s pop songs (including a re-recorded version of "Ring My Bell"), in addition to two ballads. It spawned one single "Be My Baby", which was released in Australia, but it did not chart there. After both the album and single "Be My Baby" failed to chart, Ward took another hiatus from the music industry, focusing on her family, including her daughter born shortly after the release of Wherever There's Love.
On New Year's Eve 2002, Ward performed "Ring My Bell" in New York City's
On January 23, 2024 Ward sang "Ring My Bell" at the
Discography
Albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Record label | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [8] |
US R&B [8] |
AUS [9] | ||||
| 1979 | Songs of Love | 8 | 2 | 73 | Juana Records | |
| Sweet Surrender | — | — | — | |||
| 1989 | Wherever There's Love | — | — | — | ||
| "—" denotes the album failed to chart | ||||||
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications
|
Record label | B-side | Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [10] |
US R&B [10] |
US Dance
[10] |
AUS [9][11] |
|||||||
| 1979 | "Ring My Bell" | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | Juana Records | "If I Could Feel That Old Feeling Again" | Songs of Love | |
| "Make Believe Lovers" | — | — | — | — | — | TK Records | "Spoiled by Your Love" | |||
| "Don't Drop My Love" | 87 | 52 | 26 | — | — | Juana Records | Sweet Surrender | |||
| 1980 | "Can't Nobody Love Me Like You Do" | — | — | — | — | — | "Caught Between a Good Thing and Good-Bye" | |||
| 1981 | "Cover Me" | — | — | — | — | — | "Can't Nobody Love Me Like You Do" | |||
| 1989 | "Be My Baby" | — | — | — | 164 | — | Virgin Records | "When a Woman Loves" | Wherever There's Love | |
| 1990 | "Ring My Bell" (UK reissue) | — | — | — | — | 99 | Non-album single | |||
| 2011 | "It's My Night" | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes the single failed to chart | ||||||||||
See also
- List of artists who reached number one in the United States
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance Club Songs chart
- List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States
- List of people from Memphis, Tennessee
- List of disco artists (A–E)
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
- List of one-hit wonders on the UK Singles Chart
References
- ISBN 9780857123602.
- ^ a b c d Prato, Greg. "Biography: Anita Ward". AllMusic. Retrieved April 15, 2010.
- ^ ISBN 0-85112-939-0.
- ^ "Anita 'Ring My Bell' Ward talks about life after one big hit". Wmcactionnews5.com. September 29, 2015. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
- ^ ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ Mezydlo, Jeff. "The biggest one-hit wonders from the 70s". Yardbarker.com. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ Harrison, Ja’Qaylin (November 14, 2021). "Revisiting 'Ring My Bell' with Anita Ward". uwfvoyager.com. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ a b "Anita Ward - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 15, 2015. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ a b c "Anita Ward Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ "Week commencing 9 October 1989". Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ "Anita Ward - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
- ^ "Anita Ward - Ring My Bell". bpi.co.uk. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
External links
- Anita Ward discography at Discogs
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