Inez Foxx -

Inez Foxx (September 9, 1937 – August 25, 2022) was an American soul singer from Greensboro, NC. She recorded early sides as Inez Johnston before she reached the pop and R&B charts with “Mockingbird,” a clipped call-and-response duet with her brother Charlie Foxx. The pair followed with the charting singles “Ask Me” and “Hurt By Love” and the albums Mockingbird, Inez & Charlie Foxx, and Come By Here. Foxx later recorded At Memphis, which produced the R&B-chart entries “I Had A Talk With My Man” and “Circuit’s Overloaded.”

Background

Inez Foxx was born Inez Rebecca Fox on September 9, 1937, in Greensboro, North Carolina. Inez sang with her family at a local Baptist church in Greensboro. She attended Dudley High School, then joined older brother Charlie Fox in the Gospel Tide Chorus after graduation. Foxx sang with the group on the southern church circuit.

Local impresario Charles Fuller heard Foxx with the chorus and steered her toward a solo act. The siblings left Greensboro for New York City in 1959 after their parents objected to the trip.

In fall 1960, Brunswick Records issued “A Feeling (That I Can’t Explain)” (b/w “Big Bad Betsy”) under the Inez Johnston name. During summer 1961, Brunswick followed with “Change of Heart” (b/w “Why Did Ya”) as her second single. Foxx and Charlie built a duo act and adopted the double-x stage surname. In early 1963, the siblings approached Sue Records owner Henry “Juggy” Murray outside the Turf restaurant in Manhattan.

Mockingbird

Inez Foxx released her debut album, Mockingbird, in 1963 on Symbol.

The album presents a twelve-song soul program with short vocal exchanges, clipped refrains, and compact two-minute forms, performed by singer Inez Foxx with guitarist-vocalist Charlie Foxx and arranger-conductor Bert Keyes. Charlie Foxx wrote or co-wrote ten selections, including six songs with Inez Foxx.

“Mockingbird” snaps through syllabic vocal tradeoffs, with Inez riding the upper lead while Charlie answers in a low recited line. “Hurt By Love” throws Inez into a scolding lead while Charlie circles her phrases with short chant replies.

“La De Da I Love You” claps out of its intro, then breaks into staccato percussion turns and a hard saxophone line. “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush” recasts a nursery-rhyme text through brisk vocal trade. “Broken Hearted Fool” stretches Inez across a jagged rhythm track drawn from the “Mockingbird” pattern.

A1. “Mockingbird” (2:38) – I. Foxx, C. Foxx
A2. “Sitting Here” (2:42) – C. Foxx
A3. “The Ball Game” (2:52) – C. Foxx
A4. “Confusion” (2:45) – I. Foxx, C. Foxx, Murray
A5. “Tom And Jim” (2:48) – C. Foxx
A6. “Jaybirds” (2:24) – I. Foxx, C. Foxx

B1. “I See You My Love” (2:56) – Keyes, Mosley
B2. “Broken Hearted Fool” (2:17) – C. Foxx
B3. “The Angels Got Together” (2:40) – Schroeder
B4. “Searching For My C.C.” (2:07) – I. Foxx, C. Foxx
B5. “Love Me Today” (2:49) – I. Foxx, C. Foxx
B6. “Talk With Me” (3:05) – C. Foxx

Producer Juggy Murray issued Mockingbird through Symbol, a Sue Records subsidiary. The album appeared in monaural form as Symbol SYM-4400.

Symbol lifted “Mockingbird” as a June 1963 single (b/w “Jaybirds”), which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the U.S. R&B chart. “He’s The One You Love” followed in September 1963 (b/w “Broken Hearted Fool”), “Hi Diddle Diddle” followed in October 1963 (b/w “Talk With Me”), and “Ask Me” followed in December 1963 (b/w “I See You My Love”).

UK Sue issued Mockingbird as ILP 911 on July 3, 1964, with a revised Inez & Charlie Foxx sequence that combined seven selections from the U.S. Symbol Mockingbird LP with later Symbol single sides, including “Ask Me,” “Hurt By Love,” “Hi Diddle Diddle,” and “He’s The One You Love.” A separate United Artists UK Mockingbird compilation followed in 1969 with a different running order and track selection.

Inez & Charlie Foxx

Inez & Charlie Foxx released their self-titled album in April 1965 on Sue.

The album presents twelve compact soul sides with clipped duet answers, repeated refrains, and nursery-rhyme-derived text patterns, performed by singer Inez Foxx and guitarist-vocalist Charlie Foxx. The album contains seven Charlie Foxx songs and two Inez–Charlie Foxx co-writes. Inez Foxx wrote “La De Da I Love You.” Jimmy Oliver wrote “My Momma Told Me,” and Windsor King wrote “Ask Me.”

“Don’t Do It No More” saunters on a mid-tempo backbeat, with Inez placing a restrained lead over low-key group replies. “I Fancy You” quickens the step, with Charlie carrying the lead while Inez answers across a bare riff and a brief guitar break. “Hurt By Love” scolds through a heated lead, with Charlie circling the line in short chant replies.

“La De Da I Love You” claps out of its opening and snaps through staccato breaks before a honking saxophone line. “Mulberry Bush” recasts nursery-rhyme text through brisk call-response phrasing. “Mockingbird” sets Inez in an upper lead against Charlie’s low recitation, then twists the refrain through syllabic handoffs.

A1. “My Momma Told Me” (2:31) – Oliver
A2. “I Fancy You” (2:26) – C. Foxx
A3. “Hurt By Love” (2:28) – C. Foxx
A4. “Don’t Do It No More” (2:27) – C. Foxx
A5. “La De Da I Love You” (2:22) – I. Foxx
A6. “Ask Me” (2:40) – King

B1. “Down By the Seashore” (2:28) – C. Foxx
B2. “Mulberry Bush” (2:14) – C. Foxx
B3. “I Wanna See My Baby” (2:26) – C. Foxx
B4. “If I Need Anyone (Let It Be You)” (2:15) – C. Foxx
B5. “Jaybirds” (2:24) – I. Foxx, C. Foxx
B6. “Mockingbird” (2:24) – I. Foxx, C. Foxx

Sue issued Inez & Charlie Foxx in monaural and stereo form as LP 1037 and STLP 1037.

Symbol issued “Hurt By Love” as an April 1964 single (b/w “Confusion”), which reached No. 54 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 12 on the Billboard R&B chart.

The label followed with “La De Da I Love You” in September 1964 (b/w “Yankee Doodle Dandy”). Sue issued “I Feel Alright” in March 1965 (b/w “My Momma Told Me”).

In March 1965, Symbol issued the standalone single “I Feel Alright” (b/w “My Momma Told Me”), followed in 1966 with “Hummingbird” (b/w “If I Need Someone”), another non-album A-side from the late Symbol period.

Come By Here

Inez & Charlie Foxx released their second album, Come By Here, in 1967 on Dynamo.

The track sequence pairs Foxx/Dixon material with Wini Scott’s “My Special Prayer” and Billy Butler with Jerry Butler on “I Stand Accused.” Inez Foxx and Luther Dixon share five credits; Barbara Gaskins appears on two of those credits, and Thom Bell appears on one credit.

“Come By Here” swings through a danceable call-and-response pattern, with the title phrase tied to a chant-like refrain. “No Stranger To Love” leans into a solo-led ballad line, with Inez carrying the vocal weight without the duo trade.

“Tightrope” thumps from a hard opening beat, then locks the sibling voices into a tight vocal duel over bass and sharp horn punctuation. “My Special Prayer” slows the motion, with piano figures under Inez as the vocal drops into a lower register and swells near the close. “Baby Take It All” belongs to the album’s direct, lesser-known duo material, while “I Stand Accused” and “Guilty” extend the set into accusation-and-answer song drama

A1. “Come By Here” (2:43) – Gaskins, I. Foxx, Dixon
A2. “My Special Prayer” (2:51) – Scott
A3. “Tightrope” (2:35) – C. Foxx
A4. “No Stranger to Love” (3:15) – Gaskins, I. Foxx, Dixon
A5. “Baby Take It All” (2:46) – C. Foxx

B1a. “Part 1 – I Stand Accused” (3:03) – B. Butler, J. Butler
B1b. “Part 2 – Guilty” (3:11) – I. Foxx, Dixon
B2. “Undecided” (2:57) – C. Foxx, I. Foxx
B3. “Never Love a Robin” (2:11) – I. Foxx, Dixon, Bell
B4. “A Stranger I Didn’t Know” (3:26) – C. Foxx
B5. “I Love You 1000 Times” (3:23) – I. Foxx, Dixon

Luther Dixon produced Come By Here for Dynamo. Dynamo issued the album in the United States as DS 8000.

Musicor issued “No Stranger To Love” as a September 1966 single (b/w “Come By Here”), which reached No. 49 on the Billboard R&B chart. Dynamo lifted “Tightrope” as a March 1967 single (b/w “Baby Take It All”). “I Stand Accused” followed in May 1967 (b/w “Guilty”) and reached No. 41 on the Billboard R&B chart.

1967–1972 Singles

Dynamo extended the Inez & Charlie Foxx run after Come By Here with “You Are the Man” in July 1967 (b/w “Hard to Get”). “(1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count The Days” followed in November 1967 (b/w “A Stranger I Don’t Know (Wish It Was You)”), pairing a non-album A-side with a retitled Come By Here selection.

The label issued “I Ain’t Going for That” in March 1968 (b/w “Undecided”) and “Vaya Con Dios” in May 1968 (b/w “Fellows In Vietnam”). Dynamo followed with “Come On In” in October 1968 (b/w “Baby Drop a Dime”), “Baby Give It To Me” in January 1969 (b/w “You Fixed My Heartache”), and “We Got a Chance to Be Free” in April 1969 (b/w “Speed Ticket”).

Inez Foxx continued on Dynamo as a solo act with “North Carolina (South Carolina)” in August 1969 (b/w “I Got It”). The label issued “You Shouldn’t Have Set My Soul On Fire” in November 1970 (b/w “Live for Today”).

She surfaced on Volt with the September 1972 single “You Hurt Me for the Last Time” (b/w “Watch the Dog (That Brings the Bone)”).

At Memphis

Inez Foxx released her second album, At Memphis, in 1973 on Volt.

The album presents a nine-song Southern soul program with ballads, mid-tempo sides, and Memphis vocal settings, performed by singer Inez Foxx. The album contains one Foxx original, one Foxx–Mack Rice co-write, two songs by James Banks, Henderson Thigpen, and Eddie Marion, and three songs by Randy Stewart and Willie Hall with outside co-writers.

“Let Me Down Easy” leans into a low-lit ballad stance, with Foxx placing the vocal close to the lyric and holding the line against a restrained backing. “You Don’t Want My Love (All You Want Is My Loving)” rolls at a brisk pace while the strings add a clean upper line behind Foxx.

“The Lady, the Doctor and the Prescription” layers verse after verse over a mid-tempo step, then closes with Foxx in a firmer declarative vocal stance. “The Time” returns the album to ballad weight, with Foxx using a measured lead in place of vocal display. “Mousa Muse” functions as spoken interview material, so it does not need song-level musical annotation.

A1. “There’s a Hand That’s Reaching Out” (4:05) – Banks, Thigpen, Marion
A2. “Let Me Down Easy” (3:36) – Ford, McDougal
A3. “Crossing Over the Bridge” (2:54) – Foxx, Rice
A4. “I Had a Talk With My Man” (4:35) – Davis, Caston

B1. “You’re Saving Me for a Rainy Day” (3:41) – Stewart, Hall, Crutcher
B2. “You Don’t Want My Love (All You Want Is My Loving)” (2:39) – Banks, Thigpen, Marion
B3. “The Lady, the Doctor and the Prescription” (3:00) – Foxx
B4. “The Time” (3:58) – Washington
B5. “Mousa Muse” (3:50) – Allen, Stewart, Hall

Foxx recorded At Memphis in Memphis with producers Randy Stewart and Willie Hall. Volt issued the album in the United States as VOS-6022.

Volt issued “The Time” as a March 1973 single (b/w “One Woman’s Man”), pairing an album track with a non-album B-side.

“Crossing Over The Bridge” followed in July 1973 (b/w “You’re Saving Me For A Rainy Day”), and “I Had a Talk With My Man” followed in November 1973 (b/w “The Lady, The Doctor And The Prescription”). “I Had a Talk With My Man” reached No. 74 on the Billboard R&B chart.

Volt issued “Circuit’s Overloaded” in March 1974 (b/w “There’s A Hand That’s Reaching Out”), pairing a non-album A-side with a selection from At Memphis.

Postlude

Foxx left the music industry after she declined “Woman to Woman,” a Stax-era song that Shirley Brown took to No. 1 on the R&B chart in 1974. Her name remained in circulation through reissues, licensing, and the continuing life of “Mockingbird,” but Foxx did not return to recording or public performance.

Ace Records reissued her solo recordings on At Memphis & More in 1990 and later compiled the Sue and Dynamo sides by Inez and Charlie Foxx on The Dynamo Duo. Foxx rejected offers from the oldies and northern-soul circuits and lived quietly in Compton. She died on August 25, 2022, at age eighty-four.

After his 1969 break from Inez, Charlie Foxx moved to Mobile, Alabama, and produced regional soul singles for his Tee Off label. In 1995, the siblings made their first joint-public appearance in 26 years at the Rhythm ’n’ Blues Foundation Awards at the Hollywood Palladium. Charlie Foxx died in Mobile on September 18, 1998.

Discography: