THE HONEY CONE

Edna Wright’s father was the Bishop J.W. Wright of the King’s Holiness Chapel in Los Angeles. In 1960, she joined the COGIC (Church of God in Christ) Singers. Edna’s sister, Darlene Love, introduced her to producer Phil Spector. His associate, Jack Nitzsche, produced a 1964 single on which Wright sang lead: “Yes Sir, That’s My Baby,” credited to Hale & The Hushabyes. The group was actually a studio aggregation composed of Wright, Brian Wilson, Sonny & Cher, and Jackie DeShannon. From 1964-67, she recorded as Sandy Wynns. Wright later became a back-up singer for the Righteous Brothers, Johnny Rivers, and Ray Charles (as a Raelette).

At age sixteen, Carolyn Willis sang with the Girlfriends, whose 1963 single, “My One and Only Jimmy Boy,” reached #49 on the Billboard Hot 100. She also got session work with acts like Lou Rawls, O.C. Smith, and Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans. Wright and Willis also belonged to Darlene Love’s group, the Blossoms.

Shelly Clark was from Brooklyn, NY, and began singing at age six. She and brother released a 1957 LP on Columbia, Calypso Songs for Children. At age seven, she was in the Broadway musical, House of Flowers. In 1957, the Clarks relocated to L.A. There, Shelly was awarded a scholarship to the University of Southern California. She later joined the Ike & Tina Turner Revue as an Ikette, became a lead dancer touring with Little Richard and Dusty Springfield, and was a regular singer and dancer on The Jim Nabors Show starting in 1969.

Wright, Willis and Clark first appeared together on an Andy Williams TV special in 1968. Wright’s sister, Darlene Love, was scheduled to appear but couldn’t, so Wright filled in. She also asked songwriter-producer Eddie Holland to tune in. (Holland, along with his brother Brian and Lamont Dozier, had formed their own record company after leaving Motown.) Holland offered Wright a contract to his Hot Wax label as a solo act, but she preferred to be in a group. So Holland signed the trio, which he dubbed the Honey Cone after an ice cream flavor.

Though based in Los Angeles, the group recorded in Detroit. Their fifth and sixth releases gave the Honey Cone their two biggest hits. “Want Ads” went to #1 on both the Soul and pop charts in the summer of 1971, while “Stick Up” was a #1 Soul and #11 pop hit that fall. Both singles were certified Gold. The National Association of Television and Radio Announcers named the Honey Cone the Best Female Vocal Group of 1971. They also appeared on the cover of the September 1, 1971, issue of Jet magazine.

Their success continued into 1972, but Carolyn Willis became disenchanted with the group’s material and left the following year. When various replacements did not work out, the Honey Cone split up. Hot Wax, which had run into financial difficulties, soon went out of business as well.

In 1977, Edna Wright released released a solo album on RCA. She also did session work with Annie Lennox, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, and Darlene Love. She later performed with Melodye Perry (her daughter) and Latari Martin as Edna Wright & The Honey Cone. She died on September 12, 2020, at age 75.

Carolyn Willis performed on “Get Closer,” the 1976 hit by Seals & Crofts, and appeared on their live album, Sudan Village. She recorded ad jingles for companies like Toyota, American Airlines, and Max Factor, and became a production coordinator and casting director for Eddie Murphy Television.

Since 1980, Shelly Clark has been married to Verdine Wright of Earth, Wind & Fire. She, too, became a production coordinator and casting director for Eddie Murphy Television.

The Honey Cone attempted a reunion in the 1990s, but Willis backed out. They did, however, get back together in February 2014 for the Soul Train Cruise. On September 18, 2016, the Honey Cone were honored with the Unsung Heroine Award by the National Rhythm and Blues Music Society in Philadelphia. On September 24, 2017, Clark and Wright were honored with the Heroes and Legends (HAL) Award in Beverly Hills. And on January 8, 2021, the trio was inducted into the Soul Music Hall of Fame.

Charted singles:

“While You’re Out Looking for Sugar” (1969) R&B #26, Pop #62
“Girls It Ain’t Easy” (1969) R&B #8, Pop #68
“Take Me With You” (1970) R&B #28, Pop #108
“When Will It End” (1970) Pop #117
“Want Ads” (1971) R&B #1 (2 weeks), Pop #1 (1 week)
“Stick Up” (1971) R&B #1 (2 weeks), Pop #11
“One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show” (1971-72) R&B #5, Pop #15
“The Day I Found Myself” (1972) R&B #8, Pop #23
“Sittin’ on a Time Bomb (Waitin’ for the Hurt to Come)” (1972) R&B #33, Pop #96
“Innocent ‘Til Proven Guilty” (1972) R&B #37, Pop #101