Mary Ann (Ray Charles song)
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| "Mary Ann" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Ray Charles | ||||
| Released | 1956 | |||
| Genre | Rhythm & blues, blues | |||
| Length | 2:48 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Ray Charles | |||
| Ray Charles singles chronology | ||||
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"Mary Ann" is a song written and performed by Ray Charles and released in 1956 as a single on the Atlantic Records label. It was the fourth Ray Charles song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Best Selling Rhythm & Blues chart. The song is set to a Latin beat, but switches into a swing rhythm, an alternation that adds fun for the dancers.[1] It has been described as "a sexy blues,"[1] and "a lightly lascivious tune."[2]
The song was written about Mary Ann Fisher (1923–2004),[3] a singer who had recently joined Charles band as a featured vocalist in his touring shows. Despite Charles' marriage, the two became lovers, and Fisher appears on a number of his Atlantic recordings. Fisher left Ray Charles in 1958 after he had added the Raelettes, formerly the Cookies, as female vocal backup to his band.[4][5][6][7]
