by Steve HueyA native of South Carolina, Southern soul singer Ann Sexton could croon a smooth ballad or handle the rough, funked-up style that was the hallmark of her region. Sexton recorded mostly for small labels during the 70s, including Impel and Dash, and did the majority of her work for the Sound Stage 7/77 family. Her biggest chart single was 1973s Youre Gonna Miss Me, which just barely made the R&B Top 50. Funky singles like Youre Losing Me and Youve Been Gone Too Long later became popular on Britains so-called Northern soul scene, but she also recorded some smoother-sounding ballads, including the 1977 R&B chart single Im His Wife (Youre Just a Friend). Sound Stage 7 issued one Sexton LP, The Beginning, while the U.K. label Charly compiled some of her single sides as Love Trials in 1986. Charly later issued the more comprehensive CD-era collection Youre Gonna Miss Me in 1995.