Edna Wright (aka Sandy Wynns) (The Honey Cone) - A Profile

Edna Wright (2 Feb 1945 - 12 Sep 2020) was born in Los Angeles and had most success as the founder and lead singer of a girl group trio, Honey Cone, formed in L.A. in 1968 who were signed by Holland, Dozier, Holland to their Hot Wax label of which Eddie Holland was the president and sole shareholder.

They had a Hot 100 and R&B #1 hit with "Want Ads" and a R&B #1 with the follow up "Stick Up" in 1971. The trio achieved a total of nine R&B Top 40 hits, five of them Top 10, between 1969-1972. In that time they released four albums and another ("When Will It End") that remained unreleased.

Wright was the younger sister of Darlene Wright (who used the stage name Darlene Love) and began singing aged 15 for The COGIC (Church of God in Christ) Singers which included amongst its members Gloria Jones, Billy Preston, Sondra Williams (aka Blinky) and Andraé Crouch.  She made her recording debut through her sister who introduced her to Phil Spector and she sang on a single "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" by Hale and the Hushabyes which was an alias for Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), Sonny & Cher and Jackie DeShannon.

She released five singles as Sandy Wynns. Her first "The Touch Of Venus" (initially released on Doc and then Champion, bootlegged on O.O.T.P. and even got a UK issue on Fontana and an Australian issue on Phillips) has been regarded as a Northern Soul classic 'forever'. It was recorded, but not released, by Marvin Gaye until it appeared on the "Motown Unreleased 1964" compilation and another previously unreleased version by Patrice Holloway surfaced on a 2002 compilation. Patrice was the younger sister of Brenda Holloway and was an in-demand session singer in L.A. and released a handful of singles mainly on Capitol between 1966-72, although she did have an earlier one on Motown's V.I.P. in 1963 after a release on Taste the same year when she was just 12 years old. She also recorded as part of trio Josie & The Pussycats which included Charlie's Angels actress Cheryl Ladd and also as The Belles on Mirwood, with her sister Brenda and Sherlie Matthews, as well as The Sequins on Renfro and a few others.

The song was written by Ed Cobb and arranged by Lincoln Mayorga and the backing track has some connection to the Motown's west coast operation as it was published by Jobete Music (Motown's publishing company) produced by Hal Davis and Marc Gordon. 

An unissued 8" Gold Star Recording Studios acetate by Charlotte O'Hara was unearthed in Oct 2020 when her daughter was sorting through her mother's musical artefacts. Thanks to Anthony Reichardt who posted it on his excellent YouTube channel which specialises in Gold Star recordings (video below).  Charlotte's real name was Charlotte Ann Matheny who was Bonnie in Bonnie & The Treasures, a trio of Bonnie (Charlotte), Sherlie Matthews and Clydie King who released just two singles, one on Phi-Dan in 1965 and another on Pablo in 1966. By the second single Matthews and King were replaced by Marva Holiday and Nancy Padròn as their services were in demand as session singers. Charlotte recorded under various other aliases. You can find a good article about her on SpectroPop if interested  in finding out more.

Also, a Doc acetate instrumental version credited to Lincoln Mayorga & His Orchestra turned up, Anthony says in 2013, but I'm sure I have a CDR with it on given to me by the late UK rare soul DJ Tony Warot around 2000, so it may have been known about long before.

She also recorded one single, "Meet Me At Midnight" / "Sir Galahad", for Era subsidiary In-Sound as Cindy Lynn & The In-Sounds in Oct 1967. It was reissued by Outta Sight in 2014 paired with another In-Sound recording "I Get A Feeling" by Bonnie & Clyde who Discogs states was Brenda Holloway and Robert D. Jackson who was Gloria Jones' brother. They recorded the song in 1963 on Era as The Soul-Mates but is a slightly different to be a different mix. (Thanks to the anonymous comment as we originally missed this one). 

Edna then became a backing vocalist for the Righteous Brothers, Johnny Rivers and Ray Charles with Charles asking her to join his resident backing group The Raelettes which included many notable members over the years including Minnie Riperton, Merry Clayton, Clydie King, Marilyn McCoo and Mable John to name a few.

Fate was in her favour when she stood in for sister Darlene who wasn't able to make an appearance on an Andy Williams TV special in 1968. She asked friends Carolyn Willis and Shelly Clark to join her and invited Holland, Dozier and Holland to watch the show. They were impressed and asked her to sign to Hot Wax as a solo artist but she preferred to be in a group so all three were signed and became The Honey Cone.

Whilst at Hot Wax she met Greg Perry, who co-wrote and produced many of The Honey Cone's recordings with General Johnson (Chairmen Of The Board), and they married.

Willis left The Honey Cone in 1973 and they tried to replace her but none of the new members fitted in well enough so they disbanded the same year. Hot Wax was in financial difficulty and folded not long afterwards although there was an effort to resurrect the label in 1976 and they released a single by The Honey Cone in 1977 with none of the original members.

The same year Wright released her only solo album "Oops! Here I Go Again" on RCA Victor. Husband Perry co-wrote all of the songs, mainly with Angelo Bond, and also arranged and produced the album which included some of Detroit's well know faces such as H.B. Barnum, McKinley Jackson, Ray Parker Jr., Sidney Barnes. Only one single materialised from the album, "You Can't See The Forest (For The Trees)" / "Nothing Comes To A Sleeper (But A Dream)", although the title track has long been played on the UK modern soul scene. 

In the 80s and 90s she reverted to session work. She had previously lent her voice in the 60s and 70s to artists such as Righteous Brothers, Freda Payne, Lamont Dozier, Peggy Lee, Weather Report, Funk Inc. Nancy Wilson, Z.Z. Hill , Cher, Betty Everett, Stanley Turrentine to name a few. After her album she sang on recordings by Elkie Brooks, Robert John, Andraé Crouch, Scherrie Payne, her sister Darlene Love, U2, Kim Carnes and Aaron Neville .

Sadly she suffered from COPD and died suddenly of a heart attack on 12 Sep 2020 aged 75. Her family musical legacy continues through her daugther Melodye Perry, now Melodye Perry-Teamer since she married another musician Alex Teamer. Husband Greg Perry is one of five brothers Dennis, Zachary, Leonard and Jeff Perry (aka Jeffree), all involved with music. I'm not sure if Greg is still living, I haven't found anything to the contrary, and he did appear at the 6Ts Soul Weekender in 2014 with Edna.

Album Discography

The COGIC Singers

1966 - It's a Blessing [Exodus #EX 54]

Honey Cone

1970 - Take Me with You

1970 - When Will It End (unreleased)

1971 - Sweet Replies

1971 - Soulful Tapestry

1972 - Love, Peace & Soul

Edna Wright

1977 - Oops! Here I Go Again [RCA Victor #APL1-1912]

Single  Discography

Sandy Wynns

1964-12 - Touch Of Venus / A Lover's Quarrel [Doc #DC-103]

1965-01 - The Touch Of Venus / A Lover's Quarrel [Champion #14001]

1965-05 - Love Belongs To Everyone / Yes I Really Love You 

                [Champion #14002]

1966-04 - I'll Give That To You / You Turned Your Back On Me 

                [Simco #30,001]

1967-12 - How Can Something Be So Wrong (And Always Feel So 

                Good) / Love's Like Quicksand [Canterbury #C-520]

Cindy & The In-Sounds

1967-10 - Meet Me At Midnight / Sir Galahad [In-Sound #402]

Honey Cone

1969-05 - While You're Out Looking For Sugar? / The Feeling's Gone 

                [Hot Wax #HS 6901]

1969-09 - Girls It Ain't Easy / The Feeling's Gone [Hot Wax #HS 6903]

1970-03 - Take Me With You / Take My Love [Hot Wax #HS 7001]

1971-03 - When Will It End / Take Me With You [Hot Wax #HS 7005]

1971-03 - Want Ads / We Belong Together [Hot Wax #HS 7011]

1971-07 - Stick-Up / V.I.P. [Hot Wax #HS 7106]

1971-11 - One Monkey Don't Stop No Show - Part I  / One Monkey 

                Don't Stop No Show - Part II [Hot Wax #HS 7110]

1972-02 - The Day I Found Myself / When Will It End 

                 [Hot Wax #HS 7113]

1972-07 - Sittin' On A Time Bomb (Waitin' For The Hurt To Come) 

                / It's Better To Have Loved And Lost [Hot Wax #HS 7205]

1972-09 - Innocent Til Proven Guilty / Don't Send Me An Invitation

                [Hot Wax #HS 7208]

1972-11 - Ace In The Hole / O-o-o Baby, Baby [Hot Wax #HS 7212]

1973-03 - If I Can't Fly / Woman Can't Live By Bread Alone 

                [Hot Wax #HS 7301]

Honey Cone Featuring Sharon Cash (No original members in group)

1977-07 - Somebody Is Always Messing Up A Good Thing / 

                The Truth Will Come Out [Hot Wax #ZS8 9255]

Edna Wright

1977 - You Can't See The Forest (For The Trees) / Nothing Comes To 

           A Sleeper (But A Dream) [RCA victor #JH-11014]

Copyright © 2009-2023 SoulStrutter All Rights Reserved