Sue Ann Carwell, also known as Sue Ann, is an American singer/songwriter whose career spans more than four decades, going back to when she was an early contributor to the Minneapolis sound pioneered by Prince in the late 1970s.[1] She recorded two albums in the 1980s – Sue Ann (1981) and Blue Velvet (1988) – with a third album, Painkiller, being released in 1992, and in 2010 an album called Blues In My Sunshine, featuring Jesse Johnson. In addition, she has worked as a background singer with many prominent artists over the years.
Born in Chicago, Illinois, Carwell as a young child moved with her family to St. Paul, Minnesota.[6][7] She showed musical potential when she was very young,[8] and as a teenager she began singing on the MinneapolisR&B scene, winning talent shows, and working with musicians including funk band Flyte Tyme, and the likes of Jesse Johnson.[1][9] After she was spotted singing at the Elks Club by bass guitarist André Cymone,[7]Prince attended one of her performances, and she became a protégée of his; however, she resisted his suggestion that she used the name "Susie Stone",[7][10][11][12] and recordings Prince had been working on with her for a projected 1978 album ("I'm Saving It Up", "Make It Through the Storm", "Since We've Been Together" and "Wouldn't You Love To Love Me?") were not released.[13][14][15]
In 1981, aged 19, Carwell released a debut album, self-titled Sue Ann, on Warner Bros. Records.[1] Her second album, Blue Velvet (1988), also released using the name Sue Ann, was produced by Jesse Johnson;[15] as noted by reviewer Justin Kantor, the album "offers generous portions of a tasty entree ... in gems like the down 'n dirty 'Fiction'; the melodic, midtempo 'Pleasure' ; and the serene, rhythmic ballad 'I'll Give You Love.' A true vocal chameleon, Sue Ann plays the sassy, no-holds-barred street diva on 'Fiction,' while she's sultry and jazzy on the Robert Brookins-produced 'Pleasure,' and straightforward and sensitive on 'I'll Give You Love.'[16]
Reviewing Carwell's 1992 album, Painkiller (for which her full name was used), AllMusic said that it "effectively showcases her as a sassy soul diva", describing it as "an impressive offering",[17] while her 2010 album, Blues In My Sunshine, was characterised by Casey Rain as "phenomenal".[15]