Celebrating 55 years as the pioneering, influential and legendary 1960’s and 70’s American R&B/Soul Girl Group Honey Cone were recently inducted into the Soul Music Hall of Fame – Now they have reunited to embark on a new stateside tour at an astonishing 80 years old!
Honey Cone were the first girl group to usher in a new, more assertive era lyrically with their strong messages about female empowerment. They weren’t singing about just love this time like their idol girl groups of the 1960s, they wrote lyrics that were a rallying call to women everywhere to stand up for themselves as they entered into the 1970’s.
The group formed by Shelly Clark, Edna Wright, and Carolyn Willis in 1968 were the premier female group for Hot Wax Records, operated by the famed writing team Holland–Dozier–Holland. This trio wrote, arranged and produced the songs that helped define the Motown sound in the 1960s, and Honey Cone was the first band they signed and produced after they departed from Motown in 1968.
An original member and co-founder Shelly Clark has an extensive and diverse career in the entertainment industry. She recorded and toured with Dusty Springfield, Tom Jones, and Little Richard. She also toured nationally with The Ike & Tina Turner Revue as one of the storied Ikettes. With Honey Cone, Shelly was part of creating an enduring legacy of Billboard No. 1 and Top 10 hits that garnered numerous gold records and esteemed industry awards.
She has been married to Verdine White, the iconic bass player and co-founder of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Earth, Wind & Fire for 38 years and counting. Honey Cone was the first act to appear on the hit televised show Soul Train. The trio also appeared on numerous other television shows including Andy Williams, American Bandstand, Johnny Carson Tonight Show, Sonny and Cher, and Merv Griffin.
Shelly Clark White continues the legacy of Honey Cone by joining with renowned singers Wendy Smith-Brune and Kathy Merrick who continue to tour and perform the hits of their music past.
www.honeycone.biz
