Greensboro, North Carolina natives Inez Foxx (September 9, 1937 – August 25, 2022) and her elder brother Charlie Foxx (October 23, 1933 – September 18, 1998) were an American rhythm and blues and soul duo.

Inez sang lead vocal, while Charlie sang back-up and played guitar. Casey Kasem, and doubtless many others, mistakenly thought that the two were husband and wife.

Both children were born in Greensboro to John and Peggy Fox. According to published information in the North Carolina Birth Index, and the U.S. census, Charlie James Fox was born in 1933 and Inez Rebecca Fox in 1937, though subsequent publicity indicated later birth years for both siblings. They changed their professional names to Foxx with a double 'x'.

Charlie Foxx began singing with a gospel choir as a child in the early 1950s, and was later joined by his sister Inez. In 1960, Inez traveled to New York City and recorded for Brunswick Records using her then-married name Inez Johnston, but with little success. In early 1963, the pair introduced themselves to Henry 'Juggy' Murray, the owner of Sue Records, and sang him their arrangement of the traditional lullaby "Hush, Little Baby".

The song, re-titled "Mockingbird," was released on Sue's subsidiary label Symbol Records in June 1963. The single reached the top 10 on both the US rhythm and blues and pop charts. It was their most successful record, selling over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA.
It was later covered by artists including Aretha Franklin, James Taylor and Carly Simon, Dusty Springfield, Etta James with Taj Mahal and Toby Keith.

The record company, keen to promote Inez Foxx as a solo singer, issued later recordings under her name alone, despite the presence of two voices on the records. Perhaps because "Mockingbird" was seen as a novelty record, the pair had difficulty following it up, although "Ask Me" and "Hurt by Love" made the lower reaches of the US charts, and "Hurt by Love" also reached the UK singles chart.

In 1966, the pair joined Musicor Records and recorded for its subsidiary label, Dynamo. They returned to the pop charts in 1967 with "(1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count the Days", and became known for their exciting live performances. They toured extensively in Europe and their music played a key role in the development of the Northern soul movement, in which scene they had the very popular "Tightrope" single.

Inez Foxx married songwriter and producer Luther Dixon in the late 1960s. Together they wrote, and he produced, the Platters' mid-1960s return to hit-making with the single "I Love You 1000 Times". Luther Dixon produced Inez and Charlie's 1967 Dynamo album Come By Here, but the couple later divorced

Inez also had some success recording on her own, beginning in 1969, but her popularity faded in the 1970s. Charlie was already working as a songwriter and record producer when they finally disbanded their act. Inez continued to record as a solo singer for Volt Records in the 1970s.

Charlie Foxx died from leukemia in 1998, at the age of 64, and was buried in Mobile, Alabama.
Inez Foxx died in Los Angeles on August 25, 2022, at the age of 84 (though some sources incorrectly stated her age as 79).
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Inez Foxx Obituary from The Guardian: Garth Cartwright - Sun 2 Oct 2022 12.03 EDT

Soul singer who with her brother Charlie was best known for their much-covered hit Mockingbird

The US singer Inez Foxx helped popularise soul music in the UK and, from the mid-1960s to early 70s, was a regular performer in Britain. Inez, who has died aged 84, sang in a duo with her brother, Charlie, and they were often mistakenly thought to be husband and wife rather than siblings.

They were best known for their 1963 hit single, Mockingbird, a witty back-and-forth between Charlie’s deep voice and Inez’s wry gospel wail. Together, the Foxxes recorded more than 50 memorable songs, and Inez also enjoyed a brief solo career.

They were far more popular as a live act than as recording artists. The Beatles praised them and the Rolling Stones booked them as support for a 1964 UK tour. Dusty Springfield recorded a cover of Mockingbird for her album A Girl Called Dusty (and, in 1968, sang it on her ITV television show It Must Be Dusty, with Jimi Hendrix as her duet partner).

Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, having first heard Mockingbird in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1963, negotiated a licence to release it in the UK, and ensured it was the first record issued on his UK Sue label. It was eventually a UK hit on a re-release in 1969, but by then Inez and Charlie’s working relationship was coming to an end.

Inez’s striking looks, strong voice, assured stage presence and warm, engaging character won over audiences. That she never experienced greater chart success is one of those conundrums often to be found in popular music.

In 1974 she suddenly stopped recording and performing. A loyal UK audience, especially among northern soul aficionados, continued to champion her music and Mockingbird retained its popularity, sung by many and featuring in the 1994 film comedy Dumb and Dumber and such popular TV series as The Simpsons and Will & Grace. Yet Inez maintained her silence, one of those who walked away from music at the height of their talents.

Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, to John and Peggy Johnston, Inez had eight siblings and was closest to Charlie, who was two years her senior. From an early age Inez joined her family singing at their local Baptist church and was singled out for her vocal talent. She attended Dudley high school and, upon graduating, joined the Gospel Tide Chorus and began working the southern church circuit. Her talent was spotted by a local impresario, Charles Fuller, who persuaded Inez to go solo and sing R&B.

Charlie was determined to work with Inez and, in 1959, overcoming parental disapproval, they journeyed to New York City. Inez soon had a recording contract with Brunswick Records and in 1960 she released two unsuccessful 45s as Inez Johnston. The siblings developed an act as a duo and adopted Foxx as their stage surname. In early 1963, noticing the African-American music entrepreneur Harry “Juggy” Murray leaving a restaurant, they stopped him and auditioned on the sidewalk, performing Mockingbird, a song they had worked up from a nursery rhyme.

Murray was impressed and signed the duo to Sue Records. Mockingbird was released in summer 1963, credited solely to Inez Foxx, and it quickly became a hit on both US pop (No 7) and R&B (No 2) charts. Murray rushed out Foxx’s debut album, Mockingbird – again credited to Inez, though Charlie wrote or co-wrote with Inez 10 of the album’s 12 songs, played guitar on all and sang on several.

By 1964 Murray – having played a pivotal role in launching Ike & Tina Turner – began billing the Foxxes’ recordings as Inez & Charlie Foxx. Still they struggled to make an impact on the charts. Guy Stevens, whom Blackwell had appointed head of UK Sue, proved a formidable promoter of the duo, ensuring their records were played regularly on British pirate radio (BBC radio at the time gave little airtime to R&B).

Thus they became regular visitors, backed on their first UK tour by the young Birmingham band the Spencer Davis Group. They appeared on the pioneering ITV music show Ready Steady Go and their 1964 single Hurt By Love reached No 40 in the UK. In 1966 they signed to Dynamo Records, where they began working with the celebrated producer and songwriter Luther Dixon. Inez married Dixon and co-wrote songs with him, including I Love You 1,000 Times, a 1966 hit for the Platters. The duo’s Dynamo releases continued to be of a high standard – (1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count the Days in 1967 gave them their final US R&B hit, while that year saw the release of their album Come By Here.

In 1969 Charlie moved to Mobile, Alabama, launched his own label, Tee Off, and focused on signing and producing soul singers. Inez continued to record for Dynamo and tour the UK. In the early 70s she divorced Dixon and signed to Volt, a subsidiary of Stax Records. Her 1973 album At Memphis found Inez confidently handling strong, contemporary songs, yet she failed to produce a breakthrough hit. In 1974 she rejected Stax’s offer of the song Woman to Woman, which became a huge hit instead for Shirley Brown, prompting Inez’s decision to leave the music industry.

That year, James Taylor and Carly Simon had a US Top 5 hit with their recording of Mockingbird, and the song has since enjoyed a remarkable life: many artists have recorded it, from the British band the Belle Stars through to the American country singer Toby Keith.

In 1990 the London label Ace Records reissued Inez’s entire recorded output on At Memphis & More, then, in 2001, gathered Inez and Charlie’s Sue and Dynamo singles on The Dynamo Duo. Yet Inez refused all entreaties to perform at oldies concerts and northern soul festivals, preferring to live quietly in the Los Angeles suburb of Compton.

Charlie died in 1998. Inez is survived by a sister, Jean. Inez Foxx (Johnston), singer and songwriter, born 9 September 1937; died 25 August 2022.

Source: Wikipedia