Artist

Joyce Heath

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Joyce Heath always fantasised of leaving Waller County, Texas for a music career in New York, taking the miraculous leap at the age of 22 as a two-time divorcee and mother of two. First anonymously performing the double entendre party record Angelina (The Singing Model), Heath’s big break came when Atlantic paired her little song ‘Rock and Cry’ with R&B singer Clyde McPhatter, transposed in a calypso style for the 1957 musical film Mister Rock and Roll.

With her reputation growing as a “one take artist”, she soon formed a 50 year partnership in love and music with the universally skilled Vincent Gagliano - a budding producer, engineer, songwriter, arranger and label owner. Together they would demo for giants such as Frank Loesser and Otis Blackwell, while selling masters to RCA Victor, Roulette, Laurie and a school of smaller labels. Riding the fading tail of doo-wop, she cut several singles at Gagliano’s Sound Center for his various imprints. With a fire escape stairwell turned echo chamber, the exciting sounds emitting from the studio were the envy of the industry.

Heath’s star burns brightly as part of Sky Girl’s constellation, the cult 2016 compilation curated by Parisian duo Julien Dechery and DJ Sundae. Now her signature tune, the yearning ‘I Wouldn't Dream Of It’ has featured prominently in Lynne Ramsey's You Were Never Really Here, New Zealand rom-com This Town and the cli-fi psychological thriller Foe.

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