Happy birthday to "Ring My Bell" singer Anita Ward, born December 20, 1956. When looking at the biggest hits of the disco era, you won't go far before running into the huge 1979 smash. It became the most notable hit from the career of the talented southern singer.
Ward obtained a degree in psychology from Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and was a schoolteacher while she tried to jumpstart her nascent recording career. Her record label owner, Frederick Knight delivered her a disco song previously intended for Stacy Lattisaw. With hesitation, Ward agreed to record the song, which used a double-entendre about “ringing her bell.”
Happy birthday to "Ring My Bell" singer Anita Ward, born December 20, 1956. When looking at the biggest hits of the disco era, you won't go far before running into the huge 1979 smash. It became the most notable hit from the career of the talented southern singer.
Ward obtained a degree in psychology from Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi, and was a schoolteacher while she tried to jumpstart her nascent recording career. Her record label owner, Frederick Knight delivered her a disco song previously intended for Stacy Lattisaw. With hesitation, Ward agreed to record the song, which used a double-entendre about “ringing her bell.”
“Ring My Bell” featured Ward’s distinctive soprano voice amidst a relatively straightforward disc arrangement. The song struck a nerve and seemed perfect for the peak disco period that was 1979. It shot straight to #1 on the pop and R&B charts and seemed to portend great things for Ward. Unfortunately, Ward’s quickly released second album, Sweet Surrender failed to capitalize on the moment and only landed a minor hit with "Don't Drop My Love."
An auto accident and record company problems slowed down whatever momentum Ward had after her signature hit. It would be a decade before she returned with Wherever There’s Love, but the album and single “Be My Baby” didn’t dent the charts.
Ward focused on her family after that, though she has returned from time to time with new music, including the fun 2016 dance cut “Another Bad Mistake.” But she will continue to be remembered most for a divinely campy song which epitomized the days of bell bottoms and mirror balls, and that’s not all bad.
By Chris Rizik