Annette Snell born 22 March 1945

Annette Snell (March 22, 1945 – April 4, 1977) was an American rhythm and blues singer who recorded in the 1960s and 1970s. She died in the Southern Airways Flight 242 crash.

She was born Annetta Snell in Orlando, Florida. Little is known about her childhood and the story immediately continues to where she starts a professional career in music.In the early 1960s she was a member of a vocal backing group, the Mar-Vells The members of the group were all local Florida girls and did live concerts and session work for other Florida musicians. From 1963 and until 1968 or 69 the line-up consisted of: Annette Snell, Mattie Lovett, Addie Williams and Loretta Ludlow.

The Mar-Vells

Changing their name to The Fabulettes on their first recording for Monument Records was probably a decision taken by the record company who would not have been interested in promoting yet another band named Marvels/Mar-Vells/Marvells. Even though the group still performed as The Mar-Vells in the Florida area all their recordings were, from this point on, issued under the Fabulettes moniker.

The Fabulettes

Sometime during 1968 or early 1969 Annette Snell left the group to pursue a solo career. The Fabulettes attempted to find a replacement but after cutting two more records they split up. Annette went to New York, and then to Nashville, Tennessee. Under the name Annetta, she recorded "Since There Is No More You" with Paul Kelly, whom she met when in the Mar-vells. The record, although leased by Juggy Murray for national distribution, didn't make much noise.

                             

Kelly then brought her to the attention of record producer and music publisher Buddy Killen, who was suitably impressed. More singles came, all written by Kelly, and her greatest success was achieved with the No. 19 Billboard rhythm and blues hit "You 

Annette in NYC

Oughta' Be Here With Me" in 1973. She followed it up with two more R&B chart hits, also released on the Dial label, the following year, "Get Your Thing Together" (No. 44); and "Just as Hooked As I’ve Been" (No. 71).

She then won a deal to record an album for Epic Records in Muscle Shoals, Alabama with the Swampers session musicians. The studio was unique because The Swampers, had creative control over who was able to record sessions and when sessions were recorded. They initially produced one unreleased single, "Promises Should Never be Broken", and Snell returned for a further session in early 1977.

She was returning home via Atlanta, Georgia after working on tracks for the album when she was killed with 71 others when  the flight she was on, Southern Airways Flight 242, went down in New Hope, Georgia during a severe thunderstorm on April 4, 1977. Sixty-three people in the plane are killed, as are nine people in New Hope. Some survive the crash. Annette Snell is one of the victims. She had just turned 32.

Annette was buried in Dade North Memorial Park Cemetery Opa-locka, Florida. She was married to Pete Jackson of Touch of Class

(Edited mainly from Wikipedia & doowopheaven)