Singer-songwriter Joyce Sims, 1959-2022

Her success was partly due to an ability to merge R&B with electro to create memorable songs (Image: Getty)In 1986 her dancefloor classic (You Are My) All And All made it into the Top 20 in Britain and the track also reached No.6 in the dance charts. It became a must-play tune for DJs to get people out of their seats.In 1987 she debuted at London’s Hammersmith Odeon and just a few bars into the hit song, the audience was already dancing in the aisles.Born in Rochester, upstate New York, her father worked at a Kodak factory and her mother was a chef. As a child, she could not stop singing soul songs, mainly Stevie Wonder classics and was in awe of Chaka Khan.While doing office work, she made some demo tapes. Sleeping Bag Records gave her a record deal in 1986 and she had two successful albums.Sims wrote her own songs and particularly enjoyed singing Come Into My Life. The album of the same name reached No.5 in the British charts.Randy Crawford and Angie Stone sang some of her songs and were both great fans of Sims’ work.Under her own label, August Rose, she released her fourth album, Love Song, in 2014 to great critical acclaim. She also worked with two British producers, Livingston Brown and Soul Garden, on that album.A gifted pianist, she played many other instruments and spent much of her spare time studying music.Her success was partly due to an ability to merge R&B with electro to create memorable songs.She is survived by her husband, Errol Sandiford, and their children.Joyce Sims born August 6, 1959 – died October 15, 2022, aged 63