Published
Thu, Sep 30, 2021, 10:30
- In a career spanning decades, she also worked with artists like Lemon Jelly, Rozalla and Toni Braxton.
Andrea Martin, the songwriting force behind multiple pop, R&B and dance music hits, has died aged 49.
"It is with a heavy heart we inform you of the passing of our beautiful Andrea Martin also known as 'Annie,'" Martin's family wrote via Instagram on Monday, September 27th. "Andrea will always be remembered for her passion and dedication to her family and friends. Her impact will continue to be felt and heard for a lifetime."
With over 280 credits to her name on Discogs, Martin, who was born in New York, was hugely prolific, working on dance music hits such as Tomcraft's "Loneliness," E'voke's "Runaway" and Switch's "I Still Love You." Her writing was particularly popular on UK garage dance floors, with credits on Another Level's "Be Alone No More," which got the mashup treatment on Double 99's "Ripgroove," and Fierce's "So Long," which was remixed by Bump & Flex.
Martin was also one of R&B's most prolific songwriters, working with the likes of En Vogue, Toni Braxton, Monica, Angie Stone, SWV, Cece Peniston and Rozalla. Her credits also include work with Blu Cantrell, Kanye West and Outkast.
One of Martin's biggest writing credits was with Robin S. on the 1990 anthem "Show Me Love." Earlier this month, video clips emerged of Martin speaking on a panel at the American Society Of Composers, Authors And Publishers (ASCAP). She said that the producers behind "Show Me Love" had actually used her demo vocal on the final studio version, instead of Robin S's. Watch the clips here.
Martin's cause of death is currently unknown. Her family have set up a memorial fund, which you can donate to here.
Read some tributes.
Correction: A previous version of this article said that Andrea Martin had a songwriting credit on "Show Me Love" by Robin S. That's not true according to official records, though Martin claims she contributed to the final vocal and melody but was never credited.