Mary Ann Nagel

Rita Nagel (born 1955), known as Mary Ann Nagel or simply Mary Ann, is a German singer. She is best known as one of the founding members of the girl group Arabesque in 1977.

Mary Ann Nagel was born as Rita Nagel in 1955. She started to sing when she was young. Her first records were songs for children. She released the single "So Viele Fragen / Laß mich nicht so lang allein" in 1968 and "Pony Girl / Du Ich Lieb' Dich Candy Man" in 1972.^[1] In 1973 she released a schlager single "Schau Mich Nicht So Böse An / Ein Tag So Schön Wie Heut".^[2] These singles did not reach the German charts.^[3]

In 1977 Nagel and some producers wanted to make a new girl group. They formed Arabesque. The first single with Mary Ann as lead singer was "Hello Mr. Monkey". She sang lead on that song and on "Buggy Boy".^[4] Mary Ann stayed in Arabesque for a little over a year. She left the group in September 1978 and was replaced by Heike Rimbeau.^[4]

After she left Arabesque, Mary Ann chose to focus on her family. She married and had a son. She also did not like the long travel from her hometown of Karlsruhe to Frankfurt am Main, where the group worked.^[4]