Lady Ann

Lady Ann was a trailblazing toaster, one of the first female DJs, along with Sister Nancy, to break through the sound systems' glass ceiling. Barbara Ann Smith, as she was born, was drawn to the Kingston dancehalls in her teens, inspired by the plethora of toasting talent that rose up in the mid-'70s. Taking the demure moniker Lady Ann, Smith was no wallflower; if she had been, she wouldn't have survived long in the sound systems. The toaster quickly caught producer Don Mais' ear, who paired her with Ranking Toyan for her 1978 debut, "Plan Your Family." "Shine Eye Gal," her fi...