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R&B Singer-Songwriter Andrea Martin Dies at 49: 'Forever a Legend'

andrea martin
andrea martin

andrea martin/instagram

Andrea Martin, the singer-songwriter who wrote songs for artists such as Monica and En Vogue, has died. She was 49.

Martin's death was announced in a statement shared to her Instagram Story on Monday.

"Dear Family and Friends, it is with a heavy heart we inform you of the passing of our beautiful Andrea Martin also known as 'Annie,' " the statement read. "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."

"We thank you in advance for your condolences, love, compassion and understanding during this time," the message continued. "Please limit calls as we are trying to finalize arrangements at this time, Once finalized, we will be sure to post arrangements.

"Forever a legend. April 14 - September 27," the post concluded. A cause of death was not given.

andrea martin
andrea martin

andrea martin/instagram

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Martin's longtime writing partner Ivan Matias — with whom she penned hits like En Vogue's "Don't Let Go (Love), SWV's "You're the One" and Angie Stone's "Wish I Didn't Miss You" — also confirmed the death in an Instagram Story post of his own.

Matias captioned a photo of Martin, "Rest in Paradise to Andrea Martin. My childhood friend & songwriting partner. She was extraordinary."

During her songwriting career, Martin also wrote songs for Toni Braxton, Leona Lewis, Melanie Fiona, Sean Kingston, Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson.

andrea martin
andrea martin

andrea martin/instagram

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Alongside famed music producers Soulshock & Karlin, Martin wrote Monica's 1995 smash hit "Before You Walked Out of My Life," which spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart.

In addition to songwriting, Martin was also a gifted singer. She released her debut album, The Best of Me, in 1998 under Sony's Arista Records.

While discussing her craft during a panel at the 2011 ASCAP Expo, Martin said that the most important aspect of making music is speaking from the heart.

"Sing from the heart. I don't care if it's rock, country or whatever, those are the best records that come from the heart," she said. "It's okay to go in the booth and just to freestyle."

Watch: The celebrities we have lost in 2020