Born: 27 March 1924, United States
Died: 3 April 1990
Country most active: United States
Also known as: NA
The following is republished from the National Endowment for the Arts. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
The power, range, and flexibility of her voice made Sarah Vaughan, known as “Sassy” or “The Divine One,” one of the great singers in jazz. With her rich, controlled tone and vibrato, she could create astounding performances on jazz standards, often adding bop-oriented phrasing. Along with Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, Vaughan helped popularize the art of jazz singing, influencing generations of vocalists following her. Vaughan began singing at the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in her native Newark, and started extensive piano lessons at age seven. Winner of the amateur contest at the Apollo Theatre, Vaughan was hired by Earl Hines for his big band as a second pianist and singer on the recommendation of Billy Eckstine in 1943. She joined Eckstine’s band in 1944, as well as making her first recording under her own name.
After leaving Eckstine, Sarah worked briefly in the John Kirby band, and thereafter was primarily a vocal soloist. Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie often sang her praises, assisting her in gaining recognition, particularly in musicians’ circles. They worked with her on a May 25, 1945, session as well, which was highlighted by her vocal version of Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia,” called “Interlude” on the album. Her first husband, trumpeter-bandleader George Treadwell, helped re-make her “look” and she began to work and record more regularly, starting in 1949 with Columbia Records. In the 1960s, Vaughan made records with bandleaders such as Count Basie, Benny Carter, Frank Foster, and Quincy Jones on the Mercury and Roulette labels among others. It was during this time that her level of international recognition began to grow as she toured widely, generally accompanied by a trio, and on occasion doing orchestra dates.
These large ensemble dates ranged from the Boston Pops to the Cleveland Orchestra as her voice became recognized as one of the most beautiful and versatile in all of jazz, blessed with a range that literally went from baritone to soprano. In the 1970s and 1980s, her voice darkened, providing a deeper and all the more alluring tone.
Selected Discography
1944-46, Classics, 1944-46
In Hi-Fi, Columbia/Legacy, 1949-53
The Complete Sarah Vaughan on Mercury, Vol. 1, Mercury, 1954-56
Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown, Verve, 1955
The Duke Ellington Songbook, Vol. 1, Pablo, 1979
The following is republished from New Jersey Women’s History, in line with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Singer Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) of Newark launched her jazz career at the world-renowned Apollo theatre’s amateur-night contest.
As a young girl, Vaughan had perfected her talents through piano and organ lessons. By the age of twelve, she had started singing in the choir and playing the organ at Mount Zion Baptist Church. She later attended the Arts High School in Newark. After her legendary Apollo performance, Vaughan often performed on television under the affectionately-chosen moniker “Sassy.”
Vaughan possessed an impressive three-octave range and established herself as one of the greatest jazz singers and pianists in history. She received the 1989 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame not long before her death in 1990.
References:
Gourse, Leslie. Sassy: The Life of Sarah Vaughan. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1993.
Brown, Denis. Sarah Vaughan: A Discography. New York: Greenwood Press, 1991.
Hall, Jeanette. “Using a Feminist Digital Humanities Approach: Critical Women’s History through Covers of ‘Black Coffee’.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies 39, no. 1 (2018): 1-23.
Barrow, John. “Singer Sarah Vaughn Wins Stardom After Ten Years.” Atlanta Daily World (1932-2003), June 29, 1955.