Phyllis Hyman (1949-1995) was an American R&B and jazz singer. Nancy Wilson says she is one of the two best singers she has ever known, the other being Sarah Vaughan. Phyllis Hyman had a very unhappy love life and sang about it honestly. She never had a gold record, yet she had a strong following among her fans.
These songs made it into the top 20 on the American R&B charts:
- 1978: Somewhere in My Lifetime (#12)
- 1979: You Know How to Love Me (#12)
- 1981: Can’t We Fall in Love Again (#9)
- 1986: Old Friend (#14)
- 1986: Living All Alone (#12)
- 1991: Don’t Wanna Change the World (#1)
- 1991: Living in Confusion (#9)
- 1992: When You Get Right Down to It (#10)
These are the songs she liked best:
- Be Careful (How You Treat My Love)
- Somewhere in My Lifetime
- Meet Me on the Moon
- When I Give My Love (This Time)
They made her think about the past and the future, about love and pain and happiness.
She was born in Philadelphia but grew up poor in the housing projects of Pittsburgh, in St Clair Village. Even as a girl her singing talent and stage presence were apparent. She said it was a gift from God: she did not grow up singing in church, she did not even have a record player to listen to music on. She stood 6 foot 1 (1.85 m).
The three singers who had the biggest effect on her:
- Nancy Wilson, who she modelled herself after and who later helped her;
- James Brown, whose business sense she liked; and
- Minnie Riperton, whose way of putting her feelings into her singing she copied.
After performing with some bands in the early 1970s, she came to New York in 1975 to sing in the jazz clubs there. She soon came to the attention of producer Norman Connors. She recorded a cover of the Stylistics song, “Betcha By Golly Wow”. It got to #29 on the R&B charts.
In time she found herself at Arista working with Clive Davis. He favoured Angela Bofill over her and then along came a new girl named Whitney Houston. Arista told her it was over.
She went to sing on Broadway in the Duke Ellington tribute, “Sophisticated Ladies” for a few years and sang on other people’s songs. She even sang on television ads: “Aren’t you hungry for Burger King now?”
In 1985 she joined Gamble & Huff at Philadelphia International Records. They gave her complete freedom to sing the songs she wanted in the way she wanted.
Even though she was loved by a million people and was at the height of her talent, she was sad and alone. She had no man to love her. She also feared losing her beauty as she gained weight. She drank too much and missed concert dates. In 1993 her mother, grandmother and a close friend all died in the same month.
Then on a Friday afternoon, June 30th 1995, she took her life in an apartment in New York just hours before she was to appear at the Apollo Theatre. Her funeral was held on her 46th birthday.
See also:
- Posted songs:
- Women with the most beautiful lips
- Also grew up in Pittsburgh:
- Tamara Tunie
- Naomi Sims
- August Wilson
- Also worked with Clive Davis:
- Alicia Keys
- Whitney Houston
- Also worked with Gamble & Huff
- Sheila Ferguson of the Three Degrees
- New York
- Dorothy Dandridge
I can’t believe that Phyllis Hyman never had a gold record. Especially when one sees much lesser talents selling millions of records. Life is not fair.
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I was surprised too. I was also surprised that “You Know How to Love Me” and “Living All Alone” both went to only #12.
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her style was amazing!! she was always sharp!! her hats her shoes her dresses omg!! love her!!! miss you sis.
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I was fortunate enough to see Phyllis live, back in around 1990 or 1991 or so, at Kimball’s East in Emeryville, California. It was a wonderful show. In person, she was captivating. I was so saddened by her death, even moreso by her personal grief that preceded and lead to it. It felt so inexplicable that this beautiful woman, blessed with a gift of music that brought joy to the hearts of millions, would feel such grief.
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LOVE UR MUSIC AND VOICE
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Blanc2: Fortunate is right.
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She was so beautiful and have one of the most richest voice I have ever heard. She was truly talented. Especially if you watch this one live performance she did when she was whistling a song. She sound just like a hummingbird it was amazing!
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Wow she’s pretty, jasmine sullivan looks a bit like her in this photo…how did she die?
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Vodka and sleeping pills, from what I hear.
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Truly Phyllis was a talented singer I couldn’t believe she died.
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REST IN PEACE.
YOU WERE
TRULY THE BEST.
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I Loved her soo much. I was a young bride and mother and her music said everything I could not say. When she died I created a shrine in my spare bedroom. with just her picture and the announcement the she was gone…By the way, my name is Phyllis too.
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Well I could not pass this post without saying possibly my favourite Phyllis Hyman tune…Classic
R.I.P.
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I love that song too!
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after all theses years since your leaving.. my beautiful babygurl.. phillis i still miss you so…baby you will always be with me because i,ii always love you….
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A jewel of an angel returns back to heaven. She was just passing through to generate happiness with her songs to others; despite her lack of happiness. With her regal style and pose she invented the word ‘genious’ Phyllis Hyman’s energy was ‘fierce’ and powerful; I only wonder if she realized it. She was of royal molding so rare; now so very missed.
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you can really feel her pain and how she was feeling deep down inside her music mean so much to me it leaves you in adeep thought i do miss her i know shes making music on the otherside
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I always thought she was such an underrated artist. Beautiful, and talented plagued by so many demons. So tragic. I love her music today in 2014. “Living All Alone” is one my favorites. She had a music catalogue that I still love to play.
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