With only vocal experience in a church choir, a young Sarah Vaughan set her sights on a singing career. It was on the stage of the Harlem Apollo Theater as a contestant that Sarah Vaughan launched her career. She was an untrained singer full of natural raw talent with the amazing ability to improvise and she possessed a three-octave range. By the end of her life, critics and colleagues recognized her as one of the greatest singers in the history of jazz.
Vaughan’s Early Gift for Music
Sarah Vaughan was born in Newark, New Jersey into a musical family. Her father, a carpenter, played the guitar and piano, and her mother was a choir member at Mount Zion Baptist Church. Vaughan had a natural gift of music. Her parents nurtured her talent by giving her piano lessons when she was seven years old and organ lessons at eight years old. At twelve, she became the church organist and joined the choir.
Vaughan Gets Her Big Break
By the time that she was nineteen, her vocal talent was apparent. She was encouraged by friends to enter an amateur contest at the Harlem Apollo Theater. She entered, and won $10 along with the opportunity to perform at the Apollo. Jazz singer Billy Eckstine saw her performance, and introduced her to Earl “Fatha” Hines. She joined his band as a vocalist and pianist. Two years later, Eckstine asked her to join his band, which included musicians Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.After two years with the band, Vaughan embarked upon a solo career. She recorded “Body and Soul,” which received rave reviews, and led the way to a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1949. Her records for Columbia and other labels included The Divine One, Sassy, The Duke Ellington Songbook, and lastly, Gershwin Live, for which she won a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocalist.
Vaughan Varies Her Repertoire
While jazz vocals had been her mainstay, Vaughan ventured into pop music in the 1950s. She showed her versatility as a singer and broadened her audience. She sang such hits as “Whatever Lola Wants” and “Mr. Wonderful.” Despite the success she experienced with pop music, she returned to jazz music in the 1960s. She continued singing into the 1980s.
Vaughan’s Health Declines
By 1990, her health was deteriorating. While the numerous years of smoking had not affected her voice, it had affected her health. On April 4, 1990, Vaughan died of lung cancer.Source: Gates, Henry Louis and West, Cornel, The African American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country. New York, NY: Touchstone, 2000.
