Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) was an elite songstress. In her nearly 50 year career, her voice never faltered. Even as she encountered age and the effects of a lifelong smoking habit, her multiple-octave range and intense vocal control wowed audiences all over the world.
Sarah Vaughan (1924-1990) was an elite songstress. In her nearly 50 year career, her voice never faltered. Even as she encountered age and the effects of a lifelong smoking habit, her multiple-octave range and intense vocal control wowed audiences all over the world.
History classes can get a bad wrap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.
Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.
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Today’s musician was an elite songstress. In her nearly 50-year-career, her voice never faltered. Even as she encountered age and the effects of a life-long smoking habit, her multiple-octave range and intense vocal control wowed audiences all over the world. We’re talking about Sassy; the Divine Sarah; Sarah Vaughan.
Sarah Lois Vaughan was born on March 27, 1924 in Newark, New Jersey. Her father was a carpenter, and her mother was a laundress, but both were also talented musicians. Sarah didn’t take long to follow in their footsteps. She took up piano lessons at age seven and became a choir soloist at Mount Zion Baptist Church soon after.
In 1942, Sarah’s friends dared her to enter the Wednesday Night Amateur Contest at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. It was a renowned performance space, responsible for introducing many Black music legends into fame. And on a whim, Sarah’s rendition of “Body and Soul” won her the competition.
Sarah’s talent caught the eye of vocalist Billy Eckstine, who convinced pianist Earl Hines to hire her for his band. After a successful year with Hines, Sarah joined Eckstine’s new band alongside the likes of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. The new band brought bebop into the jazz scene.
Soon after her time with the band, Sarah embarked on a solo career. By 1947 she had a chart-topping hit with “Tenderly.” During this time, she also met and married a trumpet player named George Treadwell. Though their partnership ended in divorce, he became her manager during these early years and helped establish her look as she pursued solo work. Sarah added pop songs and showtunes to her repertoire– but no matter what she was singing, audiences all agreed on one thing: Sarah had talent.
Early on, Sarah had been nicknamed “Sassy” in honor of her character onstage. As a soloist, she earned the title “The Divine One.” It was a call to her incredible voice and live stage presence. Sarah boasted a three-octave vocal range and precise vocal control, along with a show-stopping, emotional delivery to her songs. She captivated audiences with her performance, purposefully swooping up and down entire octaves. She sang a signature song, “Misty,” as a duet with herself– first in her higher tone, and then in her contralto, imitating a male lounge singer. Along with voices like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald, she helped popularize the art of jazz singing.
In the 1960s, Sarah recorded with famous bandleaders including Benny Carter, Frank Foster, and Quincy Jones. Her tours grew in size and popularity, and she accomplished international recognition. She experimented with even wider genres of music, including Beatles covers and Brazilian music. In 1982, she won her first Grammy for her work on Gershwin Live! alongside the Los Angeles Philharmonic. During her lifetime, she won four Grammy awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award.
As Sarah grew older, her voice got lower– likely due to a smoking habit. But her performance never suffered. Even into her 60s, she was belting out her standards. In the later years of her career, she closed nearly every performance with “Send in the Clowns,” a song that showcased her skill in jazz, pop, and operatic techniques throughout three vocal octaves.
Sarah died from lung cancer on April 3, 1990. She was 66 years old.
All month, we’re talking about musicians.
Womanica is a Wonder Media Network production. Special thanks to co-creators Jenny and Liz Kaplan who invited me to guest host this month.
Talk to you tomorrow!