WOMAN'S HISTORY MONTH: SARAH VAUGHAN
Sarah Vaughan was a jazz singer from Newark, New Jersey. Born in 1924 to musical parents, Vaughan began piano lessons at seven years old and sang for her church. In her mid-teens she was finding her way into night clubs to perform, and ultimately dropped out of high school to focus on her music.
Career
Vaughan's break came in New York City. At eighteen in 1942, along with her friend Doris Robinson, the pair entered into a contest at the Apollo Theater, for their Amateur Night. Robinson did the singing, while Vaughan was the piano accompaniment. The duo won second place, only lighting more fire under Sarah.
Vaughan came back to Amateur Night and competed by herself, singing Body and Soul. And she won; earning $10 and a week's engagement at the Apollo. Her first act came in opening for Ella Fitzgerald, another prominent jazz singer of the time.
It goes without saying that someone is going to pick up on talent when you're singing at the Apollo Theater for an entire week. And that's just what happened for Sarah. Earl Hines, a jazz pianist and bandleader, credits himself with discovering Vaughan and her talent. He claims he offered her a job on the spot, although details are disputed with his male singer, Billy Eckstine. Nonetheless, Vaughan replaced Hines' female singer in 1943.
Sarah toured with Hines' band up until late into the next year, before joining Eckstine's band that was created as an offshoot. This gave her the perfect opportunity to record for the first time; listen to I'll Wait and Pray below. Soon afterwards she left the band and began her solo journey.
Solo Career
While spending time in the Café Society, Sarah met and befriended George Treadwell, a trumpeter. He ended up becoming her manager, and husband in 1946.
In this time Vaughan became known as "Sassy" and "The Divine One" for her musical talent and performance energy.
Vaughan was recording and releasing loads of music in her time, and she bounced from record label to record label. Some of her most recognized songs include Broken Hearted Melody, If You Could See Me Now, and Smooth Operator.
While Sarah and George's marriage didn't last, Vaughan's success stuck with her to her death in 1990. Sarah was diagnosed with lung cancer, and passed away at age 66, watching Laker Girls, a TV show featuring her daughter, Paris Vaughan.
Check out this video of Sarah Vaughan from 1969 singing scat blues.
Awards and Achievements
Vaughan's first award came in 1947, with Esquire's New Star Award. Following that, she won awards from Down Beat and Metronome. On top of those, her album Sarah Vaughan with Clifford Brown, along with the single If You Could See Me Now (see the song below) were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Vaughan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, is a member of the American Jazz Hall of Fame and the New Jersey Hall of Fame, and has an Honorary Doctorate of Music at the Berklee College of Music.
Sarah Vaughan is another example of woman excellence in the musical world. From her numerous awards, to her large discography, she was beyond successful. And like so many of her peers, it's as if she was born to sing and perform.
Image Source: This work is from the William P. Gottlieb collection at the Library of Congress.