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Phyllis Hyman

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Phyllis Hyman (6 July, 1949--30 June, 1995) was a soul singer, model and actress.

Overview

She began her career as a silky-voiced singer influenced by jazz, and gradually moved towards heavily produced urban contemporary ballads.

She is remembered as one of the premier female vocalists of her time, known for songs such asYou Know How To Love Me, Can't We Fall In Love Again, Old Friend, Living All Alone and Don't Wanna Change The World. Her trademarks included chandelier earrings, dress hats and a white bugle-beaded dress. Because of her role and Tony nomination in the Broadway play Sophisticated Ladies, she is often referred to as The Sophisticated Lady.

Biography

Early years

Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but raised in Pittsburgh in the Northview Heights community. Her music training started with a scholarship to a music school. On graduation, she performed on a national tour with the group New Direction in 1971. After the group disbanded, she joined All the People and worked with another local group, The Hondo Beat. At this time, she appeared in the film Lenny (1974). She also did a two-year stint leading a band called Phyllis Hyman and the P/H Factor.

Hyman moved to New York City to work on her reputation. She did background vocals on Jon Lucien's Premonition and worked in clubs. It was during one of these performances that she was spotted by Norman Connors, who offered her a spot as a vocalist on his album, You Are My Starship (1976). Her best performance on the album is a remake of The Stylistics' Betcha By Golly Wow.

Hyman sang with Pharoah Sanders and the Fatback Band while working on her first solo album, Phyllis Hyman, released in 1977 on the Buddah label. During this period, Hyman met industry veteran, Wayne Garfield, who became her first road manager after thoughtfully filling-in as a sound mixer in the middle of her performance at the Manhattan (NYC) jazz club, Mikell's. She made a major impression when her label was acquired by Arista Records the next year. Her first album under the new label, Somewhere in My Lifetime, was highly successful. Its title track was produced by then label mate Barry Manilow. Her follow up album You Know How To Love Me made the R&B Top 20 and also performed well on the club/dance charts.

File:Hyman loveagain.jpg
1981's Can't We Fall In Love Again? contained the hit song of the same name.

Hyman's first solo Top Ten hit came in 1981 with Can't We Fall In Love Again, a duet with Michael Henderson. The song was recorded while she was performing in the Broadway musical Sophisticated Ladies, a tribute to Duke Ellington. She performed in the role for almost two years, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and winning a Theatre World Award for Best Newcomer. It is here that she was crowned as The Sophisticated Lady.

Problems between Hyman and her label, Arista, caused a pause in her recording career. She used the time to appear on movie soundtracks, television commercials and guest vocals, working with Chuck Mangione, Barry Manilow, The Whispers and The Four Tops. She toured often and did a college lecture tour.

Free from Arista in 1985, she released the album Living All Alone, and capitalized on the torch songs Old Friend and the melancholy title track, as well as You Just Don't Know and Screaming At The Moon in 1986. Shortly after she appeared in the films School Daze and The Kill Reflex. She would also continue to lend her voice on albums for other artist and musicians like Grover Washington, Jr. and Lonnie Liston Smith, while at the same time doing international tours. Her next album, Prime of My Life, released in 1991, was the biggest of her career and included Phyllis's first number one R&B hit, Don't Wanna Change the World, along with top ten singles Living In Confusion, When You Get Right Down To It, and the hit I Found Love. Just over a year later she appeared one last time on a Norman Connors album, singing the title song Remember Who You Are, which became a minor R&B hit.

Hyman's last album, I Refuse To Be Lonely, was a journey into her personal life. Both the title track and the single I'm Truly Yours became minor R&B hits. She struggled with bipolar disorder, depression, alcoholism, weight gain and financial problems. She was also emotionally exhausted from lending her talents to AIDS benefits concerts and support groups. Adding to her sorrow, in 1993 her mother, grandmother and a close friend all died within the span of a month.

Death

On the afternoon of June 30, 1995, Hyman committed suicide with vodka and an overdose of sleeping pills. She was found hours before she was scheduled to perform at the Apollo Theatre. A suicide note read, "I'm tired. I'm tired. Those of you that I love know who you are. May God bless you." It is thought that the last part of the message was for her family and fans. Phyllis passed away just six days short of her 46th birthday.

In November 1995, Hyman's final album, I Refuse to Be Lonely, was released. Three years after her death, a posthumous album of previously unreleased songs was published. Forever With You (1998) contains smooth love songs and bittersweet ballads, mostly trying to find acceptance within a relationship.

Awards and accolades

As well as her Theater World Award and Tony Award nomination for her performance in Sophisticated Ladies, Hyman's achievements included several music awards. In 1992 she was voted 'Number One Best Female Vocalist' in the United Kingdom by Blues & Soul magazine readers, over Anita Baker, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin.

Hyman was beloved by many famous musicians, including David Hanson of the O'Bros. She was one of Bill Cosby's favorite singers. Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack and George Benson would go out of their way to hear her perform. Long-time fan Barry Manilow worked on one of her early singles. Her songs were frequently sought out for remixes by DJs and dance clubs.

Socially conscious rap group, A Tribe Called Quest, spoke of Phyllis Hyman in their song, Baby Phife's Return, by saying, 'Let me take this time to say R.I.P. to Phyllis Hyman/Who never got the props that she damn well deserved...'

Discography

Albums

Compilations

  • The Best Of Phyllis Hyman (1986, Arista)
  • Under Her Spell: Phyllis Hyman's Greatest Hits (1989, Arista)
  • Greatest Hits (1994, Kama Sutra)
  • The Best Of Phyllis Hyman: The Buddah Years (1995, Castle)
  • Loving You, Losing You: The Classic Balladry Of Phyllis Hyman (1996, EMI)
  • The Legacy Of Phyllis Hyman (1996, Arista)
  • Sweet Music (1998, Camden)
  • Remembered (Roadshow) (1998, Roadshow)
  • Master Hits (1999, Arista)
  • It's About Me (2000, West Side)
  • The Essence Of Phyllis Hyman (2003, BMG)
  • In Between The Heartaches (2003, Import)
  • Ultimate Phyllis Hyman (2004, BMG)
  • Remembered (Liquid) (2004, Liquid 8)
  • Platinum & Gold Collection (2004, BMG)
  • Love Songs (2006, Legacy/Arista)

See also

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