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Sarah Vaughan, 1924-1990
A consummate vocal artist, Sarah Vaughan moved effortlessly between the worlds of jazz and pop music. Following her debut with Earl Hines's orchestra (1943), Vaughan joined Billy Eckstine's pioneering band, where she was profoundly influenced by its stellar roster of jazz and bop innovators, including Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. She remained with Eckstine for a year and worked briefly with John Kirby's ensemble before launching her highly successful solo career in 1946. The supple contralto and remarkable range showcased on Vaughan's first hit, "Tenderly" (1947), won her legions of fans. Peers such as Ella Fitzgerald called her the world's "greatest singing talent," and the readers of DownBeat magazine voted her the best female singer for six consecutive years (1947–52). When Vaughan performed at Carnegie Hall in 1957, New York Times music critic John S. Wilson observed, "She has what may well be the finest voice ever applied to jazz." |