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     Sara Vaughn

   When the topic of great American singing voices is discussed, three women are almost always mentioned. Among those three is Sarah Vaughn.

Born March 27, 1924 this Newark, NJ native's church singing (Mount Zion Baptist Church of Newark) and extensive piano lessons would eventually win Amateur Night at the Apollo (1942: performing "Body and Soul"). This win would lead to her being hired by The Earl Hines Big Band. As with everything in life obstacles (big musicians recording strike of 1943-1944, to be specific) would keep her from recording until later. When lifelong friend Billy Eckstine left the Earl Hines Big Band it worked in her favor.  He formed his own orchestra, bringing her with him and in effect jump started her recording career. During her time with the Eckstine orchestra two key members, Charlie Parker and Dizzie Gillespie, would influence her singing style. The influence they had on Sarah's singing was her incorporation of bop phrasing into her vocals. Not only was she one of the very first singers to do so, but Ms. Vaughn had the skill to pull it off on the same level as Parker and Gillespie's playing.

Ms. Vaughn would record with Continental in 1944 and 45, then Musicraft from '46-'48, Columbia '49-'53, Mercury/Emarcy '53-'59, Roulette '60-'64, and back to Mercury recording '63-'67. She then took a 4-year break from recording, returning to the studio signed with Mainstream Records 1971-'74. Throughout her career Sarah's voice never lost a single bit of it's power, beauty or flexability. She kept touring extensivley around the world up until near the very end.

One of the world's most impeccable voices left us April 3, 1990.