Sharon Jones 1956 – 2016
By Scott Bernstein Nov 18, 2016 • 6:15 pm PST
2016 has been the worst year on record for the loss of musical superstars and the hits keep coming. Grammy-nominated soul singer Sharon Jones has lost her long battle against pancreatic cancer. The sad news about Sharon Jones’ death was reported in a note posted on Jones’ website and shared on her social feeds.
Read the note posted on Sharon Jones’ website:
We are deeply saddened to announce that Sharon Jones has passed away after a heroic battle against pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by her loved ones, including the Dap-Kings. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the following organizations:
Additional memorial details will follow soon.
Though Sharon Jones was born in South Carolina, she moved to New York City early in her life and considered herself a full-fledged New Yorker. Unable to earn enough money as a gospel singer, funk band leader and session vocalist in her 20s and 30s, Jones worked for many years as both a corrections officer at New York City’s most infamous prison – Riker’s Island – and providing security and driving an armored car for Wells Fargo Bank. It was in 1996, when she was 40, that she got her big break. Jones was tapped to back soul legend Lee Fields at a studio session and handled all of the parts required when the other vocalists hired didn’t show up. One of the organizers of the session was Gabriel Roth, who picked up on Jones’ massive pipes and incredible presence. Later Roth would start Daptone Records and made Sharon one of his stars.
Roth and Jones collaborated to put together an album that would wind up being the first full-length release on Daptone Records. A backing band was formed and called The Dap-Kings featuring members of now defunct Brooklyn bands Soul Providers and the Mighty Imperials. In 2002 Daptone issued Dap Dippin’ With Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings and it immediately caught the attention of the blogospere. Not only was the album great, but the outfit pulled off vibrant and powerful live performances that garnered comparisons to James Brown.
Sharon Jones And The Dap-Tones soon released three more outstanding records for a fanbase that continued to grow from New York City to across the U.S. to around the world: 2005’s Naturally, 2007’s 100 Days, 1000 Nights and 2010’s I Learned The Hard Way. Jones even gave acting a go with a part in 2007’s The Great Debaters.
In 2013 Jones revealed she had been diagnosed with stage two pancreatic cancer. Though her Give The People What They Want LP and supporting tour were postponed, the album was eventually released and she returned to the stage and was proclaimed to be cancer free. The proclamation came after a brutal nine months in which she underwent surgery that according to Rolling Stone involved the removal of her gallbladder, the head of her pancreas and 18 inches of her small intestine. Sadly, last year she revealed the cancer had returned. This time it was stage four and had seen tumors appear on her lung, liver and lymph nodes. The news was shared at the 2015 premiere of Miss Sharon Jones, a documentary about the vocalist. 2016 had been a quiet year for Sharon, though Jones And The Dap-Kings released a soulful cover of “Midnight Rider”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5uNxudzDM8Sharon Jones was 60. Our thoughts are with her friends and family.
