Sarah Vaughan

Sarah was a great singer.

She played the piano too. She sang in a big band. People called her "Sassy."

She won many awards for her music. One award was for her whole life of work. She also sang with a large group of players. Her voice was very special. It was one of the best in her time. It is fun to hear her sing.

Do you like music?

Sarah Vaughan was a famous jazz singer and pianist.

She was born in Newark, New Jersey. Her father played the piano and guitar. Her mother sang in a church choir. Sarah began piano lessons when she was seven. She also sang in her church choir.

Sarah loved popular music. She performed in clubs as a teenager. She even won a contest at the Apollo Theater.

This win helped her start a big career. She sang with the Earl Hines big band. She also worked with Billy Eckstine. Many great jazz players played in these bands.

People gave her many nicknames. They called her "Sassy" and "The Divine One." She was also known as the "Queen of Bebop."

Sarah won two Grammy Awards. She also won a Lifetime Achievement Award. One critic said she had a wondrous voice. She recorded many hits like "Misty" and "Broken Hearted Melody." She played in many jazz festivals too. Her music was loved by many people.

Sarah Vaughan was a legendary American jazz singer and pianist.

People called her "Sassy" and "The Divine One." Some even named her the "Queen of Bebop." She had a voice that critics called wondrous. Her talent earned her two Grammy Awards. She also received a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1989, she won the NEA Jazz Masters Award. These honors show how much people valued her music.

Sarah grew up in Newark, New Jersey. Her father, Jake, was a carpenter who played guitar and piano. Her mother, Ada, sang in a church choir. Sarah started piano lessons when she was seven years old. She also sang in the New Mount Zion Baptist Church choir. As a teenager, she played piano and sang in local clubs. She even dropped out of high school to focus on music. This choice helped her become a professional performer.

Her big break happened at the famous Apollo Theater. In 1942, she entered an amateur contest. She sang the song "Body and Soul" and won. This victory gave her a week of performances. During this time, she met bandleader Earl Hines. He offered her a job in his big band. She toured the country with him and Billy Eckstine. This band was a special place where new jazz styles grew.

Sarah recorded many famous songs throughout her life. In 1944, she made her first recordings for De Luxe. Later, she sang hits like "Lover Man" and "Nature Boy." She also had great success with the song "Misty." In 1959, she had her first gold record with "Broken Hearted Melody." She worked with many great musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. These artists helped create the sounds of jazz.

Her career took her to many different stages. She performed at the Newport Jazz Festival many times. She also sang with a symphony orchestra in Philadelphia. In 1949, she even had her own radio show in New York. She lived in a large house in Newark with her husband, George Treadwell. Her music reached people through records, radio, and live shows. She remains a very important part of music history.

Sarah Vaughan was a legendary American jazz singer and pianist.

She earned nicknames like "Sassy," "The Divine One," and the "Queen of Bebop." Music critics described her voice as one of the most wondrous of the 20th century. Her immense talent earned her two Grammy Awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also a nine-time Grammy nominee. In 1989, she received the NEA Jazz Masters Award. These honors reflect her massive influence on music history.

Vaughan's musical journey began in Newark, New Jersey. Her father, Jake, was a carpenter who played guitar and piano. Her mother, Ada, sang in a church choir. Sarah began piano lessons at age seven. She also sang in the New Mount Zion Baptist Church choir. As a teenager, she performed at local clubs and the Newark Airport. Eventually, she left high school during her junior year. She did this to focus entirely on her music career.

Her professional breakthrough occurred at the Apollo Theater in New York City. In 1942, at age 18, she competed in an amateur contest. She sang "Body and Soul" and won the competition. This victory provided a $10 prize and a week of performances. During this time, she met bandleader Earl Hines. Hines hired her to join his big band on April 4, 1943.

Working with the Earl Hines band was a defining period. The group acted as an incubator for bebop, a style of jazz. This band included famous musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Because of a musicians' union recording ban, no commercial recordings exist from this specific era. Later, Vaughan joined Billy Eckstine's band in 1944. This allowed her to make her first professional recordings. She recorded "I'll Wait and Pray" for De Luxe on December 5, 1944.

Vaughan's solo career flourished through various record labels. She first recorded for Musicraft, where she released hits like "Tenderly." She was proud to be the first to record that jazz standard. In 1948, she signed with Columbia Records. During her time with Columbia, she focused on commercial pop ballads. These included songs like "That Lucky Old Sun" and "Black Coffee."

In 1953, Vaughan signed a contract with Mercury Records. This deal was unique because it had two different paths. She recorded commercial material for Mercury and jazz music for its subsidiary, EmArcy. She worked with producer Bob Shad to achieve both artistic and commercial success. Her hit "Make Yourself Comfortable" arrived in 1954. Her commercial peak occurred in 1959 with "Broken Hearted Melody." This song became her first gold record.

Vaughan's career was marked by constant performance and collaboration. She performed at the first Newport Jazz Festival in 1954. She also appeared on television shows like "Stars on Parade." In 1949, she hosted her own radio program, "Songs by Sarah Vaughan." She often performed alongside great artists like Billy Eckstine.

Their duet recordings, such as "Passing Strangers," were very popular. She remained a staple of the jazz scene for decades.