Sharon Jones

Jones was born in Augusta, Georgia,{{cite web | url=https://www.visitaugusta.com/newaugustan/the-late-great-sharon-jones | title=The Late Great Sharon Jones }} the daughter of Ella Mae Price Jones{{cite news|last1=Rhodes|first1=Don|title=Mother of Blues Singer Dies in Augusta|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/latest-news/2012-03-06/mother-blues-singer-dies-augusta|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=Augusta Chronicle|date=March 6, 2012}} and Charlie Jones,{{cite news|last1=Koshkin|first1=Brett|title=Soul Survivor: She's Conquered Cancer, Now Sharon Jones Is Ready to Reclaim the Stage |url=http://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/soul-survivor-shes-conquered-cancer-now-sharon-jones-is-ready-to-reclaim-the-stage/Content?oid=2505512|access-date=September 15, 2015 |work=River Front Times|date=February 27, 2014}} living in adjacent North Augusta, South Carolina.{{cite news|last1=Kenny|first1=Steve|last2=Coscarelli|first2=Joe|title=Sharon Jones, Powerful Voice of Soul With the Dap-Kings, Dies at 60|date=November 18, 2016|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/arts/music/sharon-jones-dap-kings-dies.html}}{{cite web | url=https://www.wrdw.com/content/news/Grammy-nominated-singer-Sharon-Jones-dies-following-battle-with-cancer-401980136.html | title=Grammy-nominated singer Sharon Jones dies following battle with cancer | date=19 November 2016 }} Jones was the youngest of six children; her siblings are Dora, Charles, Ike, Willa and Henry.{{cite web|title=Sharon Jones' Fundraiser: The Ella Mae Jones Memorial |url=https://www.crowdrise.com/theellamaejonesmemorial/fundraiser/sharonjones2|website=Crowdrise|access-date=September 15, 2015|date=2012}} Jones's mother raised her deceased sister's four children as well as her own. She moved the family to New York City when Sharon was a young child. As children, she and her brothers would often imitate the singing and dancing of James Brown.{{cite news|last1=Gross|first1=Terry|title=Sharon Jones Is 'Nobody's Baby'|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16690407|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=Fresh Air|publisher=NPR|date=November 28, 2007}} Her mother happened to know Brown, who was also from Augusta.

Jones grew up in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. In 1975, she graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn.{{cite news|last1=Browne|first1=David|title=Schooled in Hard Tries: Sharon Jones Is What You'd Call a Soul Survivor.|url=http://nymag.com/arts/popmusic/features/65090/|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=New York|date=March 28, 2010}}{{cite web|title=Jefferson 1974 Yearbook: Sharon Jones. Brooklyn College. Singer. Chorus, Track Team |url=http://www.museumoffamilyhistory.com/Jefferson/yearbooks.htm?year=1974&month=6&page=78|website=Museum of Family History|access-date=September 15, 2015}} She attended Brooklyn College.

A regular gospel singer in church, during the early 1970s Jones often entered talent shows backed by local funk bands. Session work then continued with backing vocals, often credited to Lafaye Jones, but in the absence of any recording contract as a solo singer, she spent many years working as a corrections officer at Rikers Island and as an armored car guard for Wells Fargo, until receiving a mid-life career break in 1996 after she appeared on a session backing the soul and deep funk legend Lee Fields.{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/sharon-jones-dead_us_582fb10be4b030997bbf9081|title=Titan Of Soul Sharon Jones Dies At 60 From Cancer|first=Peter Andrew|last=Hart|date=November 18, 2016|work=HuffPost|access-date=November 19, 2016}}

The session was organized by Gabriel Roth and Philippe Lehman, then the owner of the now-defunct French record label Pure Records. Jones was the only one of three singers called to the session to show up. Having completed all the backing parts herself, Roth and Lehman were suitably impressed with her performance and recorded "Switchblade", a solo track with Jones. This track and "The Landlord" were included on the Soul Providers' album Soul Tequila, released by Lehman on Pure circa 1996. The Soul Providers—with members of the Brooklyn bands Antibalas and the Mighty Imperials—later formed the Dap-Kings, who became Jones's regular backing band.{{cite web|url=http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/soul_survivors-how_classic_rhythm_blues_has_become_vital|last=Schneider|first=Jason|title= Soul Survivors: How Classic Rhythm & Blues Has Become Vital Once Again|work=Exclaim!|date=September 24, 2007|access-date=October 18, 2007}}

Lehman and Roth started a new label based in Brooklyn, Desco Records, now also defunct. Soul Tequila was re-released as Gimme the Paw, which omitted "The Landlord" but kept "Switchblade". Jones recorded and released three 45-rpm singles for Desco: "Damn It's Hot" part 1 backed by part 2, "Bump N Touch" part 1 backed by "Hook and Sling Meets the Funky Superfly" (a medley cover of tracks by Eddie Bo and Bobby Williams), and "You Better Think Twice" backed by "I Got the Feeling" (a James Brown cover). The singles gained some notice among 45 soul and funk collectors, particularly because in the early days of Desco Records some collectors may have believed them to be originals from the early seventies, as they were not dated. These singles were also released on a compilation CD, the Desco Funk 45' Collection, with tracks by various other artists in the Desco stable. Desco had established a firm reputation among enthusiasts. Desco continued to release 45-rpm singles and also released LPs by Lee Fields, the Sugarman 3, the Daktaris and the Mighty Imperials as well as a further compilation of funk 45s. The Mighty Imperials album was the last release on the Desco label, and Lehman and Roth parted ways in 2000. Lehman started another independent label, Soul Fire Records, now also defunct. Roth went on to start Daptone Records with the saxophonist Neal Sugarman of Sugarman 3.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/sharon-jones-soul-singer-with-dap-kings-dead-at-60-w451517|title=Sharon Jones, Soul and Funk Singer With Dap-Kings, Dead at 60|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=November 19, 2016}}

Launched on the back of the popularity of Desco Records, Daptone Records' first release was a full-length album by Sharon Jones. A new band, the Dap-Kings, was formed from the former members of the Soul Providers and the Mighty Imperials. Some of the musicians went on to record for Lehman's Soul Fire label, while some formed the Budos Band, an Afro-beat band. From the original Soul Providers, Roth (also known as Bosco Mann) on bass, guitarist and emcee Binky Griptite, percussionist Fernando Velez, trumpet player Anda Szilagyi and organist Earl Maxton were joined by original Mighty Imperials saxophonist Leon Michels and drummer Homer Steinweiss, plus Neal Sugarman from Sugarman 3, to form The Dap-Kings.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/music/news/sharon-jones-dead-dies-dap-kings-1201922559/|title=Singer Sharon Jones Dies at 60|first=Pat|last=Saperstein|date=November 19, 2016|work=Variety|access-date=November 19, 2016}}

File:SharonJonesTreefort2013.jpg]]

In 2002, under the name Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, the group released the album Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, for which they received immediate attention and acclaim from enthusiasts, DJs and collectors. With three more albums under their belt, Naturally (2005), 100 Days, 100 Nights (2007) and I Learned the Hard Way (2010){{cite magazine|last1=Lipshutz|first1=Jason|title=Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, "I Learned the Hard Way"|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/review/1069410/sharon-jones-the-dap-kings-i-learned-the-hard-way|access-date=September 15, 2015|magazine=Billboard|date=April 23, 2010}} they are seen by many as the spearhead of a revival of soul and funk.{{cite news|last1=Milligan|first1=Nick|title=Soul Sacrifice|url=http://issuu.com/reverbmagazine/docs/issue53/18|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=Reverb Magazine|issue=53|date=December 2010}}

In 2015, during an interview with Billboard about her Grammy nomination, Jones discussed her commitment to the Daptone Label, an independent company. She cited artistic freedom and the commitment to the band.{{cite magazine|last1=Leight|first1=Elias|title=Exclusive: Sharon Jones Premieres 'Little Boys With Shiny Toys' & Talks First Grammy Nom|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/grammys-2015/6429517/sharon-jones-dap-kings-premiere-grammy|access-date=September 15, 2015|magazine=Billboard|date=January 7, 2015}}

Jones had a small part in the 2007 film The Great Debaters, starring Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker, in which she played Lila, a juke joint singer. Her performance of Lucille Bogan's "That's What My Baby Likes" is featured in the film, and additional covers by Jones of songs from the 1930s are included on the film's soundtrack.{{cite news|last1=O'Connell|first1=Chris|title=SXSW: Sharon Jones: Too Short, Too Dark, Too Fat?|url=http://www.avclub.com/article/sxsw-sharon-jones-too-short-too-dark-too-fat-38926|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=The A.V. Club|date=March 10, 2010}} In 2015, a documentary titled Miss Sharon Jones!, directed by Barbara Kopple, debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival.{{cite news|last1=Felperin|first1=Leslie|title='Miss Sharon Jones!': TIFF Review|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/miss-sharon-jones-tiff-review-822461|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=September 11, 2015}}

• 2007: She performed on tour with Lou Reed, although her appearance in The Great Debaters caused Jones to turn down a stint as back-up singer for Reed's fall 2007 live show built around his Berlin album. She performed one song on the David Byrne–Fatboy Slim collaboration, Here Lies Love.{{cite news |last= Brown |first= Helen|title= Here Lies Love: David Byrne and Fatboy Slim, CD review |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/7545086/Here-Lies-Love-David-Byrne-and-Fatboy-Slim-CD-review.html| date= April 1, 2010|newspaper= The Daily Telegraph |location=London| access-date= November 24, 2016 }}
• 2009: Jones sang backup for Phish during their 2009 Halloween performance of the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St., at Festival 8, in Indio, California.{{cite web|url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/phish-with-help/|title=Phish, with help from Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, covered Exile on Main St. @ Halloween 'Festival 8′ in Indio – pics|date=November 11, 2009 |publisher=brooklynvegan.com|access-date=November 19, 2016}}
• 2009: Jones performed a duet of "Baby (You've Got What It Takes)" with Michael Bublé on his 2009 album Crazy Love.{{cite web|url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/musique/2016/11/19/03006-20161119ARTFIG00067-mort-de-sharon-jones-chanteuse-et-diva-soul.php|title=Mort de Sharon Jones, chanteuse et diva soul|first=Allyson|last=Jouin-Claude|date=November 19, 2016|access-date=November 19, 2016|work=Le Figaro}}
• 2013: Jones & The Dap-Kings performed on a float during the 87th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.{{cite news|last1=Rohn|first1=Jake|title=Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings to Play Macy's Thanksgiving Parade|url=https://www.bet.com/article/toecyv/sharon-jones-and-the-dap-kings-to-play-macy-s-parade|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=BET|date=November 26, 2013}}
• 2015: Jones performed "Wade in the Water" on the BBC television program Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South, presented by Reginald D. Hunter.{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02j952b|title=Reginald D Hunter's Songs of the South, Alabama and Georgia|work=BBC|date=February 28, 2015|access-date=March 1, 2015}}
• 2016: Jones performed "100 Days, 100 Nights" in the closing scenes of the Marvel Netflix TV series Luke Cage. Jones and her band were shown performing live in a Harlem night club central to one of the main story arcs of the series.{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/luke-cage-ep-wanted-prince-guest-star-reveals-which-plot-point-was-purple-rain-singer-2427530|title='Luke Cage' EP Wanted Prince To Guest Star; Reveals Which Plot Point Was For 'Purple Rain' Singer|date=October 6, 2016|work=International Business Times|access-date=November 19, 2016}}

Jones has sometimes been called, especially early in her late renaissance of a career, the Female James Brown.

Amongst Jones' influences were James Brown, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Thom Bell, Otis Redding, Ike & Tina Turner, Marva Whitney and everyone from Motown. In addition, Jones also cited more recently known artists, such as Michael Jackson, Prince, Erykah Badu and Beyoncé.{{cite web | last=Medeiros|first=Jotabê|title=Baixa e negra Demais| url= http://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/arteelazer,baixa-e-negra-demais,706839,0.htm|work=O Estado de S.Paulo|date=April 16, 2011| access-date=April 16, 2011}}

For several years she lived with her mother in the Far Rockaway section of Queens, New York.

It was announced on June 3, 2013, that Jones had been diagnosed with bile duct cancer{{cite magazine|last1=EW Staff|title=Singer Sharon Jones Diagnosed with Bile Cancer, Cancels Upcoming Tour and Album|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2013/06/03/sharon-jones-cancer-album-tour|access-date=September 15, 2015|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=June 3, 2013}} and had undergone surgery, which forced her to postpone the release of the group's fifth album, Give the People What They Want.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainment-us-sharonjonesthedapkings-idUSBRE9520YI20130603|title=Soul singer Sharon Jones Says She Has Cancer, Postpones Album|date=June 3, 2013|work=Reuters|access-date=November 2, 2014}} The diagnosis was later changed to stage II pancreatic cancer, for which Jones had surgery on her liver and underwent chemotherapy.{{cite news|last1=Rhodes|first1=Don|title=Sharon Jones Has Liver Surgery|url=http://chronicle.augusta.com/things-do/arts/2015-01-09/sharon-jones-has-liver-surgery|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=Augusta Chronicle|date=January 9, 2015}} The chemotherapy caused hair loss, and for a time she performed bald, refusing to wear wigs.{{cite news|last1=Hyman|first1=Dan|title=Q. and A.: Months After Beating Cancer, Sharon Jones Is Back on the Road|url=http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/09/q-a-months-after-beating-cancer-sharon-jones-is-back-on-the-road/|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=The New York Times|date=January 9, 2014}}{{cite news|last1=Schwartzberg|first1=Lauren|title=Sharon Jones on Beating Cancer, and Her New Album Give the People What They Want|url=http://www.vulture.com/2014/01/sharon-jones-on-cancer-new-album.html|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=Vulture|date=February 2, 2014}}

During the screening of her documentary at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival,{{cite news|last1=Anderson|first1=John|title='Miss Sharon Jones!' Wows Crowds in Toronto|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/miss-sharon-jones-wows-crowds-in-toronto-20150912|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=Indiewire|date=September 15, 2015}} Jones revealed that her cancer had returned,{{cite news|last1=Hudson|first1=Alex|title=Sharon Jones' Cancer Has Returned|url=http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/sharon_jones_cancer_has_returned|access-date=September 15, 2015|work=Exclaim!|date=September 13, 2015}} and that she would be undergoing chemotherapy again.{{cite magazine|last1=Vain|first1=Madison|title=Soul Singer Sharon Jones Reveals Cancer Returned During Doc Screening at TIFF|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/14/sharon-jones-cancer-returns|access-date=September 15, 2015|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=September 14, 2015}} She suffered a stroke while watching the 2016 United States presidential election results and another the following day.{{Cite news |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/306953-sharon-jones-said-trump-gave-her-a-stroke-report/ |title=Musician Sharon Jones 'blamed' Trump for stroke: report |last=Shelbourne |first=Mallory |date=November 20, 2016}} Jones remained alert and lucid during the initial period of her hospital stay, claiming light-heartedly that the news of Donald Trump's victory was responsible for her stroke.{{cite news|title=Dap-Kings' Gabriel Roth recalls Sharon Jones' last days: 'She didn't want to stop singing'|access-date=November 21, 2016|date=November 21, 2016|work=Los Angeles Times|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-et-ms-sharon-jones-gabriel-roth-last-days-20161119-story.html}}{{cite news|title=Sharon Jones suffered a stroke while watching the election results, Dap-Kings say|access-date=November 21, 2016|date=November 21, 2016|work=The A.V. Club|url= https://www.avclub.com/sharon-jones-suffered-a-stroke-while-watching-the-elect-1798254557}}

Jones died on November 18, 2016, in Cooperstown, New York, aged 60. Her respective memorial services were held at Brown Memorial Baptist Church in Clinton Hill, New York on December 14, 2016 and Imperial Theatre in Augusta, Georgia three days later.https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/sharon-jones/sharon-jones-memorials-announced

{{Main|Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings discography}}

• Dap Dippin' with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings (2002)
• Naturally (2005)
• 100 Days, 100 Nights (2007)
• I Learned the Hard Way (2010)
• Soul Time! (compilation) (2011)
• Give the People What They Want (2014)
• It's a Holiday Soul Party (2015)
• Soul of a Woman (2017)

Singles

• "Damn It's Hot" (Desco, 1996){{cite web|last=Levine|first=Nick|date=November 19, 2016|title=Sharon Jones, Dap Kings singer, has died aged 60|url=http://www.nme.com/news/music/1864023-1864023|access-date=November 22, 2016|work=NME}}{{cite web|last=Sweeting|first=Adam|date=November 20, 2016|title=Sharon Jones Obituary|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/20/sharon-jones-obituary|access-date=November 22, 2016|work=The Guardian}}
• "Bump N Touch Part 1" / "Hook N Sling Meets The Funky Superfly" (Desco, 1997)
• "You Better Think Twice" / "I Got The Feeling" (Desco, 1998)

As featured artist

• The Soul Providers featuring Lee Fields – "The Landlord" from Gimme The Paw ...And Eleven Other Funky Favorites (1997); vocals
• Norma Jean Bell – "Yes I Am (I'm Gonna Get You)" from Come Into My Room (2001)
• Greyboy – "Got To Be A Love," "Gotta' Stand For Something" & " Everyday Problem" from Soul Mosaic (Ubiquity, 2004)
• Los Walkysons – "Do The Crank / I Idolize You" feat. Sharon Jones (2006)
• They Might Be Giants – "Withered Hope" from The Else (2007)
• Wax Tailor – "The Way We Lived" feat. Sharon Jones from Hope & Sorrow (Decon, 2007)
• Greyboy – "Got To Be A Love" feat. Sharon Jones from 15 Years Of West Coast Cool (2008)
• Lucky Peterson – "Will The Circle Be Unbroken?" from Organ Soul Sessions: The Music Is The Magic (Universal Jazz France, 2009)
• David Byrne & Fatboy Slim – "Dancing Together" from Here Lies Love (2010)
• Booker T. Jones – "Representing Memphis" feat. Matt Berninger & Sharon Jones from The Road From Memphis (ANTI, 2011)
• Steve Cropper – "Come On & Save Me" and "Messin' Up" feat. Sharon Jones from Dedicated: A Salute To The 5 Royales (429 Records, 2011)
• Joe Jackson – "I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues / Do Nothin' 'Til You Hear From Me" from The Duke (Ear Music, 2012)
• E.L. Fields Gospel Wonders – "Heaven Bound" (Daptone, 2017)

Other credits

• Gangsters – Heat I (1981); backing vocals
• Ivy – Ivy II (1986); vocals
• Lee Fields – "Let Man Do What He Wana Do" / "Steamtrain" (Desco, 1996); backing vocals
• TriSpirit – "Rejoice" feat. Tonni Smith (2003); backing vocals
• New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble – Skaleidoscope (2005); vocals
• Rufus Wainwright – "Release The Stars" from Release The Stars (Geffen, 2007); backing vocals
• Lou Reed – Berlin: Live At St. Ann's Warehouse (2008); backing vocals
• Naomi Shelton and The Gospel Queens – What Have You Done, My Brother? (Daptone, 2009); backing vocals
• The Gaslight Anthem – "Stray Paper" from Get Hurt (2014); backing vocals

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{commons category|Sharon Jones}}

• {{official website|http://www.sharonjonesandthedapkings.com/}}
• {{AllMusic|class=artist|label=Sharon Jones|id=p188455}}
• {{IMDb name|nm1392716|Sharon Jones}}
• Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, [http://www.amoeba.com/live-shows/detail-964#cat-most_recent_shows/-/urle-video-gallery Live at Amoeba: Amoeba Records, Hollywood.] December 3, 2007.
• Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, [https://www.npr.org/2010/03/17/124091931/sxsw-2010-sharon-jones-and-the-dap-kings-live-in-concert NPR Showcase @ Stubb's] (audio of concert) / KEXP @ SXSW. "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIjus1mwEMU I'll Still Be True]," "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--SXphZC50o Road of Broken Hearted Men]," "[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W842GnuPxLU I'm Not Gonna to Cry]" (video of songs). March 17, 2010.
• Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, [http://acltv.com/episode/season-34/sharon-jones-the-dap-kingscarolyn-wonderland/ Austin City Limits.] June 18, 2011.

{{Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Sharon}}

Category:1956 births

Category:2016 deaths

Category:American funk singers

Category:American prison officers

Category:American rhythm and blues singers

Category:20th-century African-American women singers

Category:Brooklyn College alumni

Category:Musicians from Augusta, Georgia

Category:Singers from Brooklyn

Category:American neo soul singers

Category:Singers from South Carolina

Category:Desco Records artists

Category:Daptone Records artists

Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in New York (state)

Category:Singers from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:20th-century American singers

Category:20th-century American women singers

Category:21st-century American women singers

Category:Thomas Jefferson High School (Brooklyn) alumni

Category:People from North Augusta, South Carolina

Category:Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings members

Category:21st-century American singers

Category:21st-century African-American women singers