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PHYLLIS HYMAN
INTERNET NEWSLETTER # 6
March 21, 1997
Hi Everyone!
We are back with a great issue! Glenda Gracia, Phyllis' friend and
manager, follows up last issue's article
about the causes of the
suicide with a deeper look at
depression. For me, these 2 articles
have made it easier to understand why a
wonderful human being
like Phyllis would take her own life.
Glenda's article in the last issue also inspired co-editor Richard
Kenyada and reader Pat Whitfield to
tackle the issue of manic
depression as well. Also of great
interest is Tom Conroy's first
hand account of the memorial service
held for Phyllis after her death
in her hometown, Pittsburgh. I would
also like to thank readers
Tracy Grant, Tony Moor and LaTonya Jones
for their excellent
contributions! Finally, since today is
the first day of Spring, Richard
Kenyada has written the excellent
article "Sing Joy.....Spring".
Enjoy!
Walid
***************************************************
From: Glenda Gracia
Dear Friends,
I've been looking at the dis-ease of depression and the various ways
to
view the causes of depression...
One recent source that I have been reading, describes "depression" to
mean that something is being "dug up"
for you to look at. Now, clearly,
this is not the so-called technical or
clinical definition of
depression. And, I understand that many
psychologists believe that
depression is linked to a chemical or
hormonal imbalance within the
body/brain that triggers the state.
But, when you consider the concept of something being "dug up" for you
to
look at --- you can appreciate how when
people want to initiate the
healing process, that they do really
have to dig their "stuff " up in
order to look at it so that they can
process it and release it.
Western medicine views depression as a negative activity or state.
But,
if we look at depression as an
opportunity to view our pain and heal it
--- then depression becomes useful in
the healing and clearing process.
The only *natural* way out of depression
is to go through the depression
and look at every aspect of what comes
up during the depression and
heal each thing that comes up during the
process of it coming up. In
many respects and on many levels, we
could even be brave enough to consider
depression a useful tool for our
adventure through life.
Now, imagine this : you start your journey toward healing and you
bump into
something that you don't want to "dig
up"... You see the tip of it and it
is just way to painful for you to
uncover and get through. This is
a "demon" that you just want to leave
alone. You're not even sure you
have the courage to face/confront that
demon head on...
Phyllis faced these challenges. Her healing journey was not only
difficult; ultimately, it was fatal.
What she had the most difficult
time really believing was that she did
not have to take her healing journey
alone. However, she found herself
disappointed many times in the choices
she made for healing partners. What she
discovered was that, in
many cases, she was further along in her
journey than they were --- so
how could they be supportive for her?
More often than not, she found
herself having to be their lifeline ---
their rock.
All she ever wanted was to be able to lean really hard on that special
person and have them not be moved... not
waver, not falter.
We all want to know that someone will be there for us, don't we?
Phyllis
was that simple too. She had this as a
really basic need. Was it ever
fulfilled? Not really.
But, again we have to look at our choices : why do we attract or are
attracted to who it is that we partner
with? If the partnership doesn't
work and we continue to be attracted to
the same "type" of partner, we
may need to examine what it is that we
are trying to heal by repeating a
pattern that continues to make us visit
a certain pain? A certain
trauma...
In many ways, Phyllis did not feel that she deserved to be loved. So,
she
would partner with people who could
ultimately disappoint her and make
her feel as if she was not being loved
by them. Almost the
self-fulfilling prophecy concept, you
know?
What this all boils down to is this : underneath it all, Phyllis was
a
very warm, special, loving and tender
woman, who really just needed to
know that someone special would be there
for her no matter what. That
they could handle her --- all of her and
love her unconditionally.
To receive unconditional love, each of us has to first love our Selves
unconditionally. This way, we really
know it when we find it because we
do it for our Selves. This was
Phyllis' greatest challenge. When her
journey toward this goal finally became
too overwhelming, where it just
seemed too long, too rough, I guess she
just elected to step off...
I don't know if this has helped any of you get reconciled or have more
insight. I hope, if nothing else, it
has created some perspective.
Stay in the Light and Love,
G.
************************************************************
A Personal Tribute by Tracy Grant
My earliest memories of her were as
a child, listening to her and
Michael Henderson sing on Norman
Connors' records, or as part
of a Pharaoh Sanders ensemble (a la 'As
You Are.') To my folks, she
was a talented and special jazz voice,
but at that time, none of us
understood how special Phyllis Hyman
was. As my musical tastes
began to develop, so did my love for her
music, though it was dormant
for some time; as a child, I wasn't into
jazz, and like many others, I was
quick to associate Phyllis with her jazz
background. Still, even as a
youngster, certain performances of hers
struck me; "I Don't Want To
Lose You," "As You Are," "No One Can
Love You More," "Betcha By Golly
Wow." I was a fan before I even knew
it.
I was ten or eleven when I saw her in "Sophisticated Ladies."
The
play was a wonderful tribute to Mr.
Ellington, but why was Phyllis'
role so limited? I couldn't help but
wonder. She wasn't doing as
much recording as the other female
singers I heard on the radio, so
my mother's Phyllis Hyman albums became
very valuable. I didn't play
them that much, but just the knowledge
that they were there put me at
ease somehow. It was all I had; I
wasn't yet old enough to get into
the Blue Note, or Sweetwater's, or
Mikell's, which was twenty steps
from my building, on the same block
where I grew up.
My appreciation for Phyllis took shape when I went to school in
Washington D.C. By then, "Living All
Alone" had been a hit album,
and Phyllis' constant road show had
begun. What I'd missed in New York's
Blue Note I more than made up for in
D.C.'s Blues Alley, where Phyllis
taught me about music, about women,
really about love itself. Though as a
college student I was a DJ whose first
love was Hip-Hop,
I could no longer fight my attraction to
her music and my subsequent
attraction to her. A gifted songstress
and interpreter of music, a wild
sense of humor, beautiful, sexy. For
all of the young women who
loved Luther, Phyllis was the female
compliment for me and countless
other men.
By the time I graduated from college, "In The Prime Of My Life"
was
climbing the charts, and it was exciting
to see my queen with a Number
One single and hit video for "Don't
Wanna Change The World." Now I
was a 'Hymanologist,' versed in all
areas of Phyllis' career. I had
seen Phyllis over a dozen times by then,
whenever she was in the area,
mainly at Blues Alley, but sometimes at
other venues like Constitution
Hall, or the Virginia's Wolf Trap. To
this day, I swear that more
than a few children were conceived that
night on the lawn, as Phyllis
sang "Meet Me On The Moon." The
intimacy of a Phyllis show at a small
venue was and still is unmatched. Each
time I attended I was
transfixed, to the chagrin of my
girlfriend or date. To see Phyllis
kick her shoes off on stage, to hear her
whistle through "Living All
Alone," to hear a special a cappella
rendition of "I Don't Want To
Lose You" with her backup singers was
heaven for me. My love often
bordered on obsession, but I always
calmed down after Phyllis left.
However, after getting to know her as a
fan, I longed to know her as a
person, and I always felt there was some
chance I could make her
happy, or at least loved.
It hurts to recall everything Phyllis gave me and others. I can
only conclude by saying that I did get
to meet Phyllis in 1994 at the
NABOB convention. Her entourage hurried
her along as I ran alongside
her, trying to squeeze my affection into
a few short phrases. She
probably never remembered me, but I had
to try. Phyllis was the
perfect woman, which is what makes her
sadness and suicide more
painful. Though I never had the
privilege of knowing her, I am still
sorely hurt by her absence. She was a
gift from God, certainly an
example of God at work. I'm sure she is
closer to a higher power, but
there is no consolation for me. I still
enjoy her superior music, but
I don't frequent Blues Alley anymore, it
just isn't the same. And you
couldn't pay me to see someone else
singing her songs, no disrespect
to Alyson Williams or Jean Carn or the
rest of them. I know I'm not
the only one who loved Phyllis, but in
my heart I will always believe
I could have saved her, if I'd only had
a chance to talk with her.
She had a few years on me, but so what?
If she ultimately wanted to
feel loved, then my belief isn't so far
fetched. Phyllis, if you only
knew. For, as the song says, 'No One
Can Love You More.'
( Tracy Grant is the Senior Editor of
Straight From the Street magazine,
and he is also a contributor to
Today's Black Woman and De'Unique.)
************************************************************
From: "LaTonya C. Jones"
Hi Richard & Walid. Many thanks to Ms. Garcia, Phyllis' manager. I
am
very happy to finally have somewhat of
an answer to why Ms. Hyman ended her
life. Though I an saddened by her
suicide, I makes me feel better to know
that it was not SOLELY because her
career did not take off as she wanted, as
one music magazine reported. There were
other things going on in her life
that the public did not know of. In a
way, that is
good, since the media, especially
tabloids, love to exploit the agony of
other well-known people.
It seems silly to say that I felt a little guilty when I heard of her
suicide. The reason is that so often we
take people for granted. We
just assume people are going to keep
doing what they do forever. I
just KNEW Phyllis Hyman would continue
to sing in her beautiful voice
forever. I also felt guilty because I
did not fully appreciate her until after
her death. I always admired her voice,
but did not realize until too late,
that she was more than a voice. Her
lyrics told more of her. The woman was
DEEP. My fiance asks me if I'm
contemplating suicide because I
play her CD's more than before. He does
not understand that after you
really get into the lyrics and the
feeling in her voice, you just want to
listen; and in light of how her life
ended, you also wonder "why?"
I still listen to her music, though I feel sad that I will never hear
anything new, aside from the compilation
what's being put out by some
record company she recorded with before.
I have not had a chance to look
for it, yet. The legacy of Ms. Hyman is
great and she will not be
forgotten.
L. Jones (Atlanta, GA)
****************************************************************
From: TOM CONROY
Greetings Walid and Richard, I'm finally getting to you about my
experience at PH's memorial service.
Sorry it took so long, I've tried to
keep it as brief as possible. Keep up
the great work with the newsletter!
Sultry. I have often used that word to describe Phyllis Hyman. As I
drove to her memorial service that
evening I thought it was more than
fitting that the sweltering temperature
outside promised a sultry summer
night. I thought that Phyllis would have
appreciated the irony. The church
was air-conditioned against the late day
heat and began to rapidly fill
moments after I sat in a pew on the left
front side. The crowd was
diverse; the family, friends and
hometown fans of Phyllis. All of us
confused and hurting, each of us
wondering why. There were
programs and cards for each of us to
write something about PH and
turn over to the family. I filled three
of them. There was a band and a
choir and we were treated to a beautiful
gospel song and then there
was Phyllis on the video screens above
us. Phyllis playful and
flirting in a BET interview, then
elegant and sultry(there's that word again)
in a few of her videos. Tall, beautiful
and mesmerizing. Her sister Jean
asked us to lift her family up with
prayer and gently admonished us not
to judge Phyllis for her final act. We
heard about the child Phyllis from
an old teacher, then a long time family
friend told us how, as a baby
Phyllis Hyman even cried in tones that
were melodious. We sang
with the choir and some even danced and
suddenly we no longer were marking
her death, but celebrating her LIFE.
Her presence filled that church that
night, as strong and alive as in her
concerts. As I drove
home I listened to Phyllis do "Meet Me
On The Moon". I heard her incredible
voice and I was grateful that she and I
had lived in the
same time. We had never met but we were
old friends through her
music. I had been there since the days
of Norman Connors and now
had joined her family and friends to bid
her farewell on this journey.
Things had come full circle. Now she
sings in heaven's choir, the
tallest and best-dressed angel. But she
leaves her spirit in each of her
songs. Enjoy Phyllis... Peace, Tom
Conroy
***************************************************************
Walid, about half of this review ran in my paper in June '95; this is
the
full text and we're ok on the proper
crediting? i mean, since the paper
didn't use it all?
I also was thinking (might or might not be a good idea), about how
other
newsletter readers feel about particular
albums, songs, etc.; on the one
hand if contributions are down, this
might redress that; on the other, you
might get swamped; you might be forced
to reject some submissions;
no way to know whether or how much of
such a project would overload you.
anyway, just thoughts.
The Charlotte Observer
PHYLLIS HYMAN: "I Refuse To Be Lonely"
(Philadelphia International/Zoo
Entertainment)
****/4 stars
It's probably unfair, but it's difficult to resist
reading into this
posthumous collection of sultry,
intimate, smoky-supper-club, jazz-
flavored ear candy.
It's almost impossible given such titles as "I
Refuse To Be Lonely" (the
album's first single), "Waiting For The
Last Tear To Fall,"
"Why Not Me," "I'm Calling You," "Give
Me One Good Reason To Stay" -- and
given what we know about Phyllis Hyman.
She took her own life on June 30, just days after
completing
this album and a week before her 46th
birthday. She left a note saying
in part, "I'm tired. I'm tired. Those of
you that I love know who you are.
May God bless you."
She often addressed the issues of her life in her
music: pain, loneliness,
unrequited love, failed relationships.
But "I Refuse To Be Lonely" is the
most personal and ironic offering of her
nine-album repertoire. The entire
album hauntingly reflects on her life
and hints
deeply of her imminent demise.
A crucial, recurring theme seems to be summed up in
the catchy hook of
"It's Not About You," ostensibly a
discourse on ending a failing relationship:
It's not about you, it's about me.
I've gotta go, I need to be free.
Too many lies, not enough love.
Sayin' goodbye 'cause I've had enough.
More upbeat fare -- musically and thematically -- can
be found with "This
Too Shall Pass," "Gotta Get Back To
Paradise," "It Takes Two" (not the
Motown classic) and "Truly Yours."
This is an album of mostly ballads, no dance music,
with five
of the all-original 10 tunes co-written
by Hyman.
Her tenacious alto, of course, is superb:
appropriately defiant, enduring,
pleading, reflective, weary. Her
resonant jazz styling remains steadfast,
her soulfulness uncompromised, her
occasional musical sneer (possibly
rivaled only by Chaka Khan) intact and
refreshing.
The numerous production credits include Nick
Martinelli,
Dexter Wansel and the thoughtful genius
of Philly-sound originators
Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff (all of whom
have guided Hyman's two previous
PIR/Zoo outings).
Hyman shares center stage with a school of undisputed
talent in popular
music that popularity has managed to
elude, among them
Jean Carne, Margie Joseph and Marlena
Shaw.
Hyman's sole chart-topper to date is her one
concession to hip-hop, 1991's
"Don't Wanna change The World," which
features the singer deftly dropping
response rhyme in a rap segment.
Though she enjoyed critical props in life, her musical
prowess never really
translated into the commercial
recognition she so richly deserved.
-- Tony Moor
*****************************************************************
From: Rodney Lamont Williamson
Subject: PH on Video Soul
March 13, 1997
Hey Everyone,
You would not believe that I have a video footage of Phyllis! She was
on Video Soul on BET back in '91
(promoting her "Prime Of My Life" lp.)
on "The Divas of Soul" Special that
Donnie Simpson put together. It had
Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle on (whom
were, too, promoting their lp.
"Good Woman" and "Burnin'"
respectively).
I only had the part when Patti was being interviewed and all of a
sudden, out came Phyllis surprising
Patti unnoticed with a bouquet of
flowers. They hugged and kissed and
Patti commended Phyllis on her hat.
I'm gonna tell ya right now--this sista
can wear some hats! But Phyllis
had to leave to make her video which was
"Living In Confusion" at that
time...I think. Then the last thing
Patti told her that she'll cook her
some chicken when she gets home.
Right now I am frustrated that I didn't have Phyllis' interview
because I
was hunting for a blank tape! Oh What a
world, what a world!
If any of the fellow fans has connections with BET, ask if the footage
can be copied for the public since Video
Soul has been cancelled.
Thanks and Walid, sorry I took so long
to respond.
Peace!
--
T.Earl Page, Jr.
P.A.G.E. 1 Productions
****************************************************************
From: pat whitfield
Hi Walid
Thank you very much for sending me the
letter and I am sorry it took so
long for me to respond. I have access to
all the other letters and have
read them. I will write more later. But
for now I want to say this, I could
never pass judgment on Phyllis for
taking her life or anyone that decides
to take their own life. I am not an
advocate for suicide, but we all have our
limits. My best friend also was also
diagnosed about 10-12 years ago as
being manic-depressive.
Although I could never fully understand what she was
going thru, I know that living with this
disorder make life very difficult
for her. She went thru so many different
treatments, prescribed drugs and
electroconvulsive therapy. The
treatments were not very successful. She died
last year. I have read a great deal of
material on this disease and
suicide. This condition does progress
with age. Even though a great deal of
progress has been in treating this
condition, their is still a great deal of
people that can't be effectively
treated. My friend's treatments were not very
successful. I also had two cousins to
commit suicide. Watching my friend go
through changes because of her condition
and not be able to help is one the
most painful experiences so far in my
life. It is painful family and
friends. Thanks for getting this letter
started and I am glad to be a part
of it. I hope that Phyllis' family is
ok. Is there a Phyllis Hyman
foundation? I will write more later.
***************************************************************
From: Richard Kenyada
Subject: Depression: Phyllis Was Not
Alone
Phyllis was not alone, with regard to others who have battled
mental disorder. Major Depression and
manic-depressive
illness can strike anyone. No one is
immune. Community
surveys show that as many as 20 in 100
people suffer from
significant depressive symptoms at any
one time; some 25
percent of the population may suffer
from a depression over
the course of a lifetime. The disorder
strikes men and
women of all ages, in all segments of
society, but most studies
indicate that women are more often
afflicted.
Both depressive and bipolar disorders (manic depression) run
in families, so a predisposition to
these disorders is genetically
transmitted. The higher proportion of
depression in women may
be biologically induced, or it maybe
that many women "learn" social
roles that favor feelings of
helplessness. Add to the mix, the fact that
women in trouble are more likely to seek
help than men, and we can
understand that statistics reporting a
higher incidence of depression
among women may also be explained by an
under diagnosis of
depression in men.
A sampling of other celebrities who are living with manic depression:
Buzz Aldrin - astronaut Patty
Duke - actor
Charley Pride - singer Ted
Turner - media giant
Mike Tyson - boxer Robin
Williams - actor
Margot Kidder- actor Sting
- musician
...and celebrities who are living with unipolar disorder (depression):
Jim Carrey, Mike Wallace, Marlon Brando,
Rod Steiger, Bonnie Raitt,
James garner, Francis Ford Coppola,
...and many, many more
If there is one thing we need to understand, it is that there is help
available. If you would like to know
more about symptoms,
treatment and prevention, there are
sources of info available over
the Net:
Newsgroup -
alt.support.depression
also, Pendulum is a mailing list for people diagnosed with manic
depression and related disorders. To
subscribe, send an e-mail to
majordomo@ncar.ucar.edu containing
to line subscribe pendulum
If you or someone you know needs help, please seek it.
While we cannot speculate on the
situation surrounding Phyllis'
battle with the disease, the fact
remains that she DID fight, until
she could fight no longer. As a tribute
to her, we must continue
her fight and make it our own.
Richard Kenyada
*************************************************************
From: L Mandh
I once heard Patti Labelle mention in a concert that she was one of
Phyllis Hyman's best friends and that
she was saddened that she
hadn't been there for PH when she needed
her. Has anyone else ever heard
her tell that story? Does anyone know
how Patti is dealing with the loss of
her friend in her personal life?
****************************************************************
Here is some info that has been brought
to my attention by
my friend Hidetoshi in Japan:
- British R&B vocalist Lisa Stansfield covers Phyllis' song
"You Know How To Love Me" on her new CD.
- Pianist Terry Burrus who co-wrote songs such as
"Living In Confusion" and "What You
Won't Do For Love"
released a new album in 1996 called
"Soul Of Jazz"
(Ichiban 1901 4515 4)
Walid
***************************************************************
From: Richard Kenyada
Subject: Sing Joy ...Spring
Love songs suddenly seem much more relevant now. Flora and Fauna
have shed their winter woolens and
stretched a yawn, out across the
barren sky; opening up to new
possibilities. Robins scurry about, hastily
building pine straw nests; whistling
while they work. And sunshine
sheepishly peeks from behind
silver-lined clouds, seeking out rainbows to
prism through our after-showers.
It is Spring ...innocent, giddy, irreverent; childlike in its
simplicity.
What was once wintry, dull and ordinary
is suddenly so pristine and
flavorful. Spring somehow redeems us;
makes us whole again. Cleansing - like
a good cry, or a steady downpour on the
tattered cobblestones of lower
Manhattan. Spring.
Love songs are a ritual well suited to Spring, and no one sang them
better than Phyllis. Listen to "Here's
That Rainy Day", as she laments
a love gone wrong. You envision her -
nose pressed up against the
windowpane - waiting for a break in the
clouds, so that she may visit
the sunshine again.
In the school of Life, Spring is the ultimate pop quiz - thrown in to
see if
we're paying attention. Challenging us
to wake up, smell ...the flowers.
Gladiolus, daffodils, mums and violets.
Amidst the garden orchestra -
multi-colored broad strokes of mother
nature - Phyllis Hyman was a
single rose. Long-stemmed American
Beauty - classic and proud.
Arms outstretched in full bloom (the
prime of her life). Risk-taking, yet
vulnerable; strong while tender. Supple
enough to yield to the thorns,
but for only as long as it takes to
seduce them into protecting her.
Another Spring-inspired song, "It's Our
First Time Together", finds PH
preparing for an evening of Love; "wanna
make sure everything's all
right."
It is Spring and, despite the slight fear of misstep, Love leaps
forward
and takes us along for the ride. Fresh
promises that we want, I swear,
to believe. It is Spring and, perhaps,
the Check *is* in the mail. It is
Spring, and you fall in love over and
over ...and over again.
And if you're lucky, it is with the same
person.
******************************************************************
That's all for this month! Hope you
enjoyed reading this issue.
Thanks again to Glenda for her great
insights!
Thanks and see you next time,
Walid Itayim & Richard Kenyada
Editors
After re-reading all of the articles
we've included in this issue,
I get the feeling that Walid's original
vision is very evident in the
sharing of these memories of Phyllis.
Her fans are standing up
before this Internet "microphone" to
truly testify about the difference
Ms. Hyman made in their lives.
For our new subscribers, we want to encourage you to explore your
memories
of this very special artist. And if you
haven't yet completed
your collection of Phyllis Hyman's
discography and videography, your mission
is incomplete. She left us a wealth of
emotion and passion.
She left us with a sizeable portion of
her life's work. By honoring her
memory, we invariably pay tribute to her
impeccable taste as an artist
....and ours, as her fans.
Richard Kenyada
*************************************************************
The following post was
written by Lorraine Feather, who
co-wrote Phyllis' song "This Too Shall
Pass" from "I Refuse To
Be Lonely. Lorraine is known for her
work with the group Full Swing
during the 1980's. She's also written
songs for Patti Austin, Barry
Manilow and Tom Scott to name but a few.
She has just released
a brand new album "The Body Remembers"
on the Bean Bag label.
*********************
The first time I
remember hearing Phyllis Hyman's
voice was on a record she made with
Norman Connors. I was
living in New York at the time. You
really couldn't forget her singing
once you'd heard it. She had real
emotional power, but was
sophisticated and elegant too, never
using her voice as a showpiece
at the expense of the song.
Years later, I met Phyllis when she and my
group Full
Swing were on a TV special called Big
Fun on Swing Street that
Barry Manilow starred in and produced.
Some time later I sent
her a tape of various songs for which
I'd written lyrics, and she
told me that she wanted to record "This
Too Shall Pass,"
something Joe Curiale and I had
originally written with Carl
Anderson in mind. The words are about
going through painful
times but believing that one's faith and
strength will prevail. Phyllis
had recently lost her mother and
connected the song to that. "The
record company might fight me on it,"
she said, "but this will be a
special song for me, like 'Meet Me on
the Moon.'" True to her word,
she recorded it. It was really
something to watch her in the studio.
She liked to sit down and sing, and was
relaxed but intensely into
the song. At the end of the track she
did some whistling, which I had
seen her do in concert and was a very
haunting effect.
The album seemed to be going along slowly and I
wondered if it would ever come out.
Meanwhile, Phyllis and I
became friends and wrote several songs
together, a couple of
them with Eddie Arkin. She really
wanted to get back into writing
and had some great ideas. She also
respected words very much
and felt that unless you were saying
something like "ain't" to fit the
mood of the song, it was important to
abide by the rules of English grammar.
She was incredibly smart, also funny and
good-hearted.
She was also a real diva, and it seemed
to me that part of the
tragedy of her life was that the
qualities that made her so
commanding on stage, carried over into
her personal life in a way
that made it hard for her to have a
relationship with anyone. Phyllis
was one of the loneliest people I ever
met.
When a friend called and told me that she had
died,
and how, after the first wave of shock
and sadness I thought,
"Of course." She seemed to have been
heading that way, and
everyone who knows someone in that kind
of pain, always
wonders later what could have been
done. I feel doubly sorry
that the album didn't come out until
after she was gone, but the
thrill of seeing her in the recording
studio with Nick Martinelli,
pouring her soul into Joe's and my song,
will always be one of the greatest
joys of my creative life. I'm very
grateful that I was able to
know Phyllis Hyman, even for a little
while.
Lorraine Feather
***************************************************************
Oggi Ogburn is a professional
photographer who has done some
great work with celebrities such as
Denzel Washington, Dustin
Hoffman, Minnie Ripperton and Elton John
among many others.
**************
In 1977 when I first saw
Phyllis I was looking at a truly
Sophisticated Lady: she was tall , hip
and beautiful. I was into
her music from the time she sang a duet
with Michael Henderson
on the Norman Connor’s album "You are my
Starship" in 1976. On
that same album she sang "Betcha by
Golly Wow" with the horn
player Gary Bartz, which introduced her
to the world as a singer with
great potential. Her solo album was
introduced the following year
and that’s when I took the photo you
have at the introduction of your
newsletter. I worked with her on many
occasions but the time I’d like
to share with your readers is the time
when she visited the Duke
Ellington High School of the Performing
Arts.
Sheila Eldridge of Orchard Communications called and asked
me would I be available to work a whole
day with Phyllis Hyman on
June 18, the year was 1981. Phyllis was
already in Washington doing
the play "Sophisticated Ladies", at the
Kennedy Center. Of course I
said yes and thanked the Lord for my
favorite kind of assignments. I
love shooting fine women, plus I had
worked with Phyllis many times
in the past. We started the day at The
Duke Ellington High School of
The Arts. Phyllis spoke to several
classes around the subject of what
it takes to be a performer. The
following are from my notes I took that
day:
"Listen to your elders; they have
never been wrong in my life".
"Do not hang with people going nowhere". "Choose your friends
carefully".
"There are no short cuts to greatness, you are born with a
talent
and you have to work hard to master it.
I’m thirty-one years old and it
took me fifteen years to get to where I
am now".
"Regardless of your talent you
need a good education, because
as an artist you need to be able to
understand your work contracts".
She said ,"she didn’t wear outfits that were not complimentary
to
her". In other words, "don’t go on stage
like a slut". I do remember
one time I shot her she was sort of
exposed, but she is telling the
children what’s best.
She said,"she was hoping to be performing in Las Vegas in the
future along with being a talk show
host".
Our second stop was Ms Eldridge’s home, in northern
Virginia,
where Phyllis was going to cook a meal
to be photographed by two
photographers from Ebony Magazine for a
spread in the food section.
She was having fun and gave us some fun
shots of her drinking wine
out the bottle. The meal she cooked
consisted of fried fish in butter,
spinach salad, a vegetable dish, lobster
quiche, along with a white
wine. Not only did I have fun taking
pictures, I also had a good meal.
Because of working with Ms. Hyman so
many times I am grateful to
have the opportunities given to me by Ms
Susan Wynn of Buddah
Records, Mr. André Perry of Arista
Records and Ms Sheila Eldridge
one of Ms Hyman’s managers. The next
story I’ll submit will be her
trip to the Children’s Hospital and
performing for the Congressional
Black Caucus.
*************************************************************
From: Thom Washington
Subject: Under Her Spell
I can still remember the first time that I heard Phyllis' voice. It
was
the summer of 1980. My older brother
was picking me up from
school, and once I stepped into the car
I had been enraptured by
the sweetest bridge that I have ever
heard....
"You know how to love me, tonight, all I want to say..Ya know how
to love me, you're the real that I feel,
never go away...."
The attack and power behind the delivery of those lyrics pierced
right through me! Who was this woman?
I opened my mouth to
ask the question but, I was stopped by
the intense modulation of
the next line; I could not interrupt the
flow; I was now hearing the
most passionate ad-lib that I would ever
hear...and this is how I
heard it...
"You know how ta love me, Aww ya know that ya do! You know
how love me baby, oh I know ya
do!.....Oh Ho!.."
"Woo! , Seeyans' believan'!, Don't ya
know you're a dream
come true? Yeah.."
"Woo, you know how ta love me, Oh ooo
Oh, babay!
So raw, so real, so rich was the sound of the voice! The voice
was the power, the lyrics were the
incantation...
"Come and take this heart of mine, love me baby all the time,
Come On! Give it to me babay!"
"Ya know, Ya know, Ya know how to love
me yeah!"...
She was taking me away... I was speechless...completely
enthralled by......
"Woo!, OOooooo I can feel it! I can feel love! Oh no, babay!"
"Ya know how to love me yeah! OOoooooo
ya know! 'Cuz
ya told me so! Ha-Ho!"
.....the spell she was casting.....
"Woo, You know how ta love me, There's no
denyaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn! oh.."
She took that note and held it until it faded to infinity. At that
moment I was under a spell that would
last an eternity. There
was no denying to me that Phyllis Hyman
was the greatest singer
to ever grace my ears. I will not ever
recover from the loss of this
true diva. Not being able to anticipate
the next album, or watch out
for the next concert has saddened me
deeply. I have the legacy of
her music and memory to sustain me.
Thank you for the opportunity
to share what Phyllis meant to me that
summer of 1980, and what
she means to me today and forever.
Forever Phyllis...
Respectfully,
Thom Washington
**************************************************************
Remembering Phyllis
My earliest recollection of my introduction to “The Songbird”, Ms.
Phyllis Hyman, began when I was 9 years
of age. My parents are
big Phyllis Hyman fans. It only seemed
natural that I would become
one as well. I remember my parents
going to the Budweiser Superfest
to see Phyllis, Teddy Pendergrass, The
Whispers and host of other
entertainers in the mid-70’s. “Under
Your Spell” and “You Know How
To Love Me” were getting serious airplay
at the time. They brought me back
a poster, which was a collage of all the
entertainers who
performed. Phyllis was on the top right
hand side looking very regal
and sexy. I remember feeling envious of
such a gorgeous black
woman standing so tall and proud with
such confidence!
As a young teen I really didn’t pay attention to Phyllis’ career. We
all
remember (this is for the 30-something
crowd and younger) listening
to all the great 70’s groups. And
singing along - only because our parents
where playing “their music”. I don’t
think we really appreciated that music
back then. Anyway, at the tender age of
16 I went off to
college. That is where I became
mesmerized by the hypnotic sounds
of Ms. Hyman. During our Homecoming
Weekend I attended the concert
which featured Ms. Hyman. I went with my
college sweetheart. Phyllis
was singing most of the songs off the
“Living Alone” LP. The album
itself had not come out yet. Of course,
she also sung some hits from “back
in the day”. After that one concert I
was hooked.
Phyllis had a gift of transforming the deepest emotion into a song.
So
many of us could not do this - much less
express them verbally. But
Phyllis, our songbird from heaven, was
able to “lay it all out” for those of
us who couldn’t. Maybe that was her
purpose here on earth!
I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Hyman and her brother Michael
backstage at
a performance in the Beacon Theater. As
Ms. Garcia
has expressed, Phyllis was a very warm
and kind human being with
a great sense of humor!
I really miss her a lot! It took me a whole year after her death to
listen
to her final LP “I Refuse to be
Lonely”. Not because I did not purchase
it when it became available but, because
her death hit me like a ton of
bricks. I never have allowed myself to
become too attached to any
entertainer. But, Phyllis had a way of
making you feel like you were
family! She definitely puts you “Under
Her Spell”. I miss the fact that I
will not hear any new material from Ms.
Hyman. At the same time, I
feel that we should be thankful that Ms
Hyman was with us for the
short period of time she was here.
It is good to see that maybe the new generation have heeded to Ms.
Hyman’s
call. Artist like Erykah Badu, D’Angelo,
Maxwell and others
are going back in time. These artist
are making what we call “good music”
and are talented. No offense to the Mary
J. Blige’s, R. Kelly’s
and others. I listen to their music as
well but when I come home from work
or nestle up with my one and only I turn
to Phyllis and Luther.
I hope that “Somewhere in My Lifetime” I will see the day that Phyllis
receives her rightful due in the music
world among her peers. Phyllis, I
know you are in a better place now.
Thank you for your inspiration!
Special note to Ms. Garcia: Thank you for your insight into Ms.
Hyman’s
world! Has any cable network been
approached in reference to Ms. Hyman’s
biography? I am very interested in this
project!
Chao Everyone,
Ursula Serrano
***********************************************************
From: pat whitfield
Subject: Just Feel Like Ms. Phyllis
Hyman Deserve Better
HI Everyone
I am so very glad that this newsletter
was started. It is a way of keeping
the memories of Ms. Hyman and her music
alive. It would be a shame
to let such a unique person and her
beautiful music be forgotten. I was
listening to her cds yesterday and each
time I listen, I am amazed at the
grace, elegance, and eloquence of the
voice. Although she achieved
some success, she did not receive nearly
the amount she earned. For
a long time after her death I felt sad,
angry, and frustrated and I didn't
really know why.
Yes I am a fan and I felt sad because I knew I would not see her do a
live performance again. I knew that I
was not angry at her for taking her
life because she's human and was subject
to the everyday pressures
of life just as we are. So I had to
sort out my feelings and came to the
conclusion that it wasn't just her
death, but the lack of recognition and
appreciation shown for her. I couldn't
believe the acknowledgments or
the lack of. I thought, how can we do
this to her?
This is someone that we have adored and admired for years. I thought,
how
can we as a society be so cold, callous,
and insensitive? How can
we not show appreciation for someone who
brought us so much joy,
too, by choosing to share her gift of
vocal ability with us. How can we be
so in love with someone for doing that
and, at the end, not show
appreciation? Are we a society of
people that use people by sucking the
life and energy out of them and when we
have no more use for them, we just
toss them away and never think of them
again? Why didn't we as a society
show appreciation to her family,
friends, and all her fans?
I thought of all the times she performed for us and gave very good
performances. Being bipolar is not an
easy disease to live with, so I
am sure she performed at times when she
didn't feel up to it. How
many times did she perform for us and
would rather be doing
something else? I thought about the
times she appeared on Soul
Train, BET and other programs. Yes
appearing on these shows gave
her the opportunity to promote her music
and, sure, she was getting a
little publicity, but how many of us
watched the shows just because she was
on it? Why wasn't she more popular in
her later years; was it because of
racism, sexism, or ageism? The
entertainment industry can get away with all
three because of the lack of
regulations. Why don't
black people in the entertainment
industry have any where to turn to
when they are having problems in their
professional careers. It happens all
too often. It happened to Marvin Gaye,
Tina Turner, Melba Moore and others.
Why can't their fellow entertainers
extend a helping hand. I have had some
of the same thoughts as some of you all
have. For instance
why wasn't Ms. Hyman just as popular as
Ms. Streisand. What was the
difference between the two, except one
was white and the other black.
The only other difference was that Ms.
Hyman was a bit more versatile than
Ms. Streisand.
Why wasn't she included in the big projects like Waiting To
Exhale. She certainly possessed the
talent. Personally, I didn't think the
project was that great. I saw a special
on PBS about six months ago
that was filmed in the early nineties
about successful black women, and how
they achieved success in America and
asked why wasn't Ms. Phyllis Hyman
included. Why so few acknowledged her
and too many forgot about her or maybe
they didn't forget, but just pushed the
memories of
her and her music into the dark corners
of the mind.
I read a citation from the New York Amsterdam and it was about the
lack of acknowledgments by the white
media for Ms. Hyman at the time
of her death, but in all fairness black
media didn't do much better. I
expected to find articles that focused
on her as a person and an
entertainer, but most of the articles
focused on what they thought lead
her to take her own life.
Some of the articles and some entertainers said she was too
outspoken, she spoke out of turn, too
controlling, too hard to work with,
tried to hard to be accepted , too
independent, quick tempered. And
one even mentioned something about
tantrums to get her way. I didn't
give these articles too much
credibility, because their sources didn't
give their names. Some even spoke about
financial problems.
But on the other hand some people said she was a really nice, caring
person
with a great sense of humor, and those
are the people who
gave their names. I don't think that
being outspoken is a crime; nor wanting
to be accepted. I didn't think that a
person could be too independent.
Freedom of speech is a civil right, and
wanting to be accepted, is a basic
need for all humans.
I admire people that are not afraid to standup and say how they feel.
I admire her for saying that I need a
man that's got his own and
everybody needs someone there for them.
We all hope to find that
special person who will be there for us.
So many of us feel it and think
it, but are afraid to say it. People
even criticized her for making so many
sad love songs. She sang other type
songs, too. Some were happy
and some were encouraging.
read an article where she said she sang about what she knew,
and she knew a lot about pain. Some of
the best art is the type the
imitates life. She and others, like Mr.
Curtis Mayfield, Mr. Marvin Gaye,
Gil Scott-Heron have been so overlooked
by the music industry.
Their music gives such accurate
portrayals of the struggles of life.
They sing just the way it unfolds. Many
others also have been
overlooked. Why haven't we recognized
them for their work.
I was very disappointed with the tribute to her in Essence magazine.
The tribute was a poem with a tiny
picture in the back of the book.
In that particular issue more space was
devoted to braids than her.
I think that it was a little ridiculous
to focus more on braids than pay
tribute to someone whom have give us so
much joy by choosing to
share her gift of voice with us. I
expected better from Essence. BET
did a tribute that consisted of bits and
pieces of interviews and some
of her videos. I expected better from
them too, they could have at least
had someone to host the show. Because
she was a guest on Soul
Train, I expected them to pay tribute to
her, but they didn't.
I have been boycotting the Grammy Awards now
for about five years because they really
do more of an injustice than
justice to black musicians. People feel
that because they recognize a
few that everyone is getting a fair
deal, but they are not. For a black to win
a Grammy, he/she must be popular, and
really bringing in the record
receipts. They don't consider black
talent. They also give little
recognition to jazz musicians. I think
jazz musicians should have their own
awards show.
I never really understood what the importance of winning a Grammy
was until now. I guess with winning a
Grammy comes a lot of publicity
and it supposed to be based on a job
well done. I didn't boycott any of
the award shows in 1996 because I wanted
to see if they'd pay tribute to
Ms. Hyman, none did. I am back to
boycotting, and included on the list is
Soul Train and Essence. I don't watch
BET anymore, I don't buy Jet, Essence
or Ebony magazines. I know that I should
support black businesses, but I can
no longer support them simply because
they are black. They cannot support
some blacks, they should support all
blacks because we supported them to the
point of recognition. It is time that
they start giving us better products.
BET should never forget the
entertainers of the late 70s and the
early 80s, they are the people that
kept us tuning in for so many years.
Ebony didn't pay tribute to her in
the 50th anniversary celebration.
It is not just Ms. Hyman that has been forgotten, but the list
includes
many others. Everyone deserves to be
recognized for their contributions
to society . I think that Ms. Hyman was
a caring person who lived by her own
rules and handled her own business. I
think she was a woman of
the 80s in the 90s. After all, she was a
woman, with a woman as her manager,
and that is still pretty rare today in
the entertainment industry.
I think that she has earned a place
among some of the other great
ladies of music such as Mrs. Wilson,
Mrs. Betty Carter, Ms. Vaughn,
Ms. Holliday. Mrs. Fitzgerald Mrs.
Knight , Ms. Franklin, and others.
She was an excellent vocalist. I think she was a very strong person.
I think she was a fighter. And I think
that the only reason she is not
here with us today is that she was
fighting too many battles alone.
She was fighting the battles within, and
the battles that we all face
in everyday life. She didn't have the
energy to fight anymore. I know
she didn't give up easily. It is very
rare that I meet a celebrity, and
actually want to meet them. She is
definitely someone that I regret
that I never met. I think she was a very
interesting person and I hope
that I will always remember and
appreciate her.
These are a few of the things that I have wanted to say since her
death.
Each time I see something and think, she
should have been included
and wasn't, I get a little ticked. My
question is, Will the project that she
was working on with Mrs. Nancy Wilson be
finished? I would also like to
thank everyone for letting me be a part
of a great letter. It feels good
knowing that there are other people out
there who haven't forgotten
about Ms. Hyman and shared their special
memories of her.
Thanks
Pat Whitfield
************************************************************
That's it for this issue! I would like
to thank Lorraine Feather and
Oggi Ogburn for sharing with us their
personal experiences with
Phyllis. Also huge thanks to readers
Thom Washington, Ursula
Serrano and Pat Whitfield for their
excellent contributions!
Hope you enjoyed reading this issue!
Until next time, take care!
Walid Itayim
PHYLLIS HYMAN
INTERNET NEWSLETTER # 8
June 23, 1997
Hello Everyone,
After a 2 month break, we are back!!
This issue marks the second anniversary
of Phyllis' death
and Richard has written an excellent
tribute for the occasion.
Additionally, photographer Oggi Ogburn,
who photographed
Phyllis several times, has written
another story describing
one of the photo sessions with PH. Tom
Conroy has written
a review of the Phyllis Hyman Tribute
concert at Pittsburgh's
Mellon Jazz Festival. Finally, more
results of the PH fan survey
have come in and you can check those out
at the end of this issue!
Hope you enjoy reading it!!
Walid
*************************************************************
Oggi Ogburn is a professional
photographer who has done some
great work with celebrities such as
Denzel Washington, Dustin
Hoffman, Minnie Ripperton and Elton John
among many others.
Spending Time with The Sophisticated Lady
**************************
The time is September 1979
and Phyllis Hyman has been
invited to perform for the Congressional
Black Caucus Annual
Awards Dinner in Washington DC. The
dinner was on the 23rd,
but she came to town on the 12th for
some special visits and for
record promotions. During this period
she was on the Arista record
label with a new record " You Know How
To Love Me", produced by
Mtume and Reggie Lucas. André Perry was
the executive that came
on the road with her for these two
days. There was a visit to Children’s
Hospital, lunch with Congressman Dellums
from California, a visit with Mayor
Marion Barry, and just having fun
hanging out visiting radio
stations. I’m looking at my photo
contact sheets to remind me of all
the fun we had eating and hanging out
with the power brokers of
America.
That morning our first stop was Children’s Hospital, where
she met kids with all kind of serious
ailments. She attempted to uplift
themwith hope for a brighter future. We
took pictures with the kids,
but she also was a big hit with the
nurses and doctors. Before we left
the hospital she autographed photographs
for all who wanted one.
The next stop was lunch at the Florida
Avenue Grill, a favorite spot for
all the cab drivers and anyone else who
loved soul food. Phyllis was a large
woman who could put down some food. She
talked much stuff to
the people at the grill and autographed
a special photo for the grill to
hang on the wall. After lunch we
visited two local radio station and called
it a day.
The next morning we began the day with a visit to Marion
Barry’s
office, the Mayor of Washington DC. We
took pictures and Phyllis and
the mayor sat at a table in his office
for small talk. I do remember when
we were leaving he gave her a big kiss
on the cheek. We left his office
headed to Capitol Hill for a power lunch
with Congressman Ron
Dellums of California. The Congressman
was to welcome her to DC
and to thank her for her participation
in the upcoming awards dinner.
You cannot take pictures in the
Congressional lunch room, so I just
enjoyedlunch with some good
conversation. The first words that came
out of the Congressman’s mouth was that
he hated everyday being a
Congressman. Phyllis was the first to
ask why. He explained that in
order for him to get anything done, he
needs the consent of 217
congressmento pass a piece of
legislation. While eating lunch
Congressman Payne of Missouri joined
our party. When lunch was
over we took some pictures around the
capitol and said good-bye. I
think men just love being around the six
foot one beauty because both
the mayor and the congressmen acted like
they didn’t want her to
leave. She advised them that she had to
catch a plane back to New
York and enjoyed her stay in Washington
very much.
At the awards dinner on September 23 , she sang her heart
out
and blew the crowd away. As I conclude ,
I would like to thank Ms.
Hyman for some great pictures and
definitely some great memories.
Peace Oggi
**************************************************************
From: Richard Kenyada
Subject: PH - To Celebrate or To Mourn
June 30, 1995.... That is a date we will long remember; the last
day of Phyllis Hyman's life. And as we
approach the second
anniversary of her death, we have
continued the process of
accepting what she chose as her fate,
perhaps understanding
that the way in which she died can never
diminish the way in
which she lived. Phyllis' professional
career spanned some
25 years, and her place in the lineage
of The Music is
reserved ....and deserved.
As the debate continues about the importance of The Singer
versus The Vocalist, we continue to
suffer the modern day
experiments promoted by record company
executives who
insist on flooding the market with
singers who are
vocally-challenged. But where the novice
paints by number;
the artist paints by intuition. Ms.
Hyman's gift was to lift The
Music and take it to another plateau; a
place that, without her
contribution, would not have existed.
She was the performer
that other performers came to
experience. There is no greater compliment
than to receive the admiration and
respect of your
peers.
Recently the editor of a west coast magazine asked me to
submit an article about a contemporary
vocalist, to which I
responded with a piece about PH. I was
told that the publisher
did not consider Ms. Hyman to be "an
innovator" such as Billie,
Ella or Sarah. But I responded that
what Phyllis did was to bridge
the gap between yesterday's innovators
and tomorrow's. No one, absolutely
no other vocalist, had managed to do
what Phyllis Hyman
had accomplished during her relatively
short career. Billie Holiday,
Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn were
the quintessential jazz artists.
No one can dispute that fact. Nancy
Wilson took the pop idiom and infused
it with jazz undertones, thus opening
its spectrum. And
Aretha? Well, she simply transformed
rhythm & blues into a national
treasure. They were all innovative in
their approaches to The Music.
Enter Phyllis Hyman. She took The Music, as a whole, and made
it more accessible to audiences that
were deeply divided into the separate
domains of jazz, pop and R&B. Therefore,
a very legitimate question might
be, had Phyllis not been there to slowly
dissolve the boundaries of
jazz/pop/R&B, would we have been ready
for an Anita
Baker or an Angela Bofill? The vocal
stylists of today owe a great
debt to Ms. Hyman, in that she pioneered
in the UN-categorizing of
The Music. She breathed fresh air into
to an ungrateful industry that
still has not fully acknowledged her
contribution.
So perhaps what we must do on June 30th is to say a prayer for
Phyllis, and patiently wait the six days
until July 6th, the 48th
anniversary of her birth. At that time
we can celebrate her life, her
contributions and the incomparable
legacy that she left for all of us
to enjoy.
Happy Birthday, Phyllis. We love you.
**************************************************************
From: "TOM CONROY"
Subject: Phyllis Tribute
Walid & Richard and fellow Phyllis-files,
Hope everyone is doing well! As for
me I'm still riding high from
the Tribute to Phyllis Hyman Concert I
attended this past weekend.
The concert was part of Pittsburgh's
Mellon Jazz Festival, held in a
local auditorium, the proceeds going to
help kids that live in the
housing project where Phyllis grew up.
Besides Pgh.-born jazz
drummer Cecil Brooks, bassist Dwayne
Dolphin, the show featured
four of Pittsburgh's premiere female
singers; Tammie Faulkner,
Sandra Dowe, Etta Cox, and Maureen
Budway. Ms Dowe led the
way with a beautiful version of
"Somewhere in My Lifetime"
(she's a fellow alto like PH), Ms.
Budway did a killer version of
"Don't Mean a Thing" from "Sophisticated
Ladies", Etta Cox sang
"Betcha By Golly Wow" with so much soul,
and Tammie Faulkner
(my personal favorite) did a hauntingly
gorgeous "Living All Alone".
Then as a finale, all four of the ladies
came on stage and together
did "Old Friend" for over five minutes
that brought the crowd to their
feet and handkerchiefs to their eyes.
Phyllis' spirit was in the room
and she was smiling. The tribute was
fitting and beautiful...
That was the show. I'd like to tell you about a few of the people
we met there. As we sat in our seats,
my wife, our friend and
myself were discussing what songs we
hoped they would sing.
A very well-dressed and proper looking
elderly lady sitting in front
of us turned and introduced herself as
Mrs. Lesesne. "I taught
Phyllis music in elementary school," she
said, and showed me a laminated
copy of an article from Jet magazine.
The article was
about teachers that had mattered to
various singers and actors and writers
and how they influenced their famous
pupils. There was a
picture of Mrs. Lesesne next to a
picture of PH. I spent about ten
minutes before the show talking to her
about what PH was like as
a child. She said Phyllis was "Warm and
inquisitive, was quick
to smile and laugh and would burst into
song". This dear old lady
was bursting herself; bursting with
pride that she was one of Phyllis'
earliest mentors. She gave me a card
with her address and I will
contact her for some PH stories for the
newsletter.
During the intermission (the first half of the show was dedicated
to the late Art Blakey, another jazz
phenom from Pgh!), I spotted PH's
sisters, Jean and Kim (I believe). I've
seen them before, at the
memorial service after she died and I
saw Jean at an Angela Bofill
concert recently(Which by the way, was a
fantastic musical event, if
she comes to your area, GO! Another
great unique underrated singer
and a friend of PH). Anyhow, fortified
by a few beers, I went up to them
and told them of my love for Phyllis and
her music, and I mentioned
our newsletter and the tribute site.
Jean was very surprised, Kim had
already seen it (I think she lives out
of town). Jean told me she was
computer-illiterate, so I suggested that
she go to the library and look
us up and connect with PH's fans from
around the world. She said
she'd like to. There were other people
approaching them, so I
thanked them and left. Hopefully, we'll
hear from Jean. I'll see if
I can contact her again. All in all, a
pretty exciting night for this fan!
Peace,
Tom Conroy
************************************************************
From: TMoor
Subject: ph props
Here are my beginnings of an honors list. That's pretty much
what I know of but I'm certain it's
incomplete. I hope it interests
people and elicits contributions.
PH PROPS
1981 -- Phyllis Hyman is nominated for a Tony Award in the
category for Best Supporting Actress in
a Musical. What the
producers wanted, Hyman said, was
"Someone who could
wear clothes well and sing like a
dream." Marilyn McCoo
and Leslie Uggams had auditioned, but
Hyman, with zero
acting experience, won the role in
"Sophisticated Ladies."
1984 -- Phyllis Hyman is honored by Toronto's anti-apartheid
Biko-Rodney-Malcolm coalition for
refusing to entertain in
Apartheid South Africa. Hyman was
offered $100,000 to
perform for four weeks in 1981.
September 1987 -- The Philadelphia Music Foundation
announces the nominees for the first
Philadelphia Music
Awards (the PHILLYS), to be presented to
local musical
talent (or big-time national talent with
local roots). Among
the nominees:
* Female vocalist: Jean Carne, Nona
Hendryx, Phyllis Hyman,
Joan Jett, Evelyn "Champagne" King,
Patti LaBelle.
* Album : "Living All Alone," Phyllis
Hyman; "Night Songs," Cinderella;
"One Way Home," Hooters ; "Return of
Bruno," Bruce Willis;
"The Winner in You," Patti LaBelle.
* R&B/urban single : "Breathless," Mtume
; "Closer Than Close," Jean Carne;
"Gotta Get You Home Tonight," Eugene
Wilde; "Old Friend,"
Phyllis Hyman; "On My own," Patti
LaBelle;
"Too Many Games,'' Frankie Beverly and
Maze.
* R&B/urban album : "Female Trouble,"
Nona Hendryx ; "Live in L.A.," Frankie
Beverly and Maze; "Living All Alone,"
Phyllis Hyman; "Touch of Jazz," Jazzy
Jeff; "The Winner in You," Patti LaBelle.
Oct. 26, 1987 -- Phyllis Hyman's "Living All Alone" wins
Philadelphia Music Foundation Award for
R&B/urban album.
Oct. 31, 1987 -- The NAACP announces nominations for 20th annual
Image
Awards, honoring entertainers and
productions presenting
blacks positively. Among the
nominations:
Female recording artist: Aretha
Franklin, "Aretha"; Whitney
Houston, "Whitney"; Phyllis Hyman,
"Living All Alone"; Stephanie
Mills, "If I Were Your Woman"; Natalie
Cole, "Everlasting."
September 1990 -- Phyllis Hyman is honored with a lifetime
achievement award during a WUSL-FM-sponsored
all-star
bash with the theme of "Power Over
Violence." The Philadelphia
station is celebrating its 8th birthday.
Nov. 15, 1991 -- Phyllis Hyman has her first No. 1 R&B single,
"Don't Wanna Change the World" from the
"Prime of My Life"
album produced by Gamble and Huff.
Nov. 25, 1991 -- Phyllis Hyman's "Living in Confusion" is No. 21 on
Billboard's R&B singles chart.
Feb. 6, 1996 -- The Philadelphia Music Alliance announces that
Phyllis Hyman will be inducted
posthumously into the Philadelphia
Music Walk of Fame. The honor is at
least some measure of respect
for the artist, slighted by the American
Music Awards last week. When
her name was left off a roll call of
musicians who died in 1995, an audience
member shouted loudly: "And what about
Phyllis Hyman?"
May 9,1996 -- Phyllis Hyman is Inducted into the Philadelphia Music
Alliance
Hall of Fame. A sidewalk plaque is
dedicated (at Broad and Locust streets)
along with seven others cited for
contributions to the
city's musical legacy. Among the other
honorees: Boyz II Men and the
Intruders. Hyman was represented at the
ceremony by her sister,
Sakinah Ali hint Hyman, and manager,
Glenda Gracia.
February 1996 -- "I Refuse to Be
Lonely," released in November,
reaches No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 200
and has sold 150,000 copies.
***********************************************************
From: Walid Itayim
Subject: Phyllis Debut Album Now On CD
Phyllis' debut album on Buddah Records was re-issued on CD
Phyllis Hyman - Phyllis Hyman (EMD/CAPITOL 7777 5644 3 2)
Now let's hope that the rest of her catalog is re-issued as well.
It amazes me that a classic album such
as "Goddess of Love"
is not yet available on CD!!!
Walid
************************************************************
From: DR. ROOSEVELT LITTLETON, JR.
Subject: Discography
GREETINGS;
I JUST WANT TO ANNOUNCE THAT I'VE FOUND TWO NEW ALBUMS FEATURING
MUSICAL
SELECTIONS BY MS. PHYLLIS HYMAN:
1. RONNIE FOSTER'S * DELIGHT" ON THE COLUMBIA LABEL.
2. THE FISH THAT SAVED PITTSBURG" THE
SOUNDTRACK.
**************************************************************
From: "Mark B. Arbeit"
Subject: Phyllis Hyman Discography
I am an avid Phyllis fan and have been since 1989. I do collect
any and all recordings by Phyllis and
want to mention a couple of recordings
that I believe were omitted from her
discography.
Soundtrack - The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh - 1979 - Lorimar - (1
track)
Four Tops - Magic - 1985 - Motown - (1
track)
Michael Henderson - Slingshot - 1981 -Buddah
- (1 track)
************************************************************
I used to read about how Elvis' fans are
lined up outside of
Graceland to pay tribute to his memory;
or how they light candles
under the window of John Lennon's
apartment in memory of him.
It used to make me feel sad that there
are no such tributes for Phyllis
Hyman. But then I realized that, while
Elvis is an icon, with his image
plastered on everything from ashtrays to
toilet seats, Phyllis has
been elevated to a much higher plane.
She remains steadfast in our hearts -
her dignity intact, her legacy of
incomparable music etched
forever in our collective memory. So
OUR Graceland is the body of
work she amassed in such a relatively
short career. The candles we
light to her memory are the songs we
play: Somewhere In My Lifetime,
Betcha By Golly Wow, My Old Friend
....and all of the others. And thanks
to the fulfillment of Walid's dream, we
get to share our Graceland
through this splendid forum. So, in the
end, what matters is not the
monument or the gesture, but the
memories we cherish ...and the Love we share.
Until we meet again.
Richard
***************************
That's it for this issue. Next issue,
Glenda Gracia, Phyllis' manager
will contribute a letter to the readers
of the newsletter. She promised
that she will share with us a lot of
info including the latest on the
Phyllis Hyman Legacy Campaign that the
estate is developing.
She also asked me to thank all of you
for being so "loving and loyal"
for Phyllis.
Thanks,
Walid
PHYLLIS HYMAN
INTERNET NEWSLETTER # 9
June 23, 1997
Welcome to issue #9 of the PH Newsletter!!
This issue is very exciting for me in that
Glenda Gracia,
Phyllis' manager and executrix to the
Hyman estate, has
written a letter to all of us fans in
which she shares with
us some truly great news! Read below and
you will see
what I mean! I would also like to thank
Hiram Bullock for
taking the time to write about what
Phyllis meant to him.
Albany Jazz singer Sha'ron has written her
own moving
tribute to Phyllis. Great thanks as well
to Joy Middleton and
Gerald Grant II for their contributions
and Michael Harris for
sharing with us the poems he wrote for
Phyllis.
Walid
**********
Yes, We're Baaaackkkk!!
And we've brought friends. Old friends
like Joy; new friends like
Gerald, Michael and Sha'ron, a gifted
artist inspired by Ms. Hyman;
Phyllis' friend and fellow musician,
Hiram; and a very special lady
who has quickly become a friend to us all,
Glenda Gracia.
As editors, and co-captains, of this glorious journey of Love, Walid
and I get to read all the letters, poetry
and remembrances before assembling
them into an issue. This is not a
responsibility that we
take lightly, or without much prior
thought. But always, always .....
behind our efforts,there are the gentle
prodding, and the supportive
whispers of The Diva herself. We know we
must get it right ....because
SHE did. We know we must tell the story,
and hold it high above our heads,
so the heavens can leaf through the pages,
and the words
may meet with HER approval. She stood on
all of those stages for us,
and she sang her heart out. So if these
newsletters sound a bit like
applause, we make no apologies. It will
suit us just fine if this is the
longest curtain call in history. The lady
deserved nothing less.
Richard
**************************************************************************
Letter From Glenda:
**********************
Dear Friends :
First, I would like to thank everyone for the great feedback on the
Phyllis Hyman Fan Survey. If any of you
have not completed the
survey, please contact Walid for more
information. We would love
to have your feedback about Phyllis.
This information is very helpful to me and will greatly assist with
plans that are underway for the
development of the Phyllis Hyman
Legacy Campaign.
We are working hard to create a sustained campaign that will thrust
Phyllis' music and life back into the
public's eye over the next few
years. Toward that end, we are taking
into consideration the creation
of projects that you, Phyllis' loyal fans,
friends and loved ones have
indicated that you want!
We are currently developing :
- a new STUDIO ALBUM with what will probably be the last offering
of unreleased material recorded by Phyllis
that is commercially
viable.
- a sixty (60) minute DOCUMENTARY which will review and
highlight the brilliant and very rich 25
year career of Phyllis Hyman.
- a coffee table-styled BIOGRAPHY with great photos
(released and unreleased) and stories by
various people in her
life, including some of her fans...
- a FEATURE FILM bio pix
- a very special project that will TOUR the country and will be
detailed later as it emerges more.
What will be important for me now is to ask each of you who really
loved Phyllis, to keep these projects in
very positive energy and Light.
I really need your prayers and positive
"vibes" to help with the process
of research, development, funding,
production and finally distribution
and marketing.
We all know that Phyllis' legacy deserves to be exploded so that as
many people around the world can know just
how truly wonderful and talented
she was. I am depending on you to just
help me hold the
space for the success of these projects!!
Thanks for everything and we'll talk some more in the upcoming
editions of this Newsletter.
Stay in the Light and Love,
G.
******************************************************************************
Hiram Bullock was a member of Phyllis
Hyman's band in the
early days in Miami before she moved to
New York. The general
public knows him through his work in the
early 80's as guitarist
of the Letterman Show's house band. He has
released 7 albums
of his own since 1983. His credentials as
a session musician are
extremely impressive. The list of artists
with which he has played
and recorded is too long to list here. It
includes Chaka Khan, Miles
Davis, James Brown, Roberta Flack, Eric
Clapton, Sting, Paul Simon
and Al Green.
* * * * * * * *
Phyllis Hyman was one of the biggest
influences on my
early musical career. I learned my work
ethic from her; she
showed me that no matter how many people
were in the
room, you should still give your all. It
was the same show for
2 or 2000.
I don't think many people realize just what a creative artist
Phyllis was. Obviously she was a great
entertainer, and she had
a few hits, but she was also a creative
genius on the order of Miles
Davis. At the Checkmate Lounge in Miami
(before we came to New
York and world-wide recognition) she did
vocal improvisations that
could hold their own with anyone. She was
truly gifted, and her
absence is a great loss to the musical
community.
Hiram Bullock
***************************************************************************
From: Richard Kenyada
Subject: The New Standards
The New Standards
I have often wondered how the younger generations feel about
Phyllis Hyman's music. Is there an
understanding and appreciation
of her talent? Do they share our love for
her through her music?
Recently, I wrote an article, "I Remember
Phyllis", on the 2nd
anniversary of her death, in my weekly
column for the web page of
Atlanta's top-rated radio station.
WVEE-103 FM plays a Top 40,
Urban-Contemporary format. And though its
listeners are familiar
with the likes of Mary J. Blige, SWV and
En Vogue, many of them
weren't even born when Ms. Hyman first
recorded with Norman
Connors. I was quite certain of the
response to my article from the
older listeners, but I was totally
unprepared for the unbridled show
of support for Phyllis from those who are
25 and younger. When I
was younger, I heard Sinatra, Ella and
others sing from a vast vault
of classic songs - time-tested, crowd
pleasers that soon became associated
with one artist or another. They were
commonly called "Standards".
Today's generation of young listeners have accepted a new set of
standards.
Among them, "Betcha By Golly Wow",
"Somewhere In My Lifetime", and other
Hyman classics stand out as the vocal
measuring tape to which all aspiring
vocalists are held up. Moreover, Phyllis'
music says something to new fans that
they're not hearing from the shallow,
sex-singed lyric of today. There is a
well stated subtlety and sensuality
in Phyllis' delivery of the mood. Young
women can identify
with it; young men are captivated by it.
As was the case with newsletter contributor Gerald Grant, 16, I have
found that many of the younger set had
been introduced to PH almost though a
kind of osmosis, from the speakers of
their parents' stereos, back in the
day. It becomes a lesson in music
appreciation that
parents inadvertently teach, simply by
example. The Hyman classics
are, to this day, played on radio's late
night Quiet Storm formats.
Ironically, Phyllis' smooth vocals are
tucking some of our children in
at night. And that is as it should be.
The new standards are so warmly
familiar.
Richard Kenyada
*****************************************************************************
From: Louisa J. Middlebrook
First, thank you Walid for your continuing dedication
to keeping the newsletter and fan club
alive.
To all of my fellow lovers of the music of Phyllis Hyman
and the woman herself. Yes, two years ago
we were
shocked and saddened beyond belief by the
news that
one so talented as Phyllis Hyman could be
gone from
us and by her own doing. But let us
remember also
that Phyllis is at peace now. At least
that is the hope
and the belief. Yes, the sadness will hit
us sometimes
like a fist as we listen to her music and
remember that
that's all there will ever be but let us
be grateful that we
had her for the little time that we did.
Let us continue
loving, laughing, hoopin', hollerin', and
'screamin' at the
moon' when we hear her music.
I don't believe that the 'legacy' of Phyllis Hyman is sadness
or despair (though we may feel that way
sometimes). I believe
that we have to carry on and every time we
hear that wondrous
voice thank God that we had her with us if
only for a short time.
Be Ever-Blessed,
Joy
A Writer Writes...always
I love a Marine(Semper Fi)
Thanks AEL for everything
****************************************************************************
From: michael harris
Subject: Poetry
PHYLLIS HYMAN....
That name brings to mind so many memories of my young adult life
and early poetic years...
Her voice inspired many a poem, sooth many a teenaged break-up
and make-up and got me through many tough
times...
I just can't believe it's been two years since she left us...
These poems are dedicated to the one, the Only, Phyllis Hyman....
"the voice that launched a hundred poems!"
*** the first poem is actually lyrics to a song i wrote with phyllis in
mind... i can still picture her voice, a
gary bartz sax solo with a
norman connors production...***
****************************
IT WAS YOU
(for phyllis hyman)
i was lost and alone in the darkness
and could not find my way
i searched around for someone
to lead me to the light of day
then i heard a voice speak softly
in the stillness of the night
a hand reached out
and led me to the light
it was you...
it was you...
so many times i was confused
unsure which way to go
i stopped and asked those passing by
but no one seemed to know
just when it all way too much to bear
and i seemed to reach my rope's end
i heard a voice calling through the storm
'it's alright, i'll be your friend...'
it was you...
it was you..
when once i couldn't find the words to say
it was because of you the fear just went
away
and i could face the world
and all if its bitter pills
your voice warmed me
through those winter chills
and all of my friends could see
the change in me
but they never had a clue...
no, they never knew
that it was you...
it was you...
i won't forget that friday night
when you left without a word
'phyllis is gone at forty-five'
it was the saddest news i've ever heard
such a special friend you were to me
my inspiration for so many years
together we shared the joyous times
the laughter, the pain, the tears...
sometimes when i'm all alone
contemplating moments of the day
sometimes when words are lost to me
when words i need to say
a voice will pierce through the cobwebs
of my tangled, mixed up head
and i'll suddenly feel alive and strong...
i lived in every word you've ever said...
it was you...
it was you...
************************
THE NIGHT BIRD HAS TAKEN FLIGHT
(on the death of phyllis hyman)
it was you
who inspired me with words
when my mind would not command my fingers
and set them in motion...
it was you
who spoke to me
after the first few notes from a saxophone
and piano
with healing words for a heart recently
broken
and a warm touch from a gentle hand
guiding my confused head against the
softness
and safety of your breast
it was you
in the still quiet of the night
who provided me with wings to fly
and the strength to soar against the
fierce winds
...and now you have left this nest
finding a different sky to spread your
wings
i will remember you
my large and beautiful night bird
as my fingers move faster than my brain
can command them
with words not of my own understanding
i will hear
a saxophone
and piano
and will look up into the sky
to see and hear the wings of a night bird
fluttering through the mist
and will know instantly
that it is
and always will be
you
Michael Harris
***************************************************************************
From: Gerald Grant
I've never had the opportunity to meet Phyllis or go to
any of her concerts. I had planned to
attend a concert at Chene Park
(Detroit) starring Phyllis, Peabo Bryson
and The Whispers, but she
went home prior to the Detroit
performance. I was truly shocked when
my father told me in the car, on my way
back home, that Phyllis had
died. At first I didn't believe him, and
it didn't really hit me until I saw
the report on the evening news. It broke
my heart to see such a
wonderful voice die. My mom later told me
that she and my father
had an opportunity to see her just before
I was born. Mom also
mention the fact that Phyllis liked to
take her shoes off during
the performance. I thought at the time
that that was really silly. My
parents didn't collect any of her music,
so when I decided to start,
many of her early recordings were out of
print. I began in 1991 with
"Living All Alone" on LP, from a discount
record shop for three dollars.
When I brought it home, I played the title
song which I had heard on
the radio so many times before. The
meaning behind her songs didn't
kick in till after her untimely death. I
started listening to her because I
liked her voice.
So far I have read all of the back copies of the
newsletter
and many people REALLY LOVED her. I
believe that if this newsletter
had started before her death, and she had
been aware of all the people
who loved her for who she was - not for
just what she was - she just
might still be here with us. It's only a
theory.
I was rummaging through a lot of old L.P.'s back home
and
I found "Heavenly" by Johnny Mathis. The
song, "More Than You Know"
really sums up our love and appreciation
of Phyllis for her enduring
work. Her artistry makes us really see our
lives and surroundings
much clearer. If only we could have done
the same for her. Below are some of
the lyrics I think sums up the love we
feel for her. For those
who know of the song, I've modified it to
fit the purpose.
More than you know, more than you know.
Girl of our hearts, we love you so.
Lately we find, your on our minds, more than you
know.
Whether your right, whether your wrong
Girl of our hearts, we'll string along.
You needed us so, more than you'll ever know.
Loving you the way that we do, there's nothing we
can do
about it.
Love may be all we can give, but girl you should
not have
lived without it.
Oh how we cried, we really did cry
When you got tired and said goodbye.
More we will show, more than you'll ever know.
We miss you! Thanks for hearing me out!
Gerald Grant II
PHYLLIS HYMAN
INTERNET NEWSLETTER # 10
August 20, 1997
In an age when they say that people aren't
much interested in the
print media anymore, we've compiled
evidence to the contrary.
News reports say that we no longer read;
we play video games. We
don't communicate our feelings; we
exchange statistics. And our
music? Well, they tell us that it ain't
real unless there's at least one
"sample" in the bridge, and a rapper doing
a second-verse voice-over. Pop
jazz is a soprano saxophone flittering
about aimlessly in the
spaces of a rhythm 'n blues song. And our
children experience art
from a CD-ROM. Plain to see, no one is
interested anymore in
anything Real, right?
Well, we've amassed a stack of issues of the Phyllis Hyman
Newsletter that disputes all of that. We
have built this labor of Love;
a 10-part memoir of letters, poetry,
remembrances and testimonial
which belie the notion that the world has
forgotten the depth of spirit,
talent and fortitude required to create
Art. And we're not parachuting
onto a parking lot in Las Vegas, either.
We're pressing a button on a
CD player. We're reading the liner notes
of old albums. But mostly
we are listening to The Voice, that
incredible God-honed instrument
of Phyllis Hyman. And then there is The
Woman, herself - her
presence; her grace, style and dignity.
Never has one artist and one art form been so intrinsically melded
together
in our psyche as the backdrop to life's
screenplay. We
partied to her music. We laughed, cried,
fell into deep thought. We
made Love to her music, and we held each
other afterwards. Perhaps that is
why we sit here together - two years after
Phyllis' passing,
reading the 10th issue of a newsletter
devoted solely to her.
We are holding each other ....afterwards.
Richard Kenyada
*******************************************************************************
From: Simone DeVone in New York City
One "Quiet Storm" evening, when I was
around 17 years old, I found
myself lying awake with the radio on.
After numerous love songs were
played, here came Ms. Phyllis' rendition
of "Betcha By Golly Wow".
This was not the first time I had heard
her version, but it was the
first time that her voice "stung" me in
such a way that I can't even
begin to describe. I can remember plain as
day. As a young girl, I
will have to say that I was almost always
in deep depression. And my
outlet had always been music to an
extensive degree so I took to Ms.
Phyllis right away.
Her voice was so passionate, even when she sung
up-tempo tunes like "You Know How to Love
Me" - "sure you do!!! which
happens to be my favorite PH song and
that's my favorite line. I'm an
aspiring singer/songwriter and Ms.
Phyllis' CONFIDENT vocals were
absolutely inspiring to a young lady of my
also tenor/alto nature.
EFFORTLESS. "Boy, I wish I could sing
like her" - yeah right! I am
now 26 years old and am still searching
within myself for that passion
that I know I have, but lost somewhere in
my growing pains. You see,
I have quite a few things in common with
the Sophisticated Lady. I
didn't know these things before her death,
unfortunately, but now I
know.
As I was reading the too brief articles surrounding her death,
and the way they now describe her "moods"
I couldn't help but think -
my God, I can relate to this older woman
of such stature to a large
degree. Ms. Phyllis took her life a day
before my 24th birthday. She
was also a CANCER woman herself with a
birthday soon to come.
The nature of this woman - strong but
sensitive to others needs, an
inadequate feeling of self-awareness,
understanding, and all other
things mentioned is exactly the way I've
felt my entire life. But see,
Ms. Phyllis' death has brought on so much
awareness.
From the day I heard of her passing it triggered a voice inside telling
me that it's never too late to change my
way of thinking. See, like
Ms. Phyllis, I always wondered why I
wasn't accepted in ways that
really mattered to me - and at times
suicide has crossed my mind.
But I realized that I was much too young
to let this "depression" take
control of my life. I just had to do
something about it. So I made a
vow to improve myself in every way I could
- especially mentally -
beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I
could see my future so
clearly - would there actually be one if I
kept this train of thought?
Probably not. So, I am still striving to
improve myself even as I
sometimes still think WHY NOT ME? that I
will never be good enough
for this world. How could I ever compare
myself to a soothing vocalist
of Ms. Phyllis' stature? I can't, but I
damn sure can relate.
***** I love you Ms. Phyllis and miss you through song. You are now
my angelic inspiration. Rest in
peace.*****
Thanks Walid for your introduction to this
wonderful vehicle!
With all due respect and much love,
Simone
****************************************************************************
From: Brian Brown
Hello, my name is Brian Brown and I am a 21 year old Morehouse
College Senior. Your letter in newsletter
#9 inspired me to write briefly
a few of my feelings about Phyllis Hyman.
While I think it is true that
my generation is into the pop and rap
music, I,as much by accident as
by need, began to listen to real
vocalists like Anita Baker, Luther
Vandross and, of course, Phyllis Hyman
I must have heard PH's "living all alone" when I listened to the Quiet
Storm on Power 99 in Philadelphia. I was
about 16, I guess. Living
so far away from Philadelphia ( I am from
Md), I was lucky that the
reception was good. After Street Beat,
which was an hip-hop on
Friday nights, the Quiet Storm came on and
I would fall to sleep to
slow jams like Regina Belle, Luther,
Phyllis, Anita, the Ojays, and
so many other classic vocalists and
groups. However, it was Phyllis Hyman's
'Living All Alone" that made me really
listen and to feel music and put the
incessant beat's and rhymes of rap away.
I found Phyllis Hyman's Living All Alone cassette in my county library.
From the very beginning I was taken by
Living All Alone: high school
was not easy for me because I didn't have
any good friends. Imagine
how that bridge at 2 o'clock feels to a
confused brother wondering
whether I would ever find the friendship
and love of another, that
everyone deserves and needs in his/her
life:
'"feels good to have somebody hold you tight/
feels good to have somebody love you right
who will end all my long and lonely nights
oh oh oh
I can't stand this living all alone
oh oh oh I can't stand this living all
alone
oh oh oh I can't stand this living
all alllll allll
all la lo oo oonnne
Oh ( lord have mercy!)
She sings with such warmth: a mixture of pain and strength and style.
She
sings love and I felt that warmth surge
through me on those nights, y'all.
And lull me to sleep.
I must have played the piano intro to Old Friend a million times and
then sang the song straight through after
listening to it incessantly.
I fell in love with that album and I kept renewing it from the library.
. .
as with all good female vocalist I even
like the songs that weren't
released:
Ain't You Had Enough Love is "the bomb",
I stand up and clap every
time What You Won't Do For Love ( which
was released and a bad
remake of it was performed by someone
later); You Just Don't Know
is a song that I sing along with
her--sheer beauty.
I am one of those under 25 who loves female vocalists, and PH was my
first.
Brothers who feel, and not just try to be
hard all the time know that she is
singing for us. Telling us how we can try
be whole with Black
women and scolding us--rejecting us and
making us know when we've
done wrong. . . and yet still know that
we're loved. Phyllis empowers
us. . . opens us up to those emotions that
we can't really hide. I know
that alot of us under 25 are deceived by
that bump and grind R & B,
but when it comes to moving us, when it
comes to understanding the
heart and soul of our sisters and
ourselves; we, who love and feel
deeply about ourselves and each other,
will always listen first to
Phyllis Hyman.
I am grateful for the 2-disc set because now I can learn all those
Phyllis
Hyman classics that were a little before
my time, but are nonetheless, right
on time.
Brian Brown
****************************************************************************
From: Hera
Ten years ago, I was thirty-six years old and in the throes of a love
affair, before being introduced to Phyllis
Hyman. The love affair ended
swiftly, but that lover gave me a gift I
have cherished everyday of my
life--he gave me "Living All alone"--the
gift of Phyllis' voice, her
magic, her talent, her spirit. There is
no one on the planet who has
ever moved me, who has ever spoken to my
soul the way Phyllis does.
After the love affair ended, I lived of
the "Living All Alone" recording.
When I felt like "Screaming at the Moon,"
Phyllis was there, howling
with me. She lived her music, and in so
many ways--emotional--she
lived my life. When she sang of a pain so
deep and so solitary it
couldn't be shared with another human, I
knew she'd visited the same
internal landscape I called home. I'm
still "Living All Alone," but Phyllis
gives meaning to my days and my nights.
Sometimes, I listen to a mix
of her recordings for hours on end. And
my one regret is that she
couldn't find strength in the message she
emotes in, "Prime of My Life."
Still, she didn't leave us destitute.
Phyllis lives in her musical legend,
and I do my darnedest to introduce her to
any soul willing to listen.
Thanks for allowing me this opportunity to express my appreciation and
love for Phyllis Hyman.
Elnora Saunders
*******************************************************************
Poems By "Sunny" for Phyllis:
*********************************
"Jammin'"
I imagine you're happily in heaven,
Trading licks with Lady, Louis Armstrong,
and John Coltrane,
Harmonizing with Ella,
Scattin' with sassy Sarah,
Moanin' to the earthy tones of Carmen
McCrae;
I hope you're riding that rainbow you were always chasing,
Majestic astride a pulsating wave of
sound,
I can see you dancing in the starlight,
Magnificently draped in diamonds, rubies,
and pearls,
Drenched in the glitter of cosmic rain,
Virgin dewdrops glistening on your
fingers;
I can see you laughing with Lady Day,
Swappin' "Philadelphia Stories" with John
Coltrane,
Singing up a storm around Duke's
piano-playing,
Soaring high above Louis' stratospheric
horn,
You and Ella bending notes to your will,
Tones off the scale, aural colors painted
from a palette unknown,
Pulling profound primal beats from pockets
of the unconscious;
I betcha somewhere jammin' with Jobim,
Whistling softly to a sultry Brazilian
breeze,
Swaying into a samba, reveling in rhythmic
freedom.
*************************************
Encomium ( For a Jazz Singer)
You were a timeless spirit,
a priceless jewel of exquisite splendor,
a rare, breath-taking treasure,
a haunting melody of sweet fire and fierce
passion,
that lingers beyond all measure;
You heard a song,
that the rest of us could not,
knew depths of passion and pain,
that we could not fathom,
Voices in the distance lured you away,
into a realm where we cannot follow,
>From this place where you knew such
sorrow;
It is the memory of your smile that comforts me,
the joyous light that danced in your eyes,
teasing, laughing flights of fancy,
flowing from a playful spirit,
passing through this life like a
whirlwind,
scattering your gift upon us like
stardust,
brilliant, elusive, unforgettable;
There is a tear in the cosmic fabric,
a gaping hole where you once lived,
from which you soared,
******************************************************************************
Well, that's basically it for this issue.
I would like to thank the people who
submitted the articles for this
issue: Simone DeVone, Brian Brown and
Elnora Saunders. Also
great thanks to Sunny for the wonderful
poems she wrote for Phyllis.
This has been the tenth issue of the PH Newsletter. I am very pleased
with where we are today. The number of
subscribers currently stands
at 172 and is steadily rising. The number
of people who actually
read the newsletter is quite higher than
that. The PH fan survey
to which so far 70 of you have responded
shows that while most
readers share their newsletters with at
least one other person,
some have it on mailing lists (one
subscriber wrote that he sends
the newsletter to 88 people).
We are very interested to hear from those of you who have not as
yet submitted any posts to the newsletter.
We would like to know
what your favorite PH albums and songs
are. We encourage
those of you who were fortunate enough to
have seen Phyllis perform
live or even to have met her in person to
tell us about your experience.
It is your experiences, emotions and
memories that make this
newsletter !
Take Care,
Walid
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