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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 | 