|
PHYLLIS HYMAN INTERNET
NEWSLETTER #16
AUGUST 17, 1998
Hello again, Friends, and Welcome to
Newsletter #16. This is a
milepost because it’s our first issue
since the release of the latest
Phyllis Hyman CD, Forever With You. I
realize that, though the CD was
released on July 28th, there still may be
places in the world that haven't
received it yet. So we have included a
review as an incentive to search
for this sensational treasure.
With the release of the new CD, Walid and I are thrilled that The PH
Newsletter, Fanzine, is receiving
worldwide recognition as the official
publication devoted to Phyllis Hyman. Of
course, I'm equally pleased
that the producers of the CD have shown so
much appreciation for the
tireless effort that Walid Itayim has put
forth on his PH Fan Site.
Walid is much too modest to take a bow,
but I know how very close this
project is to his heart. Though we have produced this newsletter a
half-a-world
apart, approaching two years, it never ceases to amaze me how far we
have come.
For this issue, we share very moving tributes to Phyllis by
producer/writer
Nick Martinelli and our old friend, Tom
Conroy. We are also joined by
new friends Meryl McDuffie, Katrina Jones,
Gena Holle, William Cooper,
S. Anthony and Shawn Gravely, with their
special memories.
So insert a Phyllis Hyman CD into your machine; sit back and relax. Let
her
magic take you to that special place, as
we share once again our memories
and our joy in appreciation of the fact
that she left us so much of herself.
As we celebrate her music and her life on
a regular basis, I
can't help but believe that her soul is
rested and at peace.
Richard
*****************************
*******************************************************************************
Nick Martinelli produced and wrote some of
Phyllis' best work.
His production skills can be heard on
Living All Alone, Prime of
My Life, I Refuse To Be Lonely and even
the new release, Forever
With You. I found Nick's e-mail address at
his website and wrote
to him about the newsletter. He was kind
enough to respond to my
*************************
It was a heartbreaking day when I got the
call about her death. I wish I
could have said it was a surprise but it
wasn't. I had a feeling this was
going to happen at any moment. Phyllis was
a very addictive person
and was generally not happy. She loved
performing on stage. This was the one
thing in her life that she loved and was
able to control. As you know I
worked with Phyllis for about 9 years. She
never much liked recording in the
studio. I decided to take her out of the
vocal booth and make her sing with
me in the control room. She loved not
being
separated from the producer or engineer.
It made her feel more in
control, something she always wanted to
be. I guess the one thing I
will always remember about Phyllis was
that whatever was on her
mind she would state. Most of the times
not taking the time to think
about the consequences. The day we were
writing, "I Refused To Be Lonely" I
remember her crying for many hours.
Talking about how
messed up her life was but that she wanted
to send out a positive message to
people who were going thru what she had.
Her mother
had just recently died and it made her
very depressed. It's a real
shame she never got the recognition she
should have. This was
another reason I think she felt so
defeated in the end. She will be
missed by many people.
Nick Martinelli
******************************************************************************
Review: Phyllis Hyman - Forever With You
(Released July 28 1998)
Phyllis Hyman fans all over the world have anticipated this album, and
it is finally here. The first draft of
this review was mistakenly written in
the present tense, mostly because the
music sounds so fresh. The
first thing you'll notice, of course is
the album’s riveting cover. As you
know, Phyllis Hyman was a strikingly
beautiful woman, and
photographer Phyllis Cuington’s portrait
is haunting in its simplicity
and style. The release of this CD also
confirms what many of us have
believed for a long time: the vaults of
various record companies hold a
treasure trove of un-mined gold.
"Forever With You", the song selected to be the album’s title, by an
overwhelming majority of the subscribers
to the PH Newsletter, is
perhaps a thank you note from Phyllis.
Those who have kept the flame
for Ms. Hyman’s music and memory for the
three years since her
passing, have every reason to feel the
positive vibe emanating from
such lyrics as “I appreciate the respect
and all the consideration you've
given to me….Thank you very much for all
your understanding. The patience
and your kindness; the tender loving care
that you've given to
me”
"Funny How Love Goes" is a bittersweet duet with new singer Damon, whose
voice was mixed in during post production
for the album. As pleasing as the
song sounds, one cannot help but wonder
what the Hyman/Henderson combination
could have done with this material.
"Come Right or Not At All" is a mid-tempo retrospective of a woman’s
life, done with attitude and flair. Just
listening to it, you somehow know
that Phyllis had a hand in writing this
one. "Strength of A Woman" is
another such song, in which she declares,
“I'm not afraid to be alone!”,
but in an I'd-rather-not voice.
"Hurry Up This Way Again" may sound familiar. Taken from The
Stylistics’ songbook, there is a decidedly
betcha-by-golly-wow feel to it.
At this point, not yet halfway through the
album, one is struck by how
truly “tight” this production has been
from the very beginning. The
sound is great! Not a misplaced instrument
or arrangement.
Those of us who have listened to Phyllis for decades, know that she
was equally at home in the grooves of
uptempo stuff as she was with
the ballads, and "How Long" (another
Hyman-penned ditty) takes us
out on the dance floor for some serious
boogeyin’.
Did someone say ballads? "Someone to Love", written by the late
Linda Creed and Michael Masser, is alone
worth the price of admission
to this CD. This song has the feeling of
a Broadway show stopper. It
resonates!! With Phyllis, it was always
the little things she did with a
song; the details. Even here, in full
command of her instrument, she knows
when to let the silences speak for
themselves.
"Tell Me What You're Gonna Do" is a fun romp, with an infectious rhythm.
Difficult to sit still …or keep from
smiling. The mischievous, defiant
Phyllis collaborated on this one,
admonishing her lover to “Treat me
right, and I'll do anything for you.” I
can almost imagine her in the
studio, scatting, playing, and weaving
that magic sweetener in a baby-girl
tease/purr.
If for no other reason than the subject matter, "The Kids", a Gamble &
Huff-produced song, shows us another facet
of this multi-faceted Diva.
“Gotta make it better for the kids ….show
them how to be independent, and
stand up on their own.” Though she sings
from a personal prospective, those
familiar with her life know this is a plea
for
us to do a better job of raising our own.
"Set A Little Trap" is a playful, skip-along love (with a wink) song.
Pleasant, with enough jazzy riffs to make
it qualify as worthwhile by
fans, and a primer for today’s wannabe
Divas. But lest the new
contenders for the throne become over
confident, "No One But You"
stands as a formidable obstacle course for
the vocally-challenged.
A wee bit heavy-handed on the bass, the
song is nevertheless one that will
get a lot of Repeat action on the CD
player.
"Souvenirs" fittingly caps off this sensational journey, with Phyllis
sifting
through memories, her “collection of the
triumphs and the fears.”
Ballads are Phyllis’ stock in trade, and
Souvenirs stands up beside her best
work. Silky smooth, and just enough
thought-provoking lyrics to
warrant the audience’s attentive
listening, the song is a prelude to the
good-bye we never heard before.
Suffice it to say that Forever With You is a Must for all Phyllis Hyman
fans.
Moreover, it is the kind of project that
new listeners will quickly grow
attached to. In many ways this album is so
much …fun. If you think
you'll need someone to comfort you through
this, given the tragic ending
of her life, you couldn't be more
incorrect. It’s not sad or maudlin; it’s
so full of life, hope and inspiration.
Trust me, this is an instant
Collector’s Item. A 5-Star Triumph!
Since this isn't a traditional CD release, it stands to reason that its
review might depart from the usual. With
that in mind, I'd like to thank
everyone who took part in creating this
album. It is very clear that care
was taken to "get it right." and, in every
respect, you have certainly
succeeded. A special thanks goes to
Phyllis' manager and friend. Ms. Glenda
Gracia for all her hard work on this
project, and for keeping Ms. Hyman's
fans in her thoughts.
And finally, to Phyllis's family: Thank you for sharing, as Glenda says,
"the light and love."
Richard Kenyada
******************************************************************************
From: TOM CONROY
Subject: The Starship Tour
Hello Walid,
Sorry it's been so long since I contacted the newsletter...life gets
in the way of the fun stuff much too
often. Anyway, I would like to
report on a concert I attended on June
13th for the newsletter if you
please...
The "Starship Tour" came into
Pittsburgh on a perfect summer
evening at an intimate outdoor
amphitheater directly across the river
from the glittering skyline of the
downtown area. Norman Connors,
Marion Meadows, Tom Browne, and the one
and only Miss Angela
Bofill. This was jazz/R&B at it's best and
we were lucky enough to get
front row center seats. Connors dedicated
the evening to Phyllis and
received a roar of approval from the
crowd. After a few songs he introduced
Nathan East(Jean Carne's musical
director), and he did a
killer version of "Meet Me On The Moon",
sounding very much like
Freddie Jackson or Luther Van Dross. The
entire band was excellent, Marion
Meadows(who was new to me), is a an
extraordinary sax player. Tom Browne
then delighted the crowd with a young
vocalist (whose
name escapes me) and had the place rocking
to "Jamaica Funk".
Then it was time for Angela. She entered looking gorgeous and fit
in a tailored white suit, leading the
crowd in a spirited mambo-type
song. She did a few of her standards,
then got quiet and asked how
she could come to Pittsburgh and not do a
memorial to her friend,
Phyllis. She did a stunning, passionate "Betcha
By Golly Wow"
that pleased even the most hard core
Phyllis fan(like me). When she
finished the song she blew a kiss into the
heavens and told us that
Phyllis talks to her often, whispering
"Angie, hey Angie..." I knew
exactly what she meant. She capped the
evening off with "I Try", and
we were lucky enough to obtain an
autograph from her and Mr.
Meadows (who was a really nice guy). All
told, an evening that I am
sure pleased Phyllis, who was on the
receiving end of a lot of love and respect.
To those of our newsletter readers that are in their teens and
twenties and enjoy the uniqueness of
Phyllis, I urge you to check out
Angela Bofill and to all who may have the
opportunity, get tickets to
"The Starship Tour", if it comes to your
city.
Yesterday was a bittersweet day, the
birthday of our much-missed
Phyllis. My family scattered in their
various pursuits during the
evening, so I poured some wine, put every
one of her CDS on the player,
and sat alone on the patio, listening to
the voice and watching the
purple/orange sky grow dark, and the stars
begin to twinkle. Their were
a few tears, hey, the wine, the VOICE, the
beauty of the evening, but it
wasn't just sadness. We'll always have
her, won't we, at the touch of
the play button? Happy Birthday, Phyllis!
Tom Conroy
July 7, 1998
******************************************************************************
From: SoftShawn
I previously sent an email asking to subscribe to your Phyllis Hyman
newsletter. I visited the site and read
some really great stories from
other subscribers and it made me recall
the pain I felt with her passing.
I loved her. Her songs put a hold on you like nothing else anyone could
ever imagine. I could always feel the
strength and power she had in her
songs. When I listened to her, I felt so
much energy. It was like I was in a
trance. I truly admired her. I just
wonder why did she want to give up on
life so easily. I personally couldn't
accept her death. When I heard it, I
did not want to believe it. I thought was
someone's sick idea of a joke.
When I read about it in the Phila. Daily
News, I cried like it was my best
friend. The only memory I had of her was
her song "Living All Alone" on
a tape that I recorded off The Quiet Storm
on the radio a few years
before. I had already played it so much
that I thought the tape would
pop.
For fear of not having a keepsake to
remember her, I went out and
bought all of her music I could find. I
couldn't let her go. In the
beginning, I cried every time I played her
CDs. Now my daughter (she's
eight) and I sing along and the feeling I
get is so uplifting. The
sadness of her passing is still with me
but her music will live on forever.
I'm just sorry that she did not know that
I loved her.
S. Gravely
Philadelphia, PA
*******************************************************************************
From: S. Anthony
Subject: Remembering Phyllis
The week of June 30th -July 6th is indeed a shallow, gloomy, and
empty week for many of us to bare. It is
the week that we not only
celebrate this incredible singer's
birthday (July 6th), but we are forced
to also recognize that June 30th marks the
3rd year anniversary of Ms.
Hyman's death by suicide.
As I remember Phyllis, I am not moved to heavy tears because I simply
did not know this woman on a personal
level. I was not even fortunate enough
to rejoice with many as they marvel at the
recollection of seeing her in
person or on stage. No, that is not my
memory of Phyllis. Instead, my memory
of Ms. Hyman is embedded in the music that
she sang
about; the soft moods and the loud cries
that creep though each recording.
Going through any situation was made
better after a heart-felt talk with The
Father and listening to an old Phyllis
favorite. Her words reminded me that
I was not the only person going through
changes. Her message was one of pain
and then hope: the way my life had always
been orchestrated. Yes, it's true
that I do shed a tear or two for the
woman and her life apart from her music:
all life is precious and I am
sorry that she is not able to one day reap
in the oldness of her age. Still,
there is a heaviness in me that I can not
put into words. All I know is that
one of the greatest singers (in my
opinion) to ever have lived is no
longer with us. Although I did not know
the woman named Phyllis and
vice versa, her music has touched and
influenced my life in so many
ways. This is why I miss and will always
cherish the memory and legacy
of Phyllis Hyman. God Bless.
June 30th has also been a difficult day to deal with because I had a
sister who was born two years before me on
this day. She passed away one
month after she was born. Still, I
celebrate her 21st birthday.
Submitted with love,
S. Anthony
*******************************************************************************
From: William Cooper
Subject: Forever with me- Phyllis is.....
As I sit here at my job listening to FOREVER WITH YOU, the
posthumous release, chills run through my
body. Phyllis never
sounded better. I am so glad they released
this compilation of songs.
I REFUSE TO BE LONELY left me wanting.
To say this woman's legacy affected me is an understatement. Her
music served as inspiration to me. As one
of the fans alluded to, her
vulnerability put me in touch with my own.
This past January, I completed my first novel entitled SIX DAYS IN
JANUARY. (I'm still attempting to get
published.) Completing it in about
twenty months, Phyllis was my companion
through all my nights of
loneliness sitting at this very desk. She
was my OLD FRIEND it when it
seemed as if my whole life was collapsing
around me, (I Came Home one night
to my clothes outside-the product of
another failed
relationship.) my lover during those wee
hours when I had no one. You don't
know how many times tears flowed as I
repeatedly played LIVING
IN CONFUSION and I'M CALLING YOU. It was
like I was living her pain,
her cries for help, her fight for the one
thing everyone wants in life-
TO BE LOVED. I'm praying my book makes it
out there, for it is the best way
I can thank her family for bestowing her
with such a wondrous instrument.
The honor would be mines to keep this
woman's spirit alive...
FROM THE HEART,
WILLIAM F. COOPER
******************************************************************************
From: Gena Holle
As far as my own PH experience goes, it's mostly images associated
with her music. I was never lucky enough
to see her in person. During
her peak performing years I was working
nights at a local venue that
saw the likes of the L.A. Philharmonic,
stage shows and acts like Three Dog
Night, the Carpenters and Sonny and Cher;
hardly the intimate settings that
Ms. Hyman seemed to thrive in. While I
soaked in a wealth
of music at my job, the schedule didn't
allow much time to explore San
Diego's club scene.
My Phyllis Hyman fixes came from listening to her recordings. I about
wore out my 12-inch singles of "You Know
How to Love Me" and "Riding the
Tiger." Both hold many memories of the
courtship of the man I
ended up marrying. Other songs bring back
memories of our travels abroad and
to Mexico. I take music with me wherever I
go, and Phyllis' grooves have
accompanied me on many trips. I especially
enjoy
listening to my favorite artists while
riding the rails. It's very
inspiring! There's nothing like Phyllis'
dulcet tones mixed with images
glimpsed from train windows of glassy
lakes, mammoth mountains,
peach-colored skies and rows of tree
flitting by, their trailing leaves
like waterfalls. Nirvana!
Then there was the fellow who once told me some of Phyllis Hyman's songs
depressed him. After talking with him, he
admitted that her
interpretation of these melancholy works
was so vivid, so real, that it
struck a chord too close to home; he felt
uncomfortable and vulnerable.
To me, it seemed as if she was personally
experiencing the emotions
of her lyrics, and maybe she was. Most of
us at one time or another
have felt lost and abandoned; Phyllis
Hyman's music makes us feel
we're not the only one's in the world
experiencing these emotions. It's
too bad she couldn't overcome her demons
and make it over the
mountain to happiness.
Well, that's about the extent of my PH experience. Feel free to use all
or part in the newsletter.
Keep up the good work!
Gena Holle
******************************************************************************
From: Katrina I Jones
thank you for the information included in this brief biography of
Phyllis
Hyman. I am 27 yrs old and became
introduced to the "diva" when I was
about 14 or 16 yrs old via her song, "Old
Friend." Immediately, I admired
the warmth, style, grace, and dignity
that, in my mind, was her hallmark.
As I got older, I longed to find out more about this earthy, statuesque
woman whose music was around but never
around. In other words,
she had always been there but with a low
profile. So from a record company,
I purchased a "collection" of her songs.
But with the help of
this biography, I see that my collection
is nothing less than inadequate.
Thank you again for providing this insight!
*******************************************************************************
From: Meryl McDuffie
picked up newly released Phyllis Hyman album yesterday. spent the whole
day
listening to her sultry, sexy, melodic...
(i'm getting depressed again)
voice. i cried through the first run
because the reality hit me once again
that i'd never see her again. the reason
why i know i am blessed
is because i have had the opporunity the
meet and receive such a wonderful
spirit in the first place. i am mainly
writing you at this time to
find out how i may subcribe to your
internet newsletter. i just saw your
email address in the liner notes of the cd.
i need to dash now... please
send me info asap.
i pray to the universe that you have peace.......
meryl l. mcduffie
(aka lambda)
******************************************************************************
I want to thank co-editor Richard for the
kind words he had to
say in the introduction. As he mentioned,
the liner notes of the new
CD "Forever With You" list both the URL
for the PH website as well as
the e-mail address for the newsletter. Our
efforts to keep Phyllis'
memory alive on the internet have paid
off. Thank you, Glenda!!!
Also, I would like to thank Bill Shultz
without whom I would have
not gotten back in contact with Glenda
after she was no longer on-line.
Since July 28, the number of newsletter
subscribers has risen
significantly thanks to the listing in the
new CD.
If you have not yet bought the CD, I recommend you do so asap!
For those of you who have been unable to
find it at your local CD
store, I suggest you use one of the CD
suppliers on the web.
Those of you who sent in your quotes a couple of months ago will
be interested to know that out of the 30
or so submitted by the
readers of the newsletter, 4 were chosen
and used in the liner
notes of the CD. The lucky 4 are: Tracy
Grant, Miles Bell, Alice
Roxanne and Richard Kenyada.
Finally, I want to thank Nick Martinelli for e-mailing me back so
promptly with his thoughts on Phyllis.
Also, thanks Tom, S. Anthony,
William, Shawn, Gena, Katrina and Meryl
for contributing to this
issue! Don't forget to send in your
reviews of Forever With You
so we can include them in the next issue.
Best Regards,
Walid
PHYLLIS HYMAN INTERNET
NEWSLETTER #17
SEPTEMBER 28, 1998
Welcome to the 17th issue of Fanzine, the
Phyllis Hyman newsletter.
Amazing!! Seventeen issues. Had the
recording industry given Phyllis
this kind of respect and admiration during
her career, perhaps Ms.
Hyman would be here with us, celebrating
our 17th issue.
But perhaps she is …. anyway.
The recent release of the “Forever With You” CD, with the Internet
address of our newsletter and website has
contributed immensely
to the activity in our E-Mail boxes, and
we are most grateful. Not only
has it enabled us to connect with Phyllis’
“old” fans who were always
out there, but hadn’t heard about us. With
all the attention the new CD
is generating, new friends are emerging
from the CD bins of media
stores around the world.
We are beginning to receive a steady flow of heartfelt tributes from
all over the world. This month Tracie
Johnson, S. Anthony, William F.
Cooper, Blaine Gaffney III, Thomas
Schindlbeck, Abiola Sinclair,
Phil Perry and Lee Dixon, share with us
their thoughts about Phyllis’ music,
and the woman herself. Our heroine.
It’s not at all surprising that many of those whom we consider our
heroes and heroines, have heroes and
heroines of their own. Such
was certainly the case with Phyllis Hyman
who, in a television interview
with Essence Magazine editor, Susan
Taylor, once intimated that her
professional career would have started
much sooner were it not for the fact
that her vocal heroine was none other than
the legendary Miss
Nancy Wilson. Phyllis considered Miss
Wilson to be the
quintessential song stylist and, having
swooned over the music of
Nancy for well over three decades myself,
I can certainly understand
Phyllis’ initial reservations.
We have a special treat in this issue: Miss Nancy Wilson shares with
us a few thoughts about Phyllis. She
responded to a note from Walid,
and I am so jealous I cannot contain
myself You see, Nancy’s music
kept me sane through two years in Vietnam
during the 1960’s. The
most sensual album ever recorded was
Nancy’s “Tender Loving Care.” And if
you want to experience the kind of music
that was a bit
intimidating for a young Phyllis Hyman,
pick up Miss Wilson’s 3-CD
box set “Ballads, Blues & Big Bands: The
Best of Nancy Wilson.”
Of course Nancy Wilson’s music is as fresh and sensational today as
ever,
and I’m sure that if Phyllis were here
today, she’d be as anxiously awaiting
the next Nancy Wilson release as the rest
of Nancy’s legion of fans. And it
makes some of us feel even closer to
Phyllis to know that
even our Diva had, in a very real sense, a
Diva of her own to cherish
and honor. There is, indeed, a lineage in
The Music.
Richard Kenyada
Co-Editor
******************************************************************************
Besides being one of her main influences, singer Nancy Wilson
was a close friend of Phyllis. I e-mailed
Nancy after I found her
web page and I was surprised to get her
reply on the same day!
Here is what she wrote:
Dear Walid,
Very happy to see a Webpage on Phyllis. This can keep her
many fans up on the life and times of
Phyllis. One of the finest
natural talents I have ever heard. She
was also a very gifted
performer, I thought the stage play she
was in, Sophisticated
Lady, was one of the finest I have ever
seen. I still miss not
hearing from her, but every so often when
I get a moment I put
on a CD or tape of hers and think about
the great moments of
time we spent together and smile to myself
at some of the private
jokes shared. When I have time, maybe
there will be a few of the
moments we'll share.
Good luck!
******************************************************************************
Abiola Sinclair is a
writer/journalist/poet/musician. She tried to contact
Phyllis on the night she died to give her
a song she had written
especially for her. But it was too late.
Back then, she was media editor
for the New York Amsterdam News. Today,
she is publisher and editor
of Black History Magazine. I contacted her
and asked her if she could
write something for the newsletter. Here
is what she wrote:
Dear Walid,
Thank you for contacting me. I met Ms. Hyman on but one occasion,
she was in Sophisticated Ladies and I went
backstage. I wrote her a letter
and to my surprise she wrote me back. I
wrote a song for her
but never gave it to her.
A few days before her death a feeling came over me that was so
strong that I went to my piano bench and
pulled out the song and
began to fiddle around with it. I had
had a female singer I knew
record it and I found the tape and played
that.
Finally I resolved to contact Ms. Hyman and present her with the tape.
I called the Apollo and spoke to someone
- the woman who was sponsoring her
appearance, her name escapes me now. I
was told
the show was delayed, I called back an
hour later to be told the show
was cancelled. Ms Hyman had not shown,
was the reason. I was worried, I
didn't like the sound of it, but suicide
was not on my mind,
at all.
when I found out she was dead I could not believe it. She must have
been in a deep depression. I kept feeling
perhaps a new song would have
brought her out of it. I don't know why
she killed herself except
she was a very proud person, vain also.
She perhaps felt she was
not where she should be at that point in
her career. She did not realize
that had she held on, she could and would
have been one of the immortals
because - whose left?
All of the old heads have passed on. The
mantle would have passed
to her just by the course of time. Plus
there is always a need for her type
of style and song delivery. Her smooth
and sultry sound is timeless.
She had the voice, the looks, the style.
In thinking of her, I believe
what I'm saying is true. She perhaps felt
washed up, but that was just
a bad feeling, that's all.
It helps to study the lives of artists, be they painters, dancers,
singers, writers, what have you. Then you
realize in the lives of many
great people that there are periods of
numbing stillness and inactivity
when you wonder what the hell is going
on?
When these periods occur, take time to rest, and then initiate a
project yourself. It doesn't have to be
big. She should have had a
relationship with a small club somewhere.
Billie Holiday did, even
Woody Allen, had a club on the East side
he played at. She should
have agreed to sing there X number of
times a year. Talented people
need the public; a Cafe Carlyle if you
will.
The song I wrote for her still remains unsung. You have reminded me.
I guess I'll try to contact Luther
Vandross and ask him to dedicate it to
Ms Hyman.
Abiola Sinclair
******************************************************************************
I remember Phyllis performing after the
release of the "Prime Of My Life"
album at the Southport Soul & Dance
Weekender in the UK. Not so familiar
with us European`s fans sense of
"tradition", she did not expect the high
demand in the audience for all her classic
recordings from
the 70ies and the 80ies. So neither the
band nor the background
singers were familiar with this material.
Obviously someone had told
her right before the show how much her
earlier recordings were appreciated
in the UK - so in the middle of an already
breathtaking,
totally mesmerizing show, she interrupted
the band, took out a sheet of
paper with a list of songs on it and
explained that she had not been
aware of us knowing and loving these old
songs and as there was no such
interest in the US, she would be unable to
perform them with her band. BUT:
She suggested that the audience would act
as background singers and rhythm
section and that we would decide together
what songs we would do - she
started to read out the list and every
time we cheered especially loud, it
was "ok, let's do that" time. The whole
segment of the show was full of humor with
Phyllis making comments such as
"You sure look good to me?" ... mild
applause ... "All right,
let's skip this one, it was not that good
anyway" or "You want me to do
this? ... Then we have to go through the
lyrics first, I cannot remember".
It was incredible ... we performed
"together" for around 45 minutes while
the band and the background singers had a
break. Everyone, including
Phyllis, seemed to have the time of their
life. And I still cannot believe
how excellent some of those acappella
versions turned out to be. I
never felt such an intense relationship
between an artist and the
audience again. At first I was as
shocked and saddened as everyone
else contributing to this page when I
heard about her suicide. However, with
all those fond memories and special
moments related to her, every time I
think of Phyllis now I cannot help but
feeling happy keeping
in mind everything she has achieved, the
timeless value of her records and
her wonderful personality.
Thank you all for keeping her memory alive,
Thomas Schindlbeck
Germany
****************************************************************************
From: Henry Gaffney III
Thank you for devoting a web site to Phyllis Hyman. I have been
searching the web for such a site for over
a year. I am a loyal "died
in the wool" Hyman fan. I became
acquainted with this "regal artist"
when she released her first album. A very
dear person who was the
love of my life played it for me and I
immediately became possessed
and under her spell and influence. I have
all her albums and all the
CD's that are currently available. I have
a screen saver I made that
contains various photos of Phyllis.
I have asked myself a thousand times "Why Phyllis? You don't know
how much you are loved and missed". I
anxiously awaited each new release,
knowing that I would enjoy the tracks.
Waiting for Phyllis was
like waiting for Christmas...it would come
and then you couldn't wait
until the next and the next.
Her death doubled my pain. I lost my love a few years earlier and the
only connection left was our love of
Phyllis Hyman. "Loving You, Losing You"
became an anthem for me, also "You Know
How To Love Me" and "Some Where In
My Lifetime". It's as though life had
knocked me down
a second time when she passed. I was just
beginning to get up again.
At least I still had Phyllis and my
memories.
I introduced my current girlfriend to Phyllis' music when we started
dating and she too became an instant fan.
I loved.. Love Phyllis Hyman.
I wish there could be more releases I want
every note she ever sang...
Obsessed?...yes who could not help but
become obsessed by such a
powerful encompassing voice. Listening to
the lyrics and identifying
with the pain loving each delicate, sultry
nuance in a magnificent voice
that could suddenly become a powerful
siren. Musical phrasing of
uttermost ability. There is no match or
equal available. Phyllis' voice
and style was so distinct and the world
has lost a treasure. For those
who don't know her they are missing the
ultimate musical experience.
Please do all in your power to see that the legacy lives on... I am
available to help in any way possible.
Ideas suggestions etc.
Again thank you and God Bless you. I'm not ready to let go yet...she
will remain with me "Forever" in my heart
and soul.
Blaine Gaffney III
******************************************************************************
Subject: Re: Phyllis Hyman - FOREVER WITH
YOU.... A review.
Thank you very much for including me in Newsletter # 16. I've shown
it to a few people and hopefully you'll be
hearing from them soon.
Yo, this album is 'da' bomb!!! It's a good thing I work down the street
from a Virgin Megastore, because I'm
wearing out my tape. (Smile)
Seriously, FOREVER WITH YOU is filled with so much optimism; so
much positive energy. Right from the
beginning, with its vibrant title
track. I found myself doing a little samba
step listening to it. Perhaps
she's telling us that she'll be forever
with us.
'Funny How Loves Goes' is a marvelous duet. Though the lyrics express
regret of paths crossing, the harmony of
Damon and Phyllis wash away
the sadness.
'Come Right Or Not at All'? Typical Phyllis. A little sad, but not too
much.
You can feel the power of this woman's
voice here.
'Strength Of A Woman' was really cool.
Phyllis did the Stylistics proud when she remade 'Hurry Up this Way
Again..' She glides through this song
effortlessly.
I LOVED 'How Long'!!!! When I first heard it, I was like "What? Not
Phyllis
going house." (Smile) This may be her
funkiest dance track since 'You
Know How To Love Me'...
The only time I felt pain is was when I listened to 'Someone to Love".
Again she left me identifying her pain.
All she wanted both professionally
and emotionally was 'Someone to Love'
her. Someone to appreciate her
music, Someone to make her feel like the
queen she was... Pretty telling
song.
'Tell Me What You're Gonna Do' matches Phyllis' extraordinary range
with a simple groove. Love the heavy beat
here. Also enjoy hearing her
"Heh-hey" ad-lib.
'The Kids' was a pretty mellow tune.
'Set A Little Trap' brought some creativity out of her. I loved the way
she
played with the lyrics with style only she
had.
'No One But You' was my favorite song on the tape. It sounds
mysterious, yet definitive as she
announces "I'm committed to you." The
groove , The background and lead voice are
all in spectacular form. A
Four-Star special here.
And Lastly, 'Souvenirs' left me with the same feeling "Give me One Good
Reason To Stay." did. Wanting. But not as
much this time. I felt the song
was a triumphant, positive way to close to
the album. She left us with
not only a lasting legacy, but with this
album, a few souvenirs. With
tears in my eyes as I now listen to this
song, I only wish she would have
just as victorious in her fight with her
own vulnerabilities and fears.
You're going to have to put a box set
together with Some of her Greatest
hits, as well as some more selections you
selfishly have in your vault.
(Smile). God, I miss this woman so....
William F. Cooper
****************************************************************************
From: Dishmi9194
Subject: Forever With You
I would like to respond to the new release of Ms.Hyman's "Forever with
You"
album.
Still gloating over Phyllis' "One on One" album that was previously
released
in March of this year, awaiting this album
was made a little
more easier.
When I first learned that a Phyllis Hyman album with unreleased tracks
was to hit the stores, I honestly did not
know what to expect. Sure, I
always expect the magnificent voice and
sensational vibe that the music
of Phyllis Hyman has been known for, but
the direction in the style of her
music that would later breathe through my
stereo's speakers left me clueless.
First Of all...
Walid, thanks for letting your PH
Subscribers have an opportunity to even
be considered in the decision making to
the title of the mysterious
Hyman album at the time. It was exciting
to know that my title choice for
one of the next biggest Phyllis Hyman
projects would be valued by someone!
The reason I chose the "Forever With You"
title as opposed
to "Souvenirs" was because that simple
expression reminded me of Phyllis
always being with us. And although my
two-sentenced statement did not make
it into the introduction, it was a thrill
to submit it anyway! I
am overjoyed for those that did make it -
Tracy, Miles, Richard, and Alice!
Congratulations!
Listening to my very own approved title
track for the album was a true
treasure. It is clearly evident that Ms.
Hyman was expressing a heart-felt
gratitude towards the many cherished
people in and around her life. That day
I typed in my selection choice for this
title was undoubtedly no mistake!
The song is uplifting, refreshing and very
vibrant.
After the introductory song, I could sense this was an album unlike any
other Phyllis album ever produced. Each
song took me through new and higher
levels of excitement and fulfillment. And
to add even more to the hyping of
the album, by me being a young person
myself, I can
guarantee that if such tracks as "How
Long," "Tell Me What You're
Gonna Do," "Come Right Or Not At All" and
"No One But You," were released
by tomorrow, these groovy, twistful, and
danceable songs
would really make waves among the youth.
Three of my personal favorites include: "The Kids," "Hurry Up This Way
Again," and "Set A Little Trap" The kids
is not really a sing-a-long or
danceable type song, but the song is
purely meant for listening and
learning purposes. Hurry Up... really has
that singable melody that is
so different and unique for Phyllis and
her fans. And finally Set A Little
Trap is just that kind of a moody and
sensuous (Nancy Wilson -You
Don't Know How Glad I Am) happy jazzy song
that just has me
constantly pressing the rewind button
because that song is just that
damn good to me!
To conclude, I am extremely excited about this project and will gladly
await the release of the next batch of
unreleased tracks. This album is
by far most my favorite, and not for the
simple fact that I feel connected
with this album because my opinion was
considered for the title, but because
this album seems to express a side of
Phyllis that I knew
always existed musically. Some of these
last recordings really showed her
aging as an interpreter of words and
music.
S. Anthony
***************************************************************************
From: Leeedy
Subject: Forever With You
I want to commend everyone, especially the Gamble-Huff folks for
putting this CD together and making it
available for all of us out here
thirsting for more Phyllis.
I was waiting at Tower Records in Hollywood when they went on the
shelf...but had one hell of a time finding
the thing...it seems Phyllis is
getting more and more buried...and the
weird categorizations the
record stores are doing to her work does
not help at all.
In any event, if that CD were vinyl, I would have played it thru to the
other
side by now...it is constantly on...and I
keep it in my car...and I think I've
learned each song by heart. Phyllis did
some interesting phrasing with
the old Stylistic's tune, "Hurry Up This
Way Again"...as usual...she owns
it now!
Thank you so much!!
Best,
Lee Dixon
******************************************************************************
I really enjoyed reading this edition of the newsletter (and all
previous
editions, of course). I remember stopping
to remember The Diva on
June 30th this year, and then to remember
that a week or so later was
her birthday.
I listened to Forever With You and I loved it! I grew to love I Refuse
To Be
Lonely after first being unable to listen
to it, knowing that it was her last
studio release. Months and months went by
before I could actually turn
on the CD player and listen to the songs
on that CD. When I was finally
able to, I was happy to have done so --
even though Give Me One Good Reason
To Stay still moves me to tears. If only
someone could have
done that for The Lady.
Anyhow, Forever With You is wonderful and I thank Glenda Gracia from
the bottom of my heart for the care that
she took in putting it together.
I'm sure that Ms. Hyman would have
approved!
As an aside, I was strolling on Second Avenue here in New York the
other day, when I came upon someone with
their photographs displayed at a
stand on the sidewalk. I saw beautiful
black and white prints of various
people and I was immediately drawn to the
stand. And then, as
I approached, I was struck by this
stunning color photograph of a statuesque
lady in a black dress with a red coat and
red shoes and I recognized it as
one of the pictures on the website. I
spoke with Mr. Samey B. Williams and
told him that his pictures of her are
wonderful.
I even bought 2 prints of The Diva from
him and they are even more
lovely than they appear on the website!
Let's always keep The Lady's memory alive. As she continues to touch
us with her wonderful voice and the power
of her soul, let us continue to
reach out to her with our memories, our
loyalty, and our love!
Tracie Johnson
****************************************************************
From: Jthpkp
Subject: Re: The Starship Tour
I had to honor of attending the Starship Tour, featuring Norman
Connors, Angela Bofill, and Nathan
Eastman( not East) at a Jazz club
in Boston, MA called Scullers.
The Show was incredible.... Norman opened the show, with the Starship
Crew,
ended his set, but dedicating the show to
an forever member of
his STARSHIP, the unforgettable Phyllis
Hyman. He introduced Nathan
Eastman, as being a new member of the
Starship, and as being the former
keyboard player of Phyllis's. He said
some beautiful words of working and
about Phyllis, and dedicated his next two
numbers to her
(who he says is close in spirit to him).
He did a GREAT rendition of
Meet Me On The Moon. Then went into What
You Won't Do for Love,
(which he said the band had just learned
the night before). His voice
was a true compliment to Phyllis's music.
He ended his set with You
Are My Starship, and blew a kiss to
Phyllis in the air. EVERYONE in the
audience gave a breath taking applause,
and seem to feel Phyllis's
spirit as well as showing appreciation for
her music.
Nathan then introduced Angela Bofill, who said wonderful words of
"her friend", she dedicated her set to
Phyllis, and said she often hears
Phyllis' voice and feels her presence.....
She looked stunning in a purple
dress, accented with a Phyllis type hat.
Her voice truly exploded a version
of Betcha By Golly Wow, that I am sure
Phyllis would have applauded if she
were there..... She sang several of her
big songs which sounded
like a conversation to Phyllis...........
I believe Phyllis was there
spiritually enjoying the
tribute................ Anyone who has the
opportunity to see the Starship Tour, show
run out a buy tickets........ It
was phenomenal.....
Since being Friends with Michael from Toronto, I had called him the
night before and he had left a message
with Angela that myself and friends
would be there for the show( he does
promotion and writing
work for Angela)... Our name was left on
the guest list, we were invited
up to Angela' room, and had open hearted
conversation with her and
Nathan.,.. The both are truly wonderful
people.... The share our great
love for Phyllis..... They signed
autographs, and took pictures with us....
Angela told me she hopes to portray
Phyllis in a biography movie....
She has a burden that Phyllis did not know
how much she meant to Angela, and
she had never tried to convey her
feelings..... But knowing
and feeling Phyllis's spirit, Phyllis
appreciates her as a close friend..
She said if there were any way to bring
Phyllis back, she would.........
She shares a lot of good qualities that
Phyllis was known
for........Nathan expressed, how wonderful
it was working with Phyllis
for 4 years, and how friendly and sincere
she was..... He has a CD
coming out this year, but would not share
the tracks with us,( possibly
his rendition of Meet Me On the Moon),
that was his favorite to hear
Phyllis perform......
Phil Perry
*****************************************************************************
Well, that's it for this issue!
Before we sign off , I'd like to thank all the contributors to this
issue.
A special thank you should go to Nancy
Wilson who very promptly
replied to my e-mail. To Abiola Sinclair
for writing back to me. And
of course, Phil, S. Anthony, Blaine,
William, Tracie, Lee and Thomas
for sharing their thoughts with us.
Keep sending your reviews for the new CD Forever With You.
The Phyllis Hyman estate would like
everybody to know that the
"Forever With You" CD is the only official
new PH release. This
month, a CD called Phyllis Hyman
Remembered was released
on the Roadshow label. It is a collection
of demos that has been
released against the wishes of the estate.
The estate is concerned
that its release on the market at this
time might hurt the sales of
Forever With You. I think that we PH fans
are so hungry for PH
material that we will all end up buying
both and any other CDs
released in the future that feature
Phyllis' voice. If you have already
bought the "Remembered" CD, let us know
your impressions.
Finally, I would like you to know that October 26 is the second
anniversary of the PH Newsletter. On that
that day, it will be 2
years since I put together the first
issue. I never imagined at
that time that the newsletter will still
be around two years later
so I want to thank all of you for all the
support you have given
during that time.
Keep the e-mails coming and take care!
Walid
PHYLLIS HYMAN INTERNET NEWSLETTER # 18
NOVEMBER 4, 1998
Welcome to the 18th issue of FANZINE, the
Phyllis Hyman Newsletter.
October 26th marked our 2nd Anniversary, a
milestone when you consider
the fact that World Wide Web sites and
Internet publications come and go
with very little fanfare. But the PH
Newsletter is two years old. Two years
of keeping the torch burning. Two years of
understanding and believing in
the old adage, “If we don’t do it, no one
will.” Two years that included
doubts, fears, reservation and
trepidation; all resoundingly defeated by
the driving force behind this endeavor:
the Lady herself, Phyllis Hyman.
We knew that we could not fail by moving forward, no matter what the
future
held in store. As it turned out, we were
right - if we were good and we kept
our focus on Phyllis and The Music, our
audience would find
and appreciate us for what we are doing.
Once again we come to you with an issue cock full of memories and
dedications to Ms. Hyman. Thank you; thank
you so much for sharing
what surely must be sorrowful journeys
mixed in with the smiles. Walid and
I certainly understand because this labor
of love has taken us on a roller
coaster ride of emotion.
I’d like to touch upon a subject that I’m sure is on the minds of many
of
Phyllis’ fans. There is a release entitled
“Phyllis Hyman Remembered”
that is not sanctioned by the Estate. The
Estate has asked that we not
purchase this material, and I believe
there is a very valid reason for this
request. Like Walid and me, the Estate is
interested in protecting Phyllis’
professional integrity, because she can no
longer protect herself. Listen
to her music. Surely you must realize that
Phyllis was indeed a
perfectionist. She’d rehearse in a studio,
sometimes doing several
takes until she got it just right. Yes,
she had a powerful voice with
perfect pitch. But she also had a terrific
“ear.” She knew when it was
right! And she had gained enough stature
in the industry to allow her the
freedom to decide what material was good
enough for release.
We’ve all gotten back photos from processing that we swore would never
see the light of day, haven’t we? How
would you feel if someone found your
rejects and printed them publicly for the
world to see, just to make a buck?
If you truly love this Diva’s best work,
you must not support the
effort to rip her off. The excuse, “any
Phyllis is better than no Phyllis” is
no justification. This woman opened up
veins of emotion for us on stage and
in a recording studio, when she was
alive. She always gave us her best
effort, even while she was hurting inside.
She was, above all else, a pro; a
singer’s singer. Don’t ever let your need
to hear more of her, tempt you to
purchase her “rejects.” I ask you to trust
the judgment of Glenda Gracia,
as Phyllis’ best friend, manager and
executrix of the Hyman
estate. I ask you, on behalf of the PH
Newsletter, to hold fast your
memories and appreciation of a talent that
soared above and beyond the range
of lesser performers.
The word has apparently gotten out that there is a market for any
material
by Phyllis Hyman. The next thing we’ll
probably see is a 3-minute CD with
the sounds of Phyllis gargling mouthwash.
But we won’t buy it, will we?
We won’t let them defame and cheapen our
memory of Phyllis.
Please; please join Walid and me in our effort to promote and protect
the
excellence of Phyllis Hyman. She is
watching, you know; she is watching
us watch over her. It is in this way that
we remain connected.
Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone.
Richard Kenyada
Co-Editor
*******************************************************************************
Singer/Songwriter/Actor Douglas Edward Powell sang back-up vocals
in Phyllis' band in 1991. He is now
forming his own label EdenDust
Records on which his first solo album
"Just Listen" will be released
on December 14th. of this year. I asked
Douglas if he could write something
remembering Phyllis for the newsletter.
Here is what he wrote:
*******************************
I've never spoken publicly about my feelings for Phyllis. I find it
hardest to tell the truth of her pain and
remain respectful to her
memory. There are many of us who "know"
much about the private
life of Phyllis and all, like myself, feel
the need to honor her, even in
death. What I miss most (aside from the
incredible instrument) is her wicked
sense of humor! At her best, she was
funnier than any stand-up! But as you
well know, most humor is borne out of
pain. I wish I could
tell you of her generosity to others
without telling you of her equally
generous display of displeasure when
wronged or misunderstood...
alas, the paradox of the many emotions
that made Phyllis, ...PHYLLIS. Listen
to her music, Love the God-given voice
that truly comes along
"once in a lifetime", Let her touch you as
only she can and smile for
being "touched" by God, the giver of that
talent. My two favorite songs
of the entire catalogue are, "But, I Love
You" and "The Answer, Boy, is
You". (A close second is "No One Can Love
You More Than I Do").
Phyllis was notorious for forgetting lyrics and would often put us (her
back-up singers) through the ringer to
throw her lost lines in the
middle of performances, never missing a
beat with the audience
being none the wiser! That's the Phyllis I
grew to love and long to see
and hear, again. Once, in a performance in
Long Beach, CA...we had a very
difficult show. Sometimes there was so
much drama going on off stage, that
we weren't always sure that she would make
an appearance.
I remember praying in the wings with Kirk
Whalum that somehow, someway, the
storm would pass and we would give the
people the
show that they anticipated....At that
time, we did a tribute to Sarah
Vaughn, opening with "Old Black Magic" and
ending with "Body and
Soul". For weeks, Phyllis had refused to
learn the lyric to B & S, and
was still depending on us to help her
through the song when the lyric sheets
would inevitably blow off stage! With the
tension before the
show, we didn't even have time to create a
set list, so we were on stage
winging it! (Quite well, I might add!!) It
came time for the Vaughn medley
and in the mood she had been in, we knew
this wasn't going to be one
of her "better performances". But, Never
Count Phyllis Out! Not only did
she sing every note and nuance, she sang
the lyric like she had never before
and I remember how I cried that night on
stage, marveling at the genius of
Phyllis that under duress, she was often
better than most in perfect conditions!
My friend is gone now, her music is still with me and her laughter
reverberates in my spirit. I miss her
terribly as do us all. Just the
other night, I spoke with Dexter Wansel
and we shared some private
memories of Phyllis. It's still too
painful at times to think that no
new music will ever exist...but that's not
totally true. For years to
come, Phyllis' voice will stand as the
standard of excellence and that
makes everything she ever touched, "new".
Thank you for loving her as
you do and giving her such a fitting
tribute....she would have been
honored. Believe that.
I am, Douglas Edward Powell.
Union City, New Jersey
Music for the Soul. Amen.
*****************************************************************************
Smooth Jazz/R&B vocalist Khani Cole's
second CD "Places" was
released this summer and it went into the
Jazz charts. Phyllis Hyman
is one of her influences and currently,
Khani performs 2 PH songs
in her live show. When I found her
official website at
something for the newsletter. Her response
was prompt. Here it is:
***************************
Phyllis was a big influence on my singing and career. Her departure
left me shaky and it's something I'm not
sure I'll ever understand.
My newest release on Fahrenheit Records was produced by
Saxophonist Marion Meadows, who was
involved with Phyllis through Norman
Connors' Starship. I thought of
recording Phyllis' "When You
Get Right Down To It," which I perform in
my live show, but we decided
to wait...I wish I wouldn't have waited !
She was soulful, sassy, classy diva. I chuckle when some of the "90's"
girls are called divas...how forgetful
people can be. As great as the
U.S.A can be, and it can a cold place for
artists. The music/radio
business sees fit to label artists
sometimes never giving the public a
chance to make up their own minds.
In my live shows I can't tell you the number of people dialed into
Phyllis and the Phyllis songbook.
Gone but never forgotten....
Peace,
Khani Cole
******************************************************************************
Pamela G. is a Jazz singer from Southern
California who has already
released 2 albums. When I visited her
website, I read that she
considers Phyllis Hyman one of her idols.
I e-mailed her to inform her
of the newsletter. She wrote back:
*******************************
I was Happy to get your e-mail. It's good
to know that there are people
out there who really know and care about
dynamic talent such as
Phyllis Hyman. I have every one of her
albums since she started singing. I,
as you know am a singer myself. Several
years ago I used to shop my music
to the music industry in Hollywood. One
day I went to a showcase, and met a
young man whose music was breathtaking. I
asked him
about his featured vocalist on his demo
tape. I told him that the singer
sounded like Phyllis. He told me it was,
and he was her songwriter. I
felt so good that night. Phyllis Hyman is
my biggest mentor. Her music
encouraged me to start singing
professionally. By the beauty of her
music and the hypnotic notions of her
voice, who would have thought
that her problems were so bad that she
felt she had to end her life. All
I have to say is: everyone has problems
in their lives. When I heard of
her death I was devastated. I was very
angry. Here is a woman who I
thought had it all. But what do we know
really? I turned my anger into
sorrow for the people who loved her and
her music that she left behind.
I love Phyllis and miss her like she was a
part of my own family. We
shouldn't judge people for their
decisions in life. That is between them
and God. I pray for the family and will
cherish Phyllis Hyman in my heart
forever.
Love
Pamela G
*****************************************************************************
What memories I have of the "Sophisticated Lady". I don't call myself a
fan, that word is not intense enough for
what I felt for this marvelous
woman we all miss greatly.
I remember my father giving me my very first Phyllis Hyman album, which
was her first. I was about 11yrs old and
a music fanatic. That I got
from my daddy. I listened to it so
intensely, learned every word, every
high, every low and every emotion.
Phyllis and I connected and from
that time on she has always been a part of
my life. I found her so
beautiful, I cut all of her album covers
open and put them on the wall
of my room like most teenagers do with
posters of their favorite people.
She was my favorite person, I know I was
young but I felt her every
vibe. The fact that we share the name
Phyllis made her even more
special to me.
I had seen Phyllis Hyman perform more than any other performer I
admired. I went where ever she was and I
could get to, no matter what,
I was there. When I was in college, My
friend and I drove from Florida
A&M University to Atlanta to see Phyllis.
I had no limitations. I
loved this woman's very essence. Each
time I saw her perform it was
like taking a vacation, I left with
endless and priceless memories. I
had the opportunity to meet her many times
at the Blue Note and Village
Gate in New York. She was always a class
act and very personable.
My life could be told through her songs, "The Answer is You", "The
NightBird", "Loving You, Losing You",
"Living All Alone", "Our First
Time Together","Just Another Face In The
Crowd", "Can We Fall In Love
Again" "Meet Me On The Moon","Living In
Confusion", "You Know How To
Love Me","Why Not Me", and my favorite "As
You Are" which is on her
One on One CD, I am so glad about that
because my search for this
song has been endless as is my search for
her work with McCoy Tyner
(I have the album, I want it on CD.)
Phyllis Hyman has helped me
through some broken hearts, "You Just
Don't Know" she has given me
encouragement, "Strength of a Woman" and
she has made some very romantic
nights for me, "Meet Me On The Moon". She
has been like a girlfriend you
can call up and cry to on the phone, she
comforted me
with her very special delivery of each
song she sang. The words always
fit the situation so perfectly and no one
could make you feel it like
Phyllis. My love life hung on her every
word. My college boyfriend got the
opportunity to hear me sing "As You Are"
in a talent show my sorority (Delta
Sigma Theta Inc.) gave as a fund raiser.
I know if he ever hears
that song, no matter where he is and with
whom he will remember my unspoken
bond with Phyllis Hyman.
I got the opportunity to speak with Phyllis in January of 1995, the year
of her untimely departure. She was on
WBLS talking about the
wonderful things she was planning for her
future TV show and
upcoming CD. I was so happy to hear her,
I faxed the station and
Phyllis called me from her home while I
was at work that night. You
could knocked me down with a feather, I
felt so special. We talked for
quite a while and I promised her some of
the products from my company at the
time (Frito-Lay, Inc.). This experience
will stay with me forever, she meant
so much to me.
I also remember where I was at the time of her departure, I went to
Martha's Vineyard for the Fourth of July
weekend with some friends, as
usual I called home to check my messages
(I had one of Phyllis's songs
on the machine as usual). I had 25
messages, What? You would have
thought I had lost a family member. And I
did! My loss of Phyllis was
very personal and everyone in my life knew
that. She touched my life in a
way in which no other artist had ever or
could ever again. She was
one of a kind. We lost a treasure in
Phyllis Hyman. I miss her Class,
Style and Beauty. I will miss Phyllis,
Forever.
Sincerely,
Phyllis A. Leath
******************************************************************************
HOLD ME....PHYLLIS HYMAN
Hello
I thought I would send this wav of this
song Hold Me...Phyllis Hyman
and Committee...The song reminds me of the
first time I heard her on WDAS in
Phila...I can't seem to stop playing
it....I must have played it
over a 100 times just today.....that magic
in that voice..the little girl
who grew up and was never loved...I get
tears when I listen to it.....yet I
feel her near and will always linger the
moments when I saw her live in
Valley Forge Pa....No matter the words or
the tunes of her music I find
joy.contentment.sadness...truth...and most
of all happiness in her
expressing the words that we all need to
hear and learn to understand when
involved in a relationship....she has a
tendency to make it so much
easier....A woman will never argue with
you with Ms Phyllis Hyman
singing...A night of quiet solitude with
your love one, is one of bliss and
gracious love....Over the years I have
made many people aware of my
love and feelings for her...I was out that
uneventful night June 30 1995...
A friend told me about it and I told him
that he was a liar and I don't like
liars...he was visibly shaken but knew my
feelings for Phyllis and told
me to go home and check the news....When I
arrived home I had about
25 calls on my answering machine and old
loves and friends were informing me
of her death...I felt so hurt....I just
happened to have a tape
in the car with Meet Me On the Moon on it
and was listening to it on my
way home...teary eyes,already, for I knew
that it was true.....One of my
favorite stories of Ms Hyman was in 1986...a lady who I was dating told
me...point blank..Earl I am not Phyllis
Hyman and I can't sing or express
myself in the way....she talks to you in
her music and that is the only
women you will ever Love....you know that
relationship didn't last long.....
of course moments of love with her singing
were great...it brought out
the best in that women...trying to please
me....Yes, Living All Alone was
a Winner...Screaming At The Moon,
Phyllis...I hear you, baby..Yes, I
brought her a copy of the album.....I have
turned many people on to her over
the years and they also share the sadness
about her departure ....Please
keep up the good work.....She was Diva in
her right and there
will never be anyone to take her
place...By the way I have sent this out to
some of my bv40 friends and they are in
love with Phyllis all over
again...some commenting that they never
heard her sound better...so if you
love Phyllis like I know you do....grab
your loved one and a glass of
wine...turn the lights down low and let
Phyllis fill the room with her
mastery of the Songs for our Inner
Heart.......Enjoy
Earl Liles
******************************************************************************
An Open Letter To The PH Internet Appreciation Society And To The PH
Estate
Dear Friends,
With each Newsletter we receive from
Walid, we welcome ever more friends to
the Appreciation Society. For some time
now I have been harboring a thought.
I should like to share it with you all.
It first occurred to me after I had read Richard's wistful remark that
we
have no ' Graceland ' to which we may go
to pay our respects to Phyllis,
even if this should be only once in our
lifetime.
It occurred to me again after Glenda had shared with us the news that
the Estate is working hard to create a
sustained campaign that will
thrust Phyllis' music and life back into
the public eye over the next few
years ' ( Newsletter #9 ) - the fruition
of which may be as a direct result
of the feedback the Estate receives from
the Newsletters.
Whilst I appreciate that economic constraints and / or distance may
exclude
some of us, I should nevertheless like to
propose the following.
I propose that we should gather together to mark the 50th Anniversary of
Phyllis' birth. I believe that this should
take place in her native
Pittsburgh and I believe, too, that it
should coincide with the ' very
special project that will TOUR the country
' ( Newsletter #9 ) - which
hopefully will begin its journey from this
point.
If any of you have harbored the same or a similar thought, please let
Walid know. Maybe together we can make a
dream become a reality.
I look forward to seeing you.
Yours sincerely,
Ian
******************************************************************************
Hi Walid...
Thanks for continuing to send me the newsletter. I'm not sure when the
next
one comes out but your readers may want to
know that there is a chapter on
Phyllis in my upcoming book "The Soulful
Divas" which will be published by
Billboard Books in January 1999. I know
without any doubt that everyone who
reads the newsletter will find the chapter
fascinating since it really
traces her career and includes a number of
personal anecdotes that will give
a real sense of who Phyllis was for me...
Best regards
David N.
******************************************************************************
Starship
**********
The day that you went away the earth stood still
A part of my soul went away with you
I felt as if I had lost an old friend
I opened the door the birds began to sing, the heavens parted with the
sun shining bright
I knew then that's where you were
I hear your lovely voice in my head
taking me to a different plateau of love
You were a tall, elegant and beautiful sophisticated lady
Whenever you walked into a room the men would all pause and
the women knew you had arrived
Phyllis you didn't sing your songs only for us to hear
You sang them to be felt also
You gave so much of yourself to us
and for that we say thank you
You are our starship
******************************************************************************
It never occurred to me that phyllis had a web page. I I'm a 37 year
single
white man who has loved the music of this
woman since 1979 and You Know How
to Love Me, her voice was so deep and
emotional. Believe
me, I was the only white kid in a rural
farm town, chino, ca, who drove to
pomona to find her music, I was thrilled
to find 3 albums that she put out
before the above one. By the way, add to
your video collection, she sang You
Know, on the Mike Douglas Daytime TV show,
and that love
ballad at the end of that album. She wore
white and was a vision, even Mike
Douglas was dumbstruck...
I grew up literally, from age 18, listening to her powerful voice,
always
wishing I had a chance to see her live.
If you ever hear that Goddess of
Love goes on CD please let me know.
I was pained more than I could express by her death. I had no one to
share
my grief. I knew I was a fan, but her
music was/is part of my
psyche. I didn't occur to me to seek out a
fan club. To this day i would
like to know if there is a family member
that I could express my sorrow of
the loss of her.
Its a joy to find others who loved this woman s gifts, as none of my
friends
are familiar with this diva. I found this
web page on the cover of her new
album.
I finally got to see her in concert at the strand in redondo beach, and
again i was the only white guy, but we
were all there loving her. The
ladies next to me marveled that I knew
all the worlds.I didn't plan to
know the words, she made us part of the
words. Phyllis was to soon release
Prime of My Life and she debuted the
material. I was never happier - she
walked past me and said Hi Darlin-
Hi Darlin - how silly 2 little words were, but I will remember them
always.
*******************************************************************************
During September, 1994, Phyllis was in Dallas, TX for her last
performance
here (little did we all know it was to be
her last) for Blues Café, produced
by the Junior Black Academy of Arts and
Letters. During her visit, she
managed to break her right ankle. During
this process, Phyllis needed a
wheel chair. I was on the board of
directors of the company they called for
the wheel chair. The proprietor, Lurline
Jackson, answered her need. At
first, we went to the Ramada Inn Hotel
where Phyllis was staying to deliver
the wheel chair. Phyllis was very kind and
outgoing and asked Lurline how
old was she and how she managed
to stay so thin. Phyllis, at this point,
was very self-conscious about her
weight. Lurline was wearing a sailor suit
and Phyllis replied that “she
used to be able to wear clothes like the
outfit Lurline was wearing”.
Like so many others, I discovered Phyllis on Somewhere in My Lifetime
and
during the Norman Connor’s debut of her
talent on Starship. Phyllis was a
very warm and friendly person. She was
down to earth, yet you
knew “where and where not to “ try and
take her. She was a lady, yet she
could get down to a lower level if she
needed to.One night on stage, in
a dance routine, her right breast became
somewhat exposed and
instead of being embarrassed about it, she
properly pushed it back in place
and said “Whoops”.
At first I was angry at her suicide for none other than selfish reasons
on
my part, because I loved her so much. I
knew she was in a lot of pain
and it was her choice to make, if she did
not want to feel it anymore. I
miss her dearly and regret that I will not
be enjoying her voice on new
material in the years to come. I have
everything she has done except the
latest CD Forever With You.
Darlene
******************************************************************************
Just sitting here listening to pH
and decided to write another letter
about her. I've been playing her music all
afternoon and I just can't turn
her off! I first met pH in NYC back in the
91? When Hubby, Son and I were
along the old FDR drive in NY, for the
Hands Across America march. My hubby
spotted her tall statuesque figure above
the crowd and pointed her out to
me. I approached her and said hello and
asked her for her autograph. pH
wrote on the back of my white T-shirt! I
was struck by here beauty. Wow! I
have sense regretted washing that
T-shirt! Sometime
later I took a trip to Philly and stopped
into a music shop to look around
and lo and behold I found pH's tapes; The
Legacy of pH, You, Losing You,
Prime. What a treat! Now it is a
treasure! I also have tapes-Living All
Alone, I Refuse To Be Lonely and CD's
Groove With You (featuring rod Wilson
& the committee), and Forever With You. My
birthday
is Oct. 27. I would love to hear all the
shout-outs from all the lovers of
pH.
Thank you Much---Betty
*******************************************************************************
hi guys--
i just bought the new release phyllis
hyman "remembered". i feel a bit
conflicted about this since i know that
this release is not sanctioned by
her family and estate, but like the devout
fan that i am i just had to have
it! is it worth it? YES! but only because
any phyllis is better than no
phyllis.
the quality is certainly not up to par and
there are some annoying spoken
word tributes by some guy i've never heard
of but, what the heck--there's
also some songs on it that i never heard
our dear phyllis perform so it's
definitely worth having. a word to the
estate and record labels--please ANY
unreleased phyllis material is worth it to
us the fans who can't get enough
of her. since there sadly will not be
anything new from her ever again
anything left in the vaults is oh so
valuable to us...please release
all that is possible. We adore phyllis and
respect her talent and realize
that any material--even that which may be
deemed under par--is very
valuable. besides, there is a lovely
picture of her on the cover and
several inside the cover that were taken
at a birthday party in florida.
she is so so missed!
mario leon
grand rapids MI
******************************************************************************
That's all for this issue! Before we sign
off, I would like to thank
Douglas Edward Powell, Khani Cole and
Pamela G for responding
to my e-mails and sharing with us their
feelings about Phyllis.
Also, I would like to thank readers
Phyllis Leath, Earl Liles, Mario
Leon, Betty, Hugh, Darlene Locke, Vicki
Warren and Ian Wonnacott
for their submissions. The rest of you who
have not yet e-mailed
us about your PH experience, get on it !
We want to hear from you!
Finally, a brief piece of news: the next CD single to be released
off the Forever With You album will be
"Tell Me What You're Gonna Do".
From what I have told, this will be
released at the beginning of
December. Let's hope this one gets better
airplay from the first
single and does better on the R&B singles
charts! You can do your
part by requesting it from your local
radio stations once it is released!
Until next time, take care. Happy Thanksgiving!
Walid
Editor - PH Internet Newsletter
PHYLLIS HYMAN
INTERNET NEWSLETTER # 19
JANUARY 24, 1999
Hello again, friends. Walid and I welcome
you to the 19th issue of FANZINE,
the Phyllis Hyman Newsletter. We are
already well into the
New Year, and preparing for passage into a
New Century.
With all this New-ness, one might think that we should disregard
anything that has overstayed its purpose.
Perhaps. But there are certain
necessities that transcend time and place.
So, as I gather up my “things” to
take with me on the trip, I’m sitting here
at the foot of my bed with the
suitcase opened, wondering if I have
enough room to pack everything.
Strange sometimes, the things we hold onto. The things we pack for a
journey
forward. The things we need to make us
whole and worthy.
Those things are whom we were, as well as
whom we hope to be when we get
There. Having rummaged through my closets
and dresser
drawers, I know now what treasures I must
take with me across the threshold
of the New Millennium.
A song, perhaps, sung so effortlessly as to go unnoticed; except that
everything, every sound experienced after
it, pales by comparison. A
voice I heard once, the first time as
memorable as the first full moon.
Crystal clear and pure beyond reason. I've
packed those things first.
For my journey into the 21st Century, I have decided to travel light.
There
will be no Y2K survival kit. No one-way
ticket for a charter flight on the
Hale Bop comet. I’m not even taking all my
worldly positions. They will have
to find me on the other side of 2000. I’m
taking a comfortable sofa, the
soft smooth skin of my woman’s cheek, the
warmth within her arms,
a perfectly blended Margarita and Phyllis
singing “Old Friend.”
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
And speaking of old friends, Tom Conroy
joins us again to share his always
insightful, sometimes delightfully
irreverent journeys, as only he can. If
you ever wonder if Phyllis Hyman’s spirit
knows we’re here, try reading
Tom’s comments without imagining Phyllis
smiling.
Reading the touching memories and testimonials of our other friends
in this issue reminds me once again that
we each experienced The
Lady in different ways, but the common
bond remains. She touched us
as very few artists ever have, in ways
that are, at once, sad, happy and
every range of emotion in between. She
touched us all …and she won’t let go.
So as we prepare for that journey forward into the next century,
remember that no one else has ever been
there either. It is the
unknown, the unfamiliar. But not to worry.
Phyllis is there already, as
always, slightly ahead of her time. She
has kicked off those shoes, fussed
over the hors d'oeuvre, dimmed the lights
and made herself
comfortable on the long, plush sofa. And
as she hums the familiar melody,
“Old Friend, It’s so nice to feel you hold
me again. No, it doesn't matter
where you have been. My heart welcomes you
back home again.” She whispers,
“Can I freshen that Margarita?”
Be it the 20th Century, the twenty-first ...or StarDate 2740.5
....Phyllis
Hyman's voice reminds us that - in the
words of Dorothy - there's no
place like Home, there's no place like
Home, there's no place......
Richard Kenyada
Co-Editor
*******************************************************************************
Walid, Richard, and Phyllis Hyman fans everywhere...may we all have a
healthy and blessed New Year. I hope 1999
is another good year for the
PH Newsletter and for the projects that
Glenda Gracia has planned for
the memory of our beloved Phyllis...
It's been too long since I was in touch with all of you and now that
I have purchased a PC I will contribute
more...Now if you don't mind,
some random musings...
I have had five months to listen to and learn every note, every nuance
of
"Forever With You", and I can only declare
this CD a masterpiece! "How
Long", and "Forever" are incredible dance
tunes elevated as only Phyllis can
do, and she has once more taken an old
tune and given it new life with
"Hurry Up This Way Again". I'm happy to
say that my eleven-year old
daughter has taken up "The Strength of A
Woman" as her theme song (gently
prodded by old dad, of course). My
personal favorite is "Someone To Love",
I see her on a darkened stage, alone in
the spotlight, tall and regal and
gorgeous, while the audience sits hushed,
falling ever more deeply in love
with her voice, her presence...This was
the CD I hoped it would be, Phyllis
sounding strong and healthy, having fun
with kick-ass dance tunes, tearing
our hearts out with ballads, being coy and
flirtatious with "Setting a
Little Trap", laying it on the line with
"Tell Me What You're Gonna Do". If
these were songs that were not released
before, I want more! I was happy to
give this CD as Xmas presents this year..
I must admit my guilt with "Remembered". I snatched it up as soon
as I found it and it is a disappointment.
Phyllis sounds great as
usual, but the quality just is not there,
and there is a 'hurriedness'
about it. I may be wrong for saying that,
I don't know the people
involved or how she felt about them. Most
irritating was the narration
throughout the CD, I have read many more
heartfelt comments about
her from the newsletter.
I am now the proud owner of a stunning air-brush portrait of
Phyllis, done for me by a local artist
from one of her albums, the one
where she's in the one-shouldered black
dress with the big puffy
shoulder piece as she's kinda peeking from
behind a wall. He did an
excellent job, I have it hanging in our
salon and many people have
thought it was a photograph. The artist
took about two months to do it,
and he told me that the picture began to
haunt him, he thought he was
finished several times, only to go back
and perfect it even more. This
is a young guy in his early twenties who
never even heard of her, his
musical tastes run to heavy metal, and he
bought her "Legacy" CD,
because he had 'to hear the voice that
went with that face'. He also
said he detected a sadness in her eyes...
I also walked into a little run down music shop here and bought the
poster for "Forever" right out of the
window the first day I saw her
hanging there. A bargain at ten
bucks...My friends are getting a little
worried, they say my stereo is "All
Phyllis, All the Time".
I hope to hear some more news from Glenda in the newsletter soon,
like is "Goddess Of Love" ever gonna see
the light of day on CD? And
since she never got to do the jazz CD she
had planned, will we ever see
her best Jazz, from the McCoy Tyner
'Looking Out' on CD. And the other
projects, videos, picture book, etc. I
don't mean to sound impatient,
but if you guys contact Glenda, please
check it out. I'm sure her fans
would help if we had to convince some
people that these endeavors would be
profitable...Well, I've taken up enough
space, you guys
continue to do an incredible job with
this, worthy of the memory and
music of Phyllis. Peace to everyone and
Happy New Year! Tom
*****************************************************************************
Let's see. Where can I start? OK, from the beginning. I remember
the day my older sister approached me with
the idea to go see Phyllis Hyman
perform at the Blue Note. I wasn't a fan
of hers at the time but,
I figured, what the heck. That was also
my first time at that particular
jazz club. When I walked in, I just stood
there and observed my
surroundings. A very small, intimate
place. I loved it. The lights went
down and here she came, down the stairs.
I was mesmerized by her beauty and
stature. And as you all know, by the time
the evening was
over, I was a Phyllis Hyman fan. I wanted
more and more of Phyllis
after that evening. She performed at the
Blue Note maybe twice a year, and
I was there, at every performance. We
were there so often that her band
members and stage manager (Leo) recognized
us when we
came in. (smile) I also saw her at the
Pier, and at the Apollo with Keith
Washington but, I felt cheated because I
was so far away from her.
I
was spoiled by the intimacy of the Blue
Note. Anyway, my fondest
memory is the night we sat very close to
the stage and there was a gentleman
at the table with us. I sat next to him
and my sister sat
across from me. We began to chat and he
told us the he was a 'friend'
of Phyllis' from New Orleans. All the
time I was thinking to myself, how
lucky he is to be able to be up close and
personal with this amazing woman.
He continued on to say how much of a
'mess' Phyllis was.
The whole table laughed because we all
knew exactly where he was coming
from. Phyllis was pretty feisty when she
wanted to be. Anyway,
the show began and Phyllis came downstairs
and approached the
stage. She began to sing and then she
stopped the song. I guess something
was wrong with the sound system.
She walked offstage and to the end of our table where I was sitting to
tell the soundman something. This wonderful woman just happened to step
directly on my foot and didn't move her foot until her conversation was
over with
the soundman. I couldn't believe it.
And, what could I possibly say.
I just sat there like a big dummy.
(smile) When I told my sister what
happened, she said that Phyllis probably
did that because I was sitting next
to her man. I laughed uncontrollably
because, she was probably right. It
turned out to be a beautiful show. I
still wonder why things happened the
way they did but, she and God are the only
ones who
hold that answer. I miss her
tremendously.
Thanks for letting me share.
A Fan Forever,
Janette Bailey
*****************************************************************************
I have taken a lot of time to think about
what I was going to write in this
e-mail. When I think of Phyllis, I become
angry. She had such a gift to
touch people and it just makes me sad to
know that she is no longer
with us. The first time I ever heard
Phyllis was when me and some of
my friends were sitting around watching
videos, and then this video
came on and there she was, I am not sure
if it was Old Friend or Living
All Alone. I just remember that I could
feel her passion as she sang,
and this was before I ever knew what love
was. The next time I
remember hearing her was on her remake of
Betcha By Golly Wow.
I never had heard a voice so strong and so
real I could tell she knew
what she was singing about.
There are very few people can truly touch
you while they are singing and leave a
lasting impression. I remember when
Prime Of My Life came out, I could not
believe that Phyllis was rapping. I
was shocked and yet entertained by this.
When that CD came out I just had my
first brush with love. I was out of a
relationship where I thought someone
cared and really did not. When heard the
songs,
I Found Love, Living In Confusion and so
on, I felt like someone understood
what I was going through, someone could
feel the same
emotions that I felt. She made me feel
like I was not alone. I began to
buy some of her early work and realized
that I had been missing a lot of
great music with great emotion and depth.
I had never and felt anything like
this before.
I had the chance to see Phyllis once, when she came to Atlanta
with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. She
really did not get a
chance to sing all of songs because she
was just a guest vocalist, but she
did do a 15 minutes medley accapella and
she was great!!! I have seen an old
tape of her with Melba Moore and singing
some songs
by her self but I would really like to see
video collection or a full concert
tape of her many performances. Whenever I
go to the music store I make sure
to check and see if a new CD in the store.
I first heard about her latest CD
form a friend and I told him to find out
the name and let me know. But just
so happen I was at the mall Halloween
night, I walk in
the music store and saw this poster of a
young beautiful Phyllis Hyman
looking like I never had seen her before.
I had seen pictures, and
posters of her but none like this. Phyllis
has always have been a
beautiful woman but this poster shows a
vibrant, happy and sure of
herself young lady, someone who knows that
life has a lot to offer. I
know we all go through some hard times and
I have been through
some I would never like to see again but
we have to keep the faith that
everything happens for a reason. I know
love can kick your ass a leave
you standing in the cold and for me just
hearing her voice made me feel
better, it would help ease that pain. I am
angry because that she is gone.
I wish she knew just how many people she
touched, how many people she made
smile and feel good and strong enough to
carry on. I just
pray that God has her soul and she is
finally at peace with her world.
Antonial Watts
Atlanta, GA.
*****************************************************************************
Dear Walid,
After being a recipient of your wonderful newsletter for the past year,
I have wanted to write to you and share my
Phyllis experience with
you, but was sort of apprehensive.
I have been an avid fan since 1989 and although I am an ardent
collector and have a complete collection
of her work, I felt some
what less worthy to write about her.
However, a recent incident
has made me reconsider and so here it is.
In September 1989, I was living in Washington D.C., when a
friend introduced me to Phyllis' song,
"Old Friend". I cried every time I
heard that song and spent the next few
months collecting every album
or guest vocal Phyllis ever recorded.
Later that year, I had the opportunity to see Phyllis in concert at
"Blues
Alley", a small jazz club in Georgetown.
I arrived early to get a seat up
front and soon discovered that Phyllis was
sitting at the bar, having a
drink with a friend. She was more
beautiful in person, wearing one
of her huge brimmed hats. She looked so
relaxed and approachable
that I went up to her and introduced
myself to her. We conversed for
a few minutes and then I returned to my
seat for the show.
She was so at ease on stage and talked about her upcoming
project "Prime of My Life". The album
would not come out for several
more years, but she sang several songs
from it that night.
At one point in the evening she began accepting requests. I
called to her to sing "In Search of My
Heart ", which was her guest
vocal on a McCoy Tyner album. She
responded to me by saying
"Wow, Mark, I didn't think anyone
remembered that one." I was
thrilled to hear the song sung live and
even more thrilled that Phyllis
Hyman remembered my name from our 5 minute
interchange at the
bar.
I never spoke with Phyllis again, but continued to collect all of her
new
music. I was deeply disturbed and
saddened by her untimely death,
as we were all cheated out of many more
wonderful years of new
Phyllis music.
I gratefully purchased the recently released "Forever With You" and
discovered a terrific new dance song
entitled "How Long Has This
Been Going On". As I was having a big
Halloween party, I made a
special dance collection, in which I
included this new track. As it
played throughout the evening, many people
came to me to find out
who was singing this new song.
I was happy to share this new found enthusiasm and yet sad because
it may be the last new music from a great
singer. I will always
treasure my memories of Phyllis and feel
fortunate to have had the
brief brush of personal contact I had with
her.
Mark B. Arbeit
*****************************************************************************
the first time i heard of phyllis hyman was upon watching bet television
in 1995. my mother had went out with her
girlfriend to party, and i
watched video soul. a scrolling message
came down on the screen saying a
singer(who was phyllis) had just died of
an overdose. i told
my mother who it was. she was in a little
shock. around the house, i always
listened to soft jazz like anita baker,
jonathan butler, and luther
vandross, due to my mother's taste. i had
an interest in her though, for
some reason.
you could say 1995 was my musical awakening. i love to sing, but
always jammed to janet instead jazz. i
began to listen to another
talented singer who died too soon, the
late selena. So after a church
convention in 1996, which i was president
of, i bought phyllis's i refuse
to be lonely and selena's amor
prohibido(forbidden love). my moms
was shocked, because she might of thought
i was possibly worshipping them.
selena's tape was great, but when i put on
phyllis'tape, i was amazed. i
never heard someone sing so strong and
passionate as a woman. i thought it
was inspiring and ironic that she would
give up on
life.
then i heard the legacy of phyllis hyman, and was completely blown
away. it's unexpressible to explain her
voice. So passionate. So alluring.
So soulful (i wish she did a gospel jazz
cd, i would wear it out so bad).
So unreal. i'm still in shock over her
voice.
because her music is so "good", i am going to wait until Valentine's day
to buy "forever with you". the reviews i
hear are great, and i want to
make myself wait for the album.
before i go, i want to express my feelings toward the media and our
people towards the "diva". it's absurd.
until we (as black people)
realize that we all don't have 12-inch
tools(think about it), make love
all night long, and suicide in our
community exists, we'll stay bound in
the same predicaments. i recently called a
soft jazz station in indy,
requesting music from PH. their response:
we have a limited amount. if
they play toni braxton, who has only had
two albums consistently,
phyllis' music should be booming always.
why isn't it? you know the answer
(pretty deep for an eighteen-year old
black,Christian male, huh?!).
on a much lighter note,i love to listen to Paul Robeson (the "man"),
Vanessa Williams, Stephanie Mills, Donnie
McClurkin, Force M.D.'s,
and Selena. if anyone has any interest in
these artists, e-mail me. i
want to get involved with Computer
Journalism, so i think what walid
and kenyada are doing is excellent. may
god bless you!
LeVar Thomas
******************************************************************************
In reading the latest ph newsletter, I wanted to express to you what a
great idea I think it would be to do as
suggested by Ian Wonnacott to
meet in Pittsburgh for Phyllis's 50th
anniversary. I think it would be a
great idea. We so badly need to come
together and feel her spirit as one.
I'm sure I'm not the only one who misses
her performances. We need to do
something to bring her spirit, her song,
her fans, and her friends together
as one. Because of Phyllis, we are all
family now. Phyllis
always made family where ever she went. I
know she would be
overjoyed to know of all the people she
has brought together because
of the love we share for her. I sincerely
hope we can make this idea a
reality. If the decision is made to go
ahead and a time and place is decided
on, I think it should be sent to the Tom
Joyner Show for announcement. This
will surely get the word out.
******************************************************************************
Thank you for sharing the love!! Sometimes I feel a little down when
I think about Phyllis and I feel like no
one understands. Being as young
as I am, many of my peers do not
understand my taste in music, but
now I feel like I have a big family that
understands what I feel. Thanks
for all the love and the idea for Phyliis'
50th birthday is a marvelous idea!!
I would love to come to Pittsburgh to meet my extended family.
*****************************************************************************
Hello Walid, and Fanzine readers;
Once again I apologize for the long delay in sending my story of
meeting Phyllis Hyman. While driving in a
car, I was listening to a local
radio station interviewing Phyllis in
promotion for her Goddess Of Love
Album. During the interview, the D.J.
asked who were some of her
favorite artists, She said she really
liked Prince, and his 1999 album
was full of excitingly good music and how
she would like to do some music
like his. Later that night I went to The
Greek Theatre in Los
Angeles to see if I could get tickets to
hear Phyllis and The Whispers in
concert. There were no tickets available.
So I decided to go out dancing
at the Catch One Disco. After some
extremely intense dancing, I went to one
of the side rooms at about 1:00a.m. to get
something to drink, when
I noticed a crowd standing in front of the
room. Well, I made my way to
the front of the crowd, and there was this
very tall woman who appeared
to be the center of attraction. Once I was
in front, I could not believe my
eyes! It was Phyllis Hyman! She was
wearing a full length fur coat with
one of her trademark hats that made her
beauty more stunning than
ever. While introducing myself, I reached
to embrace her. In the process
I accidently rubbed her breast. I was so
embarrassed, but she joked and
said, "Honey it's okay! It happens lot.
They get in the way often." I will
never forget that night. I really miss
her. Once again thank you Walid,
and everyone who supports this
newsletter.
******************************************************************************
Subject: Re: Phyllis Hyman Internet
Newsletter # 18
hey all--let's campaign for a big dance
mix of "how long" from the new
album--this song just screams for a remix
to get phyllis back on the
dance floors!!
Mario
*******************************************************************************
From: LRoche8847@aol.com
Subject: Phyllis Hyman
Hi,
Yes, I am just as excited about this CD.
Anything of Phyllis Hyman
is a welcomed breath of fresh air. This
artist is very much missed and
underrated. She should be soaring just as
high as W. Houston,
R. Belle, P. LaBelle, A. Franklin, A.
Baker and A. Bofill. A talent such
as Phyllis comes once in a life time.
Anyone who happens upon her music
will be forever changed. Without a doubt
this song bird left us
too soon and her voice will forever be a
lasting testament that she's a
Diva in every sense of the word. I wished
I could have met her. Very
few singers comes close to the depths in
which Miss. Hyman goes.
Her tones and rhythm is a force to be
dealt with. Her music will live on
and on. Thanks.
******************************************************************************
From: Pete Dukich <p-dukich@itg.ti.com>
Subject: Phyllis Hyman
I am looking to purchase CD's of Phyllis
Hyman's original albums.
I had a cassette tape of "You know how to
love me" that is going bad,
and I want to replace it. I can't find it
anywhere.
I also found a wonderful song that I
recorded from the radio, called
"Just another face in the crowd". What
album is this from? I really
would like to purchase CD's of her early
works, but can't find them.
What can I do? Are there fans out there
that would burn CD's of her
old albums for me? Can we ask someone at
the record company to
re-release all of her original works?
I guess I would like to subscribe to her
Internet news letter, and
maybe you can publish my letter and help
me.
Best Regards,
Pete Dukich - A fan since I first
heard her wonderful voice.
******************************************************************************
From: Gary Randall
Here in Washington, DC we have a station here... WHUR-FM that started
the
phrase: "Quiet Storm" for slow music after
7pm during the weekdays. Melvin
Lindsey was the DJ who made it famous. He
was an admirer of PH. Always
played her music, day after day, week
after week. Years
later, Melvin died of AIDS here in D.C.
PH cam down to perform at a
tribute concert. I had the pleasure of
meeting her personally back
stage. I was a young Musician who was
playing with Jeane Carne at
the time with her Musical Director, Nathan
Heathman. After the show,
we all went to the VIP lounge where I met
her, she was so tall without
heels ( I'm 6 foot 2 inches !!) I even
offered to rub her feet because you
know she performs without her shoes on.
I'll always remember that one
moment of comedy with her. She sounds
like the record without
Memorex !!!!
*******************************************************************************
Dear Walid:
Unfortunately, a young, extremely talented performer, who starred with
singer/actress Phyllis Hyman on Broadway's
and the video version of
"Sophisticated Ladies," has died.
Gregg Burge, 40, was a dancer and choreographer who was prominent on
Broadway and in films, died of
complications from a brain tumor in
Atlanta on July 4, 1998.
Born in New York City, he was trained at the High School of
Performing Arts and the Julliard School.
As a child he was a
regular on the television program The
Electric Company. At age
thirteen he appeared in the off-Broadway
musical Bojangles. Later he
was featured on Broadway in The Wiz,
Sophisticated Ladies, Song and
Dance, and Oh Kay! He choreographed music
videos and was the
recipient of two Fred Astaire Awards and
was nominated for two Tony
and two Drama Desk awards.
I was fortunate enough to have seen the show and vividly remember his
and
Phyllis' performances. Both their
performances literally stopped the show!
You will remember Greg as part of tap
dancing team in the show where he and
dancer Hinton Battle are like the Nicholas
Brothers doing wild spins, flips,
leaps and fast tapping. Their famous tap
dance duel scene with Phyllis Hyman
on stage singing "It Don't Mean a Thing If
It
Ain't that Swing." Greg is the dancer who
spellbinds the audience by his
fast, almost machine gun-like tapping. At
one point, he stands on one
foot and taps "on point" like a ballet
dancer. It was amazing!
Ricardo Pla
New York City
******************************************************************************
Well, that's it for this issue! Hope you
enjoyed reading it. I want to
thank Tom Conroy, Janette Bailey,
Antonial Watts, Mark Arbeit,
LeVar Thomas, Steven Moore, Nicole
Malveaux, KPTASC@aol.com,
Mario, LRoche@aol.com, Pete Dukich and
Gary Randall for sharing
their thoughts on Phyllis. Also, thank you
Ricardo for your tribute to
the late Greg Burge.
Entitled "The Goddess of Love Speaks", this interview with Phyllis
was the cover story of Alternatives
Magazine Summer 1992 Issue,
PP. 19 - 21. I want to thank Ricquito for
sending me the
text and the scans. I am sure all of you
will appreciate it as I did.
Very soon, I hope to be updating the PH
Photo Gallery with a whole
bunch of photos that I have come across in
the last few months. The
delay is due to the fact that I don't have
my own scanner. I have to
depend on someone else's scanner and that
has not been freely
available to me in the last couple of
months.
Finally, I want to mention that Canadian Jazz singer Vincent
Wolfe, who performed with Jean Carne and
Norman Connors
at the PH tribute gigs at the Blues Alley
in Washington D.C.
January 15 - 17, has been working on an
article for the newsletter.
Vincent, who was a very close friend of
Phyllis, has promised me
that his article will be ready in time for
the next issue.
That's it from me! Until we meet next time, Happy New Year!
Walid
Editor - PH Internet Newsletter
PHYLLIS HYMAN
INTERNET NEWSLETTER # 20
MARCH 13, 1999
Welcome to the 20th issue of Fanzine -The
Phyllis Hyman Newsletter.
Spring is the season of Love. Renewed Love, reaffirmed Love; Love
freshly
found in a new place. Phyllis Hyman’s
voice is the theme of
Spring; the soundtrack if there ever was
one of love itself. Many of us
have noticed that, whether there is
someone special in our lives …or
not, Ms. Hyman’s voice always seems to
articulate what we are feeling. She
had a unique gift that went beyond the
mere telling of a musical
story in those five-minute recorded
journeys. She could weave such universal
pathos or joy into a lyric that we
unknowingly accepted and adopted it as
our own. For the most ardent Phyllis fans,
the seam that separates her music
from our feelings is at times
indistinguishable.
Take a look through this month’s letters: The memories, personal
experiences
at Ms. Hyman’s concerts, a dedicated poem,
suggestions
on how we can keep her music in the
forefront of Americana. Very often her
many fans, old and new, thank Walid and
me for keeping Phyllis’
spirit alive. I can’t speak for Walid,
but I’m kind of embarrassed - though
quite honored - to be thanked for
something I’d do even if there were no PH
Newsletter. If anything, we want to thank
YOU - all of you - who are fans
just like us. You have inspired us to
this level, the 20th issue of a
publication that is still being discovered
all over the world, like a secret
treasure chest.
We want to thank this month’s contributors: Trendell, Kevin-Paul, Lynn,
Drew, T. Martin, Stian, Rande, Jackie,
Nicole, Ashley, Keisha, Craig and
Todd. Thank you for standing up to say a
few words on behalf of our “Old
Friend.”
It is because her music is so timeless that I am not surprised at the
ongoing “discovery” of Phyllis Hyman’s
talent, particularly by younger
listeners. Excellence renews itself;
replenishes itself …like daisies
on the meadow or the swallows returning to
Capistrano. It is a natural
reaffirmation of Life and freshly found
Love.
It is Spring.
Richard Kenyada
Co-Editor
*******************************************************************************
Hello,
I have been a Phyllis Hyman fan since 1985. I first heard Phyllis on
vinyl
singing "Living All Alone". The voice was
absolutely incredible. I ran out
and purchased the album and listened to it
exclusively for about a month or
so. She was on tour in 1986 and she came
to Chicago for a week (2 shows a
night) at a very fine supper club called
George's Place. I had never seen
her outside of the album cover. When she
came on
stage I was completely spellbound by her
presence. She was tall, beautiful,
soft, strong and very graceful all at
once. As the evening
progressed she began to have obvious fun.
She ate from plates of
guest near the stage, sipped someone's
wine and sat next to people. Then
came the highlight of the evening (for me
anyway), Phyllis was singing a
song to or towards me..........She was
working the audience
into an uproar over the song "In a
Sentimental Mood" and then she
looked at me and starting singing a jazz
tune that I can't remember. I
started sweating as if the heat was turned
up and then I melted and became
her greatest fans (or one of) !!!! I
stayed after the show and
was the first in line to get her
autograph. I was only 19 years old at the
time and didn't know what to say once or
how to control my excitement once I
made it inside her dressing room. I felt
as if someone stole my brain so all
could muster up to say was "I love your
singing and I'd be honored to have
your autographed picture!!! I later beat
myself up for not saying more...I
came back that weekend for the last show
and she was just as powerful as she
was 4 days earlier. I wanted to get to her
dressing room for a second chance at
talking to her, but she wasn't
seeing anyone after the show!!! I was
saddened -BUT THIS WAS ONLY THE
BEGINNING.......
In 1990, I moved to Pittsburgh, Pa.. It was a year later when I met a
lady
at my local cleaners named Renee. Renee
was between 30-35 years old. She
was a funny, chubby, bubbly, friendly and
sincere person. Each time I came
to the cleaners we shared pleasantries and
became closer acquaintances. It
wasn't until I came in one Saturday and
told her that I was going to
purchase tickets to see my favorite artist
Phyllis Hyman (at the Metropol)
that we become friends. She was in shock
about Phyllis coming to town. She
said "OH MY GOD - Phyllis is finally
coming home to perform again". I asked
her to repeat what she had just
said.......Finally she explained to me that
Phyllis was born & raised in Pittsburgh.
MUCH to my surprise she told me
that she grew up with Phyllis. At first I
didn't believe that any of this
was true and I'm sure she noticed. She
said that they lived in the same
neighborhood, went to the same high school
and that she knew her entire
family. Well, I never went and purchased
tickets because my new friend Renee
somehow got tickets for us to see the
show.
Phyllis was doing three (YES THREE!!) full shows that evening. We showed
up
near the end of the second show. As we
walked in, I thought
I saw Phyllis, but Renee yelled out the
name Jean. This was one of
Phyllis' sisters. She introduced us and as
I gazed at her, I realized that I
had seen her before. They continued to
talk, and I was standing in amazement
that I'd seen Jean before and never
noticed how much she looked like
Phyllis. At this point, I knew that Renee
was telling the truth about
knowing the family. In between the two
performances and meeting the rest of
the family, Phyllis came out. She looked
as if she was enjoying herself, but
I was not going to let this opportunity
get by without talking to her. She
was taller than I remembered. Renee told
her how much of a fanatical fan I
was and that I'd seen her several times in
concert. I told her that I was in
Chicago at George's in 1986 and that she
sang to me. She thanked me and then
made a wise-crack that made everyone
around us (& me) laugh. At that moment
I felt and saw her as a real person and
not just a performer.
I still have flashbacks of Renee and I sitting in the second row behind
the family. I was on cloud nine.......She
came out in a royal green and
gold full length cape-like gown with a
matching hat piece. She was
stunning!!!!!!!! She sang all the hits (as
I see them) and then she paused
as she shed a tear and began to sing a
song that she wrote ("Gonna Make
Changes") as a tribute to one of her
sisters. After the show Renee and I
went to her dressing room and talked for
3-4 minutes. She gave me a hug
(that I will always remember) and my
second autographed picture. She told me
that the next one would cost me.
Needless to say this was one of the best evenings of my life............
In 1991 I moved back to Chicago. I've attended just about every concert
(which is to many to name) she's been in
(in Chicago) from 1992 until
her death. Unfortunately, the last time I
went to see her was at a show
she held with Regina Belle at Star Plaza
in Indiana. I was so late arriving
that when I sat down, she was singing "Old
Friend" which as usual was the
final song of her set. Ironically, this
would be the last time that I saw
my Old Friend.
Thank you for keeping the legacy of PH alive.....
Sincerely,
Todd Hardy
*******************************************************************************
Subject: Phyllis Hyman - Jazz Standards
What I will miss most about Phyllis, was the missed opportunity of a
"jazz standard" album/cd.
It seemed that when she received a Tony nomination, for "Sophisticated
Lady", she was destined to be the
benchmark for future artists, when it
came to Jazz vocal arrangements. Of
course she could hammer a ballad home.
But, just close your eyes, and feel her
feeling the mood of
"Strange Fruit".
I've also seen her playful side, during one of her performances, at
Chicago's New Regal Theatre. I can
imagine her taking off with
"A Tisket, A Tasket", with a hellified
scat...........Oh, Baby!
I recently sat on a Chicago EL (transit train), opening up my "Forever
With
You" CD, to put in my player. One by one,
people stopped me, to ask me
about the CD. They still can't believe
she's gone.
All I know is, I will never forget Ms. Hyman. Every time I attend a
Frankie Knuckles Event, in Chicago, and he
is featuring "old skool". You
can bet money that when he plays "You Know
How to Love Me", he pays homage
to her by turning down the volume. At
that time, a swell of nearly 1,000 in
attendance will be singing the lyrics,
word for word, in unison, in tune,
while never missing a beat. That's how
well "we" know, feel, her music.
That's how much "we" will miss her.
Craig Lee - Ever Adoring Fan
*******************************************************************************
The Grammy Awards were on just the other night, and I could not watch
it in completion, because I cannot relate
to any of today's music or what
is considered to be talent, by today's
standards. Phyllis Hyman was truly one
of the great ones. However, she never
received the accolades or the
recognition that she deserved. I must have
seen her perform at least a dozen
times, and hers was truly a unique voice
that offered a range
unlike any other. How many people could
offer vocals plus whistle her
way through a song and be taking her
audience to the epitome of vocal bliss
by doing either. It was truly a sad day
when I heard of her passing, because
she was truly a legend in her own time.
Many of the entertainers
of today that are supposed to be "DIVAS"
could not hold a candle to her.
Unfortunately, she was never given the
recognition that she deserved.
But I am truly a music enthusiast, and in
my opinion she was definitely one
of the most unique performers that I ever
had the pleasure of seeing live
and on cd and cassettes that I purchased.
Truly Phyllis Hyman was
an unsung Hero in her own right. And with
a legacy like hers, she will
truly live on after all the one hit
wonders of today are gone.
Truly A Fan,
Keisha Burroughs
******************************************************************************
Subject: Re: Survey+ Tribute Concert
Review
The weekend of January 15-17 at Blues Alley in Washington DC saw a show
entitled "We Miss You Phyllis". The
concert was done by Jean
Carne, Norman Connors and the Starship
Orchestra, and Nathan Heathman (who
played keyboards for Phyllis and is Jean
Carne's
musical director). The show opened with
Norman Connors instrumental hit
"Butterfly". Then it was time for Jean
Carne. She came out to "you Know How To
Love Me". She then did a great rendition
of "Living All Alone".
She then called up Norman Connors to play
on "Betcha By Golly Wow".They told
the story of how they all met Phyllis.
Next one of Jean's proteges from
Toronto, Canada named Vince Wolfe did a
rendition of "What You Won't Do for
Love". Next it was Nathan's turn. Nathan
has a special arrangement of "Meet
Me On The Moon". It is so good that last
year when Jean played Blues Alley she let
him do that one number.For
the 3 days and 2 shows a night he got a
standing ovation. The same happened
this weekend. After that breathtaking
number Jean and
Nathan sat by the keyboard and did a
medley of "Somewhere In My
Life Time", "I Don't Want to Lose you",
"No One Can Love", and "You
Just Don't Know". He added on "I Refuse To
Be Lonely". Nathan had a friend
that he brought to the show t sing also.
It took Jean and the audience by
surprise. Her name is Marjorie Hughes and
she is a carbon copy of Phyllis.
When Marjorie sang Jean and the audience
stared in amazement. I lie to you
not. Nathan and Marjorie are good friends
of mine. I knew what to expect. At
the end Marjorie and Jean sang "Old
Friend. The crowd gave them a standing
ovation and called them back for an
encore. Marjorie sang "Living In
Confusion" and Jean sang "Closer than
Close". I know that Phyllis was
smiling down upon her friends for this
tribute. You even felt her spirit in
the room. All 7 shows were sold out. That
is how good it was. I commend all of
these artists on a job well done.
Ashley Scott
********************************************************************************
Hello!
I am writing to say that I love the newsletter and keep up the good
work!!!!!! I look forward to receiving the
newsletter so that I know what
other fans like myself are doing. I am
only 24 but I love Phyllis, I have my
mother to thank for the introduction to
Phyllis. Her voice moves me and she
is like no other diva in the world. The
song, "The Kids" upsets me
and also makes me laugh, if she could only
be here to see the kids grow up.
"Forever With You" is beautiful and I
listen to it often. I will never
forget the day that she passed away
because that day is my birthday, June 30th.
I know that she is in a better place but we miss her so much here.
Celebrating her 50th anniversary is a
wonderful idea, keep me posted.
I live in New Jersey, so if there are any
fans in the Northern New Jersey
area, give me a holler!!!!!
Nicole R. Hampton :)
*******************************************************************************
My favorite Phyllis story involves my
dearest girlfriend, Terri, who is
an avid Phyllis fan. We are both avid
music lovers and, knowing that
she would appreciate it, I purchased
tickets for a Jazz concert starring
Stanley Turrentine, McCoy Tyner, Ramsey
Lewis, Jean Carne and Phyllis Hyman.
When I was telling her about the concert,
she did not pay
attention to the list of artists on the
lineup. As we sat and listened to
the various artists perform, we were both
enjoying the performances.
After Jean Carne's performance, an
intermission was announced. The
Master of Ceremonies then announced that
Miss Phyllis Hyman would
be performing when the intermission was
over. My girlfriend screamed,
"Phyllis Hyman" and almost fell off her
chair. Her expression was priceless.
I often kid her that I wished I'd had a
video camera to record
her expression. The thing that capped it
all was that I had gotten front
row seats for this event. Phyllis walked
out onto the stage in all of her
regal and beautiful glory and sang right
in front of us. It was an
experience that neither of us will ever
forget. That was several years
ago; and to this day my girlfriend still
mentions it and expresses how
touched she was by that experience.
*******************************************************************************
Hey,
Just wanted to say "thanks" for the opportunity to hook up with others
who've been touched by Phyllis' love and
magic.
I've never had the opportunity to meet Phyllis, or even see her live or
on
video ( I was that far out) but I was a
business major at Florida A&M, far
away from home, that I first recall
hearing Phyllis voice. It was a hot
night, and I was outside of the dorm going
through separation anxiety
from my family, and one of the local dj's
- he must've been a PH fan because
every night after this one I'd hear one
Phyllis track or another - played
"Living All Alone". Man, it was like she
was reaching out for someone, just
like I was at the time.
That was a one time thing, but I'll never forget the feeling. It was as
though she was ministering to me in
song... now when I listen to her, I
always feel her. Whether its' the sublime
feeling of "under your spell" or
the adamant declaration of "you just don't
know" or the painful reality of
"one good reason to stay" I love this
woman, and I hate that I never found
that love sooner, or had the chance to
maybe express it some way...
The pilgrimage to Pittsburgh is a great idea! If we are serious, let's
not
wait for someone else to do it; let's make
it happen ourselves! We could
also start a campaign to have BET do a
video marathon on her birthday -
videos, live footage, interviews... or
have VH-1 do a "behind the music"
special on her live and music.
One of my hobbies now is collecting this wonderful legacy of music that
Ms.
Hyman has left us. Maybe someone could
put together a complete discography
of her works - albums, singles released,
guest vocals, etc. This would help
those of us who can't get enough, or want
to collect her early works.. as
would CD- reissues of her Arista albums.
Thanks again, guys, for keeping the legacy of PH alive...
Rande
*******************************************************************************
Subject: Greetings from Norway
Hello Walid!
Thank you for your nice mail and let me also congratulate you with your
marvelous website on Phyllis - she really
deserves that!
OK now - here are some facts about Phyllis in Norway:
Unfortunately, she is not so well known in
Norway. All her records have been
released her, but none have figured high
on the hit-charts. In the clubs and
discos though, her song are played with
some frequency and then usually her
more uptempo songs like "You know how to
love me", "Tonight you and me" and
"Your move, my heart". So I guess a lot of
Norwegians have danced to her
music, but have probably never heard any
of her wonderful ballads.
I was first introduced to her music quite accidentally. About 20 years
ago I bought an LP called "20 Fantastic
Soul Hits" because it included songs
by some other artists that I like; Melba
Moore and Gladys Knight. Among the
13 songs that made up the rest of the
album there was a
true treasure: The full length version of
"Loving you losing you"! I had
never heard any voice like that before and
from that day in June 1980 began
my obsession with Phyllis Hyman. Back then
there was only one album by her
available on the market and I spent all my
pocket money buying it when I
finally found a record shop that had it.
Because she's not so well known in Norway, we don't read about a lot. I
had
no idea that she was having problems of
any kind and so when her death was
announced on the radio here, I thought
she'd had an accident of some kind or
maybe an illness. Suicide never crossed my
mind, and I found out about it
much later, when I bought "The legacy of
PH".
Best regards from
Stian M. Eriksen, Oslo
*******************************************************************************
it takes me weeks to get through the letter. Every time I start, the
words get blurry from the tears that well
up in my eyes. She touched me
with her music, her voice, and incredible
style like no one else could
or probably ever will! If only our love
for her could have reached out
to soothe her troubled head like her voice
reached out to our hearts and
souls. Let there be peace in the valley
for our Phyllis. They say God
only takes the best .May her music be our
comfort in this tragic loss
T. Martin
*******************************************************************************
Subject: My First Phyllis Hyman
Experience
I guess I will start when I first heard Phyllis music. At the time I
did
not know who she was, I just knew I liked
the sound and the feeling she gave
me. Phyllis also helped me realize that
there were other's that felt what I
had felt. I stared dating ( my fiancé
now) this guy and he was playing her
CD. I asked him who was we listening
too? When he told
me I still did not know who she was. Then
he told me, if he left me for
anyone it would be her. Most people have
favorite songs, The Living All
Alone CD became our CD. The most
remembered Valentine's that he always
think of is when I made a special dinner,
a lot of candles, a room filled
with balloons and that CD. He still talks
about it and that will be 6 years
this Valentine's. I Love Pattie, Regina,
and Kelly, but I truly miss
Phyllis. Thanks for the memories and the
new ones I am getting with
your music. This once shy, couldn't
express her self well woman has gained
strength in the music of a woman known as
Phyllis.
I Miss and Love you!
Druscilla (Drew)
********************************************************************************
Thank you for the opportunity to post my sentiments about Phyllis out
there with the many others who obviously
felt as strongly about her as I
did. You know, it's funny, you always
think that you're the biggest
fan...the one she left the biggest
impression upon. You tend to think that
the haunting melody, or the smooth vocals
only touched you in a certain way.
But ah, when you begin to read how she
also touched many others you
understand that she was God given to us
all.
My struggle with Phyllis' death is again, like so many others have
stated
before me, a personal one. The first
Phyllis Hyman vocal experience that
I had was on a tape a good friend gave me
of women vocals. I am a singer,
and am always looking to hear vocalists.
I enjoy comparing nuances,
textures, styling...He recorded "As you
are", the song she sang for Pharaoh
Saunders. At that moment, I knew that she
would be the vocalist that I would
treasure for a lifetime. Prior to that, I
had idolized
Jean Carne, because I had seen her in
concert with Norman Connors
and was in awe of her voice. When I heard
Phyllis, I heard some of the same
nuances...but with such a more rich, deep,
sultry tone.
That was it...Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carne...I new who I would pattern
myself after. Not to mimic them, because
their talents stand unmatched, but
to have the same confidence, strength and
ease with the deliverance. I
collected everything she ever did...I
listened endlessly. By this time,
all of my friends and associates began to
report any news they heard about
Phyllis to me. They knew that I was
hooked, and when it was reported that
she was found dead, I literally received
phone calls as if I had lost a
relative. You see, for years I had been
an avid fan trying to convert as
many people as I could to the ranks. I
dragged unsuspecting recruits to
concerts only to proudly leave the venue
saying "I told you so!"
For years, I have put my singing aside for many reasons. Raising kids,
trying to pay the bills, not having the
extra money needed to put the demo
together....But as the song goes..."I'm in
the prime of my life, and there's
NOTHING that I can't do" Phyllis inspires
me, even in death.
I am going to move on with my dream....and Phyllis, thank you so very,
very much for sharing your wonderful
talent with us. You have inspired
so many, I wish your inspiration was
enough to have sustained you.
*******************************************************************************
First of all i would like to thank everyone for all of their
contributions &
for making the phyllis hyman newsletter a
success. I have followed
ms hyman's career since the beginning. To
me she was one of the
finest & most talented singers i have ever
heard. Being a music lover
& even having played music since being a
young child I feel as though I
know good music when i hear it. Phyllis
had a voice that you
cannot even describe. I once saw it
written by someone that she made
liquid love to the song "betcha by golly
wow" & this is really a
good way to describe how this
multi-talented lady sang. Once you
heard phyllis sing, you were hooked. It
was just something about her.
Of course she was one of the prettiest
women i have ever seen. She
was tall, sassy, sexy & that lady could
really dress!!!!!!!! I miss you
Phyllis. I will always adore you and your
music & just so you know there
are a lot of people out there that feel
just as i do. You did not
get the recognition that you deserved but
we will do everything we can
to keep your memory alive. I will always
love you & thanks for the
great music. One thing is for sure there
was only one phyllis hyman &
neither you nor your music can ever be
duplicated. I will always love you &
may you rest in peace. Thanks for giving
me the opportunity to share
my feeling about this great lady.
******************************************************************************
Thank you for keeping PHYLLIS HYMAN'S spirit alive with the newsletter.
I am a recovering drug addict and
alcoholic living with the Human
Immune Deficiency Virus. While I was in
drug treatment in Tarzana,
California, there were many days and
nights Phyllis was there in for
me in spirit, singing to me and giving me
encouragement to continue in my
recovery. In relating her life to mine
during that period, she was my
inspiration. When I listened to her
cassette, "Prime of My Life," I felt as
if she had been inside my heart, and knew
and felt the pain I was in. I
often fantasized of actually meeting
Phyllis on the moon, where she
would sing only to me, with a full
orchestra complementing her
incredible instrument .
I made a vow to myself to go and see Phyllis in concert before dying
from full-blown AIDS. During my first
year of sobriety, Phyllis was to
appear at a club called The Strand, in
Redondo Beach, California. It had
sold-out before I could purchase tickets.
So I made myself a promise
not to miss Phyllis next year. However, I
am sure you know it won't be
possible for any of us to ever be graced
and blessed by the beauty of
Phyllis and the exquisiteness of her
beautiful voice. I am now almost seven
years clean and sober. I am not dying from
AIDS. My life is so
much better for me now, but there is a
void in my life. I feel a need to
experience Phyllis in concert. I will
settle for a video of Phyllis in
concert since I can't witness her live.
Please send me e-mail with any
information that could help me fill this
void.
Sincerely yours,
Kevin-Paul
******************************************************************************
To Phyllis Hyman with Love:
What a tragedy!
The world has lost such a beautiful,
Song Bird.
You were the singer and the song.
Ellington must have been thinking of you
when he wrote,
"Sophisticated Lady".
Who can sing,
"The Answer is You",
With so much grace,
Weaving through each note, like a bird in
flight.
With a voice of distinction, unmistakably
You.
Your very presence,
Creating untold fantasies.
In the mind's eye, of men,
Like me…
Why did you leave us?
Was it the loneliness,
When thousands of fans,
Were waiting for the next verse…
If you only knew how much we all loved
You.
Now an endless silence, you are gone.
With only your recorded musical
expressions,
To soothe the void, of "Being
Under your spell".
Always giving so much of yourself.
You wrote,
"Gonna make changes".
Challenging us to human excellence,
With lyrics like," moving together willing
to share",
"search out the gladness, pass it to
everyone,
just keep on with believing that what we
got to do".
The world will never be the same,
There is no one to compare…are take your
place.
Another song-bird, flying into the horizon,
Beyond the Sun…you will to missed.
Phyllis…with Love.
Trendell © 1996
I want to thank you so much for keeping this flame alive and the labor
of
love. Phyllis touched us all in so many
ways. When ever I talk to some one
about her music it is always the same, a
deep respect for her.
There are so many people into her music.
I live in the S. F. bay area,
when ever Phyllis came to town I had to
see her. All of her show were
something to remember. She always had a
sense of humor. I
remember in the late 80's see her, she had
this loose fit dress on.
She remarked that if she was not careful
and bent over in the wrong
direction she might loose something. She
made you feel ever comfortable at
her concerts. I could not believe it when
I her of
her passing. It hit me like a rock! I
had just lost my mother several
before and Phyllis death was to much. I
happen to be on vacation that week
and spent each morning in my basement with
Phyllis's recorded musical
expression. I would really I to get a
copy of the Sophisticated
Lady recording.
This year being her 50th birthday, I agree we need to do something.
Maybe form a PAC (Phyllis Action
Committee) for Phyllis lobbying radio
station, TV, MTV, BET to host some kind
event in her honor. I would be
will to do it for Northern California. It
could be a letter writing, E-mail,
FAX campaign to get the word out. Let's
keep the flame alive.
Peace.
trendell
*******************************************************************************
Well, that's it for this issue! I hope
you enjoyed reading it.
I want to thank all the contributors to
this issue.
The response from the readers to Vincent
Wolfe's PH story has been
great. I received many e-mails from people
who loved the article.
Until next time, take care.
Walid
|
