Hello and Welcome to the Phyllis Hyman Newsletter. 
The newsletter has been discontinued, but we have archived the 25 historic issues that were published between October, 1996 and July, 2001.  Here you will find a treasure trove of biographical information, as well as detailed accounts of the people who knew and worked with Phyllis. But mostly you will find the personal memories of people much like yourself, who miss her extraordinary talent, mourn her loss and celebrate her very special life.

The PH Newsletter was conceived and produced by Walid Itayim, after Phyllis Hyman’s tragic death in 1995.  The shocking news of her passing, affected Walid in much the same way as it affected us all. I had written a tribute to Ms. Hyman and posted it on the Internet, where Walid discovered it. He contacted me, and we became instant friends in our mutual admiration for Phyllis. So it was no surprise that when Walid mentioned his interest in launching a newsletter dedicated to the pop music diva, I would offer him all the encouragement and support he needed to set the project in motion.  He asked me to be Co-Editor of the publication, and together we produced what was considered to be the quintessential source of information about Phyllis Hyman.  Walid still maintains the Phyllis Hyman Web Page, where you will find biographical info, Links, Tributes, a listing of video performances and the most extensive PH Photo Gallery on the Internet. You will also find Walid’s Guestbook in which you can state your own feelings about Ms. Hyman and her music.

NEWSLETTER 1  |  NEWSLETTER #2  |  NEWSLETTER 3  |  NEWSLETTER #4  |  NEWSLETTER #5   

NEWSLETTERS 6 THRU 10

NEWSLETTERS 11 THRU 15

NEWSLETTERS 16 THRU 20

NEWSLETTERS 21 THRU 25

THE PHYLLIS HYMAN INTERNET NEWSLETTER #1
1996

Welcome to the first issue of the Phyllis Hyman Internet Newsletter!!!!
I think this mailing list is necessary as there is no other news or
discussion group devoted to Phyllis and her music. I hope that you
will find it interesting! If you have any on-line friends who are Phyllis
fans please spread the word! 

I would like to thank Richard Kenyada in Atlanta for encouraging me to
go ahead with the idea of a mailing list/newsletter and for allowing me
to use the excellent article he posted in July on the soc.culture.african.american
newsgroup.  

********************************************************

Richard asked me how I got to be such a big fan of Phyllis Hyman
so I wrote the following: 

I think it was 1980 but I can't be 100% sure when I first discovered
Phyllis Hyman. Back then I was in my third year at university in the
United States and on an almost daily basis I watched all the talk
shows on all the channels always hoping for interesting musical
guests. One day, on an otherwise pretty boring episode of the Merv
Griffin Show, Merv introduced a guest who he described as the voice
on the jingle of a coca cola ad and a recording artist. The lady who
came on was very tall and very beautiful. Let's just say that she caught
my attention. He proceeded to interview her and in the course of their
chat, he asked her to sing the coke ad for the TV audience. As soon as
she began singing, I was mesmerized. There was a certain magic
in her voice that I could not get over. That, coupled by her physical
beauty, got me hooked. I had to hear more but for some reason she
did not perform with the band that day. That was my introduction to
Phyllis Hyman. 

I went out the next day to search for any records that I could find and
the only LPs I found were her first 2 records for Arista. At the time,
I had no idea that she had already released 3 albums on the Buddha
label and I suppose the reason I didn't find them at the record stores
was that they were already deleted. In 1981, I left the United States
and lost all touch with what she was doing. I wasn't aware that a third
album was released on Arista that year and that she joined the cast
of Sophisticated Ladies on Broadway. On my next visit to the US in 1984,
I checked the record bins for Phyllis Hyman and was overjoyed to find
the album "Goddess of Love". On that visit, I was staying with
my sister who lived in New York and whenever I watched TV, I always
had a tape in her VCR ready to tape any musical interlude that might turn up.
One day, I switched the channel to PBS and I caught part of a tribute
concert to Duke Ellington recorded at London's St. Paul Cathedral in 1982.

Suddenly, I heard the emcee introducing Phyllis Hyman and like a lunatic
jumped toward the VCR to press the "RECORD" button. The song she
sang at that concert was a gospel type tune called "Tell Me The Truth
and for the first time I got to see Phyllis in a very inspired and powerful
live performance. What was even more amazing to me is that I actually had it
recorded on video! Another 3 years went by without my hearing
anything about her. In those days, there was no internet to catch up
with the news of artists who weren't in the Top 40 and in Cyprus where
I live no one knew who she was (even today nobody here knows of her)
and none of the UK and US music magazines that we got here ever
mentioned her. Luckily, I got to spend my Christmas/New Year 86/87
in New York and it was there that I bought her just-released album
"Living All Alone" and "Looking Out", the McCoy Tyner album on which
she sang 3 songs. In 1989, I managed to get Grover Washington Jr.'s
CD "Time Out Of Mind" here in Cyprus and imagine the joy I felt when
I found "Sacred Kind Of Love" on it! That song was to have great
significance a couple of years later because it was the song I kept
playing for the woman who is now my wife in my attempts to romance
her before we officially got together.

My wife and I had a sort of honeymoon in London the Christmas/New
Year 91/92 and it was there that I bought my CD of "Prime Of My Life".
From that album came another song that came to mean a lot for me and
my wife....."I Found Love".

Back in Cyprus, more years were to pass and the only piece of
information that I heard about Phyllis in the period between 1991 and
her death in 1995 was an ad in an issue of Downbeat magazine around
1983 that advertised Phyllis' appearance with a quartet for one week at
the Blue Note in New York. I remember telling my wife that if we were
in New York we could have jumped in a cab and gone there to see Phyllis
in the intimate setting of a club. Next thing I know it's August 1995 and
I read in the monthly CD newsletter ICE a very brief item saying that
"soul diva Phyllis Hyman died of a pill overdose on June 30". I was in
total shock! I could not believe that she could die so young and in that
manner. I could not believe that I was never going to fulfill my dream of
seeing her live. The same news item mentioned that she had just
completed the recording of her new album and that Zoo was planning
it's release in a couple of months. I waited very impatiently for the release
and had it ordered from the UK when it came out. Tears came rolling
down my cheeks when I listened to the CD that first time. Hearing her
sing those lyrics with so much emotion and knowing that she was dead
was very moving. My wife still bursts in tears whenever I play the CD "I
Refuse To Be Lonely".  

Hooking up to the internet in November 1995 made it possible for me
to take my obsession with Phyllis even further. It was through the net
that I managed to find all the recordings that were missing from my
collection. It was through the net that I got to read all the tribute articles.
And it was through my correspondence with various Phyllis fans that
I got to see some videos of Phyllis performing live (the next best thing
to actually seeing her perform in person). In my search for videos and
on-line fans, I found myself with 27 email addresses of people with
whom I could share this obsession. In the absence of a newsgroup
devoted to Phyllis and her music, I recently found myself thinking of
starting one myself. If you are reading this, it means I was successful ! 

Walid Itayim

********************************************************************************

From:         Richard Kenyada
Subject:      The Whispers To Pay Tribute To Phyllis

The Whispers, one of R&B's most respected singing groups will
produce a 2-act play that will tour the country, beginning in LA.  It will
be autobiographical, with each singer playing himself.  The group has been
together for over 30 yrs. 

As an integral part of the play, they will pay tribute to the career of
Phyllis Hyman, with singer Alyson Williams ("Just Call My Name") playing the
role of the tragic diva. 

Some may remember that Phyllis was to be the opening act for the Whispers
tour before her untimely death. I applaud them for stepping forward to give
Ms. Hyman the recognition she deserves. I just hope Ms. Williams is up to
the task.   

Kenyada    (under the headphones) 

********************************************************************************

From: Kenneth Burch
Subject: The Lady Lives On! 

I went to see a play by a group called the WHISPERS, and the name of the
play was: 

THANK GOD! THE BEAT GOES ON and it was about the life of the one and
only Phyllis Hyman. Man let me tell you it was awesome, they've found
this woman (Alyson Williams) and she sounds just like the woman
herself. There were times when I just shook my head, saying to myself
"I just can't believe it, it was as if the woman herself was once again on
stage and performing". The play deals with her start, her many troubles
and strangely enough the suicide, which had her sisters (yes they were
there too) running to the back of the theater. It was very touching to
see that part of her life played out, I don't think there was a dried
eye in the whole theater. Anyway it was one of those nights that if you
were a true fan, you couldn’t help but be moved by the show as well as
the love The Whisper's no doubt have for this woman who touched so many of
us, and yet couldn’t seem to realize it for herself.

The play will go on though out the major cites, but I feel may not end up
on laserdisc (at least here in the U.S. anyway). But I can tell you this
if it does....this boy will have one. As for the singer who played
Phyllis, hats off she was superb!!!!......... 

Kenneth Burch 

********************************************************** 

Here is Richard's article: 

From: Richard Kenyada
Subject: PH  Baby, Baby, Where Did Our Love Go? 

At the height of her fame, prior to one more introduction, in one more city,
she stood there silently praying offstage in Piedmont Park, during the 1983
Atlanta Jazz Festival.  On cue, the stage lighting went dark as she walked,
unnoticed, toward the microphone at center stage.  A hush had fallen over
the audience of thousands, who had waited all evening for the star
attraction.  The wine had been sipped, the cheese and crackers sampled. The
evening was mellow and heavy with anticipation. 

Suddenly, from the darkness on stage, came a slow,  low, piercing wail, like
the moon finding its way down the aisle.  When Phyllis Hyman hit that first
ac capella note of "Somewhere In My Lifetime", dogs sat still ......birds
changed their flight patterns, but most of us just gasped in awe. 

The lights came up; an echo ricocheted off a nearby meadow and burst across
the midnight sky, as the orchestra sat erect, primed to meet the challenge ....
as if they could. 

The Sophisticated Lady was in the House, and there would be no sing-a-longs
tonight. 

That's the way I will remember her ...tall, statuesque, beautiful (when the
word still meant something), with a voice and style that defied comparison.
In an art form that had seen its share of pretenders, Phyllis Hyman was the
genuine article. 

Her range and versatility, which endeared her to her legion of fans, were
perhaps ironically what limited her career as an artist.  Record company
executives didn't know what to do with her.  How to market this beautiful
enigma:  a jazz artist? ...a pop singer? ...an R&B diva? 

An author and R&B authority once wrote, "If Hyman was a straight-up dance
diva, it would simply be a matter of finding the right track, the right
video and crucially these days, the right outfit.  If Hyman just sang jazz,
she could limit herself to domestic jazz clubs and festivals overseas.  But
Hyman is not Jody Watley or Sarah Vaughn.  What's clear is that Hyman's
voice - melancholy, powerful, sexy, dark, graceful - and enviable physical
elegance are of another, not fully appreciated, tradition." 

On radio, Phyllis was relegated to the late night Quiet Storm, never
receiving the media attention of lesser performers.  While in concerts
across the country, she had been elevated to almost Cult status, she was
never quite able to turn the corner of success.  And I think it deeply
troubled her, taking her through bouts with depression.  With medication to
fight the depression and medication to help her sleep, a pattern developed. 

How many songs must you receive that already have Whitney's fingerprints all
over them?  How many times must you be passed over
for important work? 

I can imagine a scenario much like this happening not long before her death: 

A telephone call from her manager.
Hi Phyllis, it's me.  Just got some news about the "Waiting To Exhale"
soundtrack.

        >Okay...

Yeah, they made their selection of artists....they didn't go with us.

        >Oh?  ....just curious, who did they select?

Well, Whitney, of course.....

       >Excellent.

And both Aretha and Patti...

        >That's great.  I think it will be their first project together.

Also, Chaka will sing My Funny Valentine....

        >Ummmm, that's worth the price of admission, right there.

Then there's Chante' Moore and Toni Braxton......

        >Babyface writes some great stuff for Toni.

And CeCe Winans will duet with Whitney...

        >That should be sensational!  Well, with all those talented ladies,

I can understand

        how difficult the decision must have been.  They didn't even have

room for Gladys?!

Well, ...there's more...they chose For Real, Shanna, SWV, TLC, Brandy and

MARY J. BLIGE.

        >Oh...Well...I've got to ...Mary J. Blige??? ...Really?  Hey, I've

got a show to do...

        >got to go...see ya later. 

Months after Phyllis Hyman's suicide, Philadelphia International Records
released her last CD, I Refuse To Be Lonely.   And the last cut on the CD
was prophetically entitled, "Give Me One Good Reason To Stay" 

Where did our Love go?  We keep losing bits and pieces of our (musical)
selves..... until there is precious little left.  Who will carry the
torch (song) now? Maybe Tamia (Quincy's discovery) ...perhaps Toni Braxton.  

Most of our young singers are too blinded by the lure of commercial success;
too deafened by the programmed drums.  Too busy practicing the neck moves of
Attitude to practice the art of vocalizing. 

And so we continue to lose our best artists like so many grains of sand
slipping through our fingers to an already silent beach.  My record
collection is slowly passing away.  There are too few singers, real singers
of song ...full-voiced, projecting from the diaphragm (no Mary J., I'm not
talkin' about birth control). 

Last night I listened to Toni Braxton's new CD, Secrets.  The hauntingly
beautiful "How Could An Angel Break My Heart" comes closest to the depth of
Phyllis Hyman's talent.  I will often wonder what Babyface could have done
with a voice like Phyllis' singing his lyrics. 

All the love songs she sang.  All the soaring, searing, in-yo'-face,
gotta-have-my-man songs......and she died alone, frightened...and tired. 

I always thought Phyllis was an angel.     Maybe now she is.... 

But how could an angel break my heart? 

Kenyada  (under the headphones)
********************************************************************************

From: Apryl
Subject: PH - My thoughts of her death 

It was Fourth of July weekend, and I was visiting my cousins in a small
Michigan town. We heard this 'rumor' on the radio, and all I could think was
'Man, I missed a lot of her concerts, since I just didn't make the time....
I'm going to miss her'. 

I still think that foul play *had* to be there somewhere. She was too
together to kill herself, wasn't she? 

Fact is, people can be very together, and they can off themselves, if the
hurt is enough.  

I just think that the saddest part was that her pain spilled out into the
joy of a lot of others. 

Pax, 

Apryl 

Nothing is so strong as gentleness,
and nothing is so gentle as true strength.
-Ralph Sockman 

*******************************************************************************

From: Rodney Lamont Williamson

Hey Walid,  

This is T. Earl Page, Jr. and I'm deeply interested in subscribing.
When my moms brought "Betcha Gotta A Golly Wow" on the 45 back
in '76, I sat down with my mommy (and was sucking my thumb) as
Phyllis serenaded me at the tender age of 5.   

To this day, she gives me Goosebumps!  I knew how to love her because
it was under her spell to do so.  Why live alone when I listen to Phyllis
in my systems.  I didn't want to lose her, but she did not want to live
in confusion.  She was more than a Sophisticated Lady--she was an Old Friend. 

As a songwriter/producer/musician, I feel that Clive Davis (President
for Arista Records) should put out a tribute album which features
everyone on his roster (Remember, Arista is the parent company for
LaFace, Bad Boy, Rowdy as well as home for Whitney and Aretha).  Hey,
if Curtis Mayfield, Jimi Hendrix got one (and probably 2Pac), I feel that
Phyllis should have an album as well.  I'll sing a couple of her
songs--how about that? 

Let's keep her music alive like we do for Marvin, Minnie, and everybody
else who left this earth to live in a better place.   

T. Earl Page Jr. 

P.A.G.E. 1 Productions, Inc.
Songwriter/Producer/Musician 

********************************************************************************

From: BamBam

Hmmm...well, Phyllis, to me, represented grace, beauty, and strength, both
of stature and voice.  She was a big woman (meant in the best way) and she
had a *big* voice.  I never got the chance to see her in concert live, but I
did see her in filmed concerts, and she filled the screen with her
presence.  "Somewhere in my lifetime" was IMO her best song, and I can
hear it as if she was singing it directly to me.  It's a damned shame when
*true* talent like hers is overlooked for Da Flava of Da Month, with
cookie-cutter "singers" taking the lion's share of the audience's
attention; but I have no doubt that Phyllis is up there, singin with the angels. 

"Do not confuse gossip for wisdom" -J Gatlin 

Rose "BamBam" Cooper                                   /~\

Sgt. At Arms/Web Moderator,                           /','\

Ebony Queens Motorcycle Club                         /','`'\

********************************************************************************

From: Walid Itayim
Subject: PH:New Norman Connors CD

Norman Connors is credited as the man who discovered Phyllis
Hyman. It was his album "You Are My Starship" that launched her
career with the song "Betcha By Golly, Wow". 

Now he has a new album on MoJazz called "Easy Living".
Check it out at:

 Walid 

********************************************* 

Subject: Turn Back The Hands Of  Time
From: (Louisa J. Middlebrook) 

I read your message and was thrilled by the love that you all expressed
for the late Phyllis Hyman.  My boyfriend and I are also huge fans of her
and her music as well.  We were together the day that we found out that
she was gone.  It was like getting a call in the middle of the night
saying that a sister or best friend was gone.  We were able to share our
pain and grief, but I'm sure that you can understand how it didn't seem
to make it any better.  Sitting alone one day, while listening to one of
her CDs I was inspired to write the following: 

 Turn Back The Hands Of  Time 

                                                By: Louisa Joy Middlebrook 

I wish that I'd gotten the chance to tell you everything you meant to me,
wish that you knew you touched the whole world with more than just your
sweet melodies. 

It was something in your soul crying out to us all; I always wondered
"why is she so sad?" or "what could be so wrong?" 

I never would have believed that the pain you share in song; the pain
that brought tears to our eyes was coming from inside.
I never would have guessed that you too felt so all alone.  Never would
have believed your heart had never found its peace, its own 'home sweet
home'. 

But if I'd heard your cry I would have answered right away.  I'd
forgotten my own despair, insecurity, loneliness and rushed to ease your
pain.

You would have known with all certainty that you were desired, loved,
needed, wanted  and admired.
You would have been able to confide in  me, you'd have known you could
believe me when I'd say "I understand". 

I never will forget the day they said that you were gone.  I wish I could
have begged you to stay.
I couldn't believed you'd done it.  I couldn't believe that you'd flown
away.
Didn't you know our love was real?  Didn't you know we needed you stay?
Not just to sing to us or to entertain? 

Just because you were you... 

Girl, didn't you know nothing you ever felt - no pain, no heartache,
nothing of which you ever sang - could ever hurt as bad as having you
gone?  Having only memories of you  now to keep us going on and to
sustain.

Child, didn't you know?  You were ours to love and to cherish. 

I'd have tried with all my might to make you believe in you the way that
we did.

I'd have treated you like a sister, lover, friend.
Close to my heart I would have kept you.  I'd make you feel you belonged
here, was safe here, could stay here until the very end. 

Phyllis, you could never be the things you thought you were; too fat, too
tall, too old, too this or too that, too whatever you had in mind.
You were sexy girl and beautiful.  Talented, loving, caring and kind.

How could you not know?

If you were in doubt, sweetie, sista, baby, darlin', honey-chile,
precious-wonder, suga-dumplin' I would have told you so.
Wish that I could make an impression on your life and touch it in the way
that you truly have touched mine,
I wish I could turn back the Hands Of Time. 

Dedicated to the memory of the great Phyllis Hyman 

by ljm 

 joy 

A Writer Writes...always
I love a Marine(Semper Fi)
Thanks AEL for everything

********************************************************************************

*Favorite albums of Phyllis Hyman:

All of them really. But right now I'm listening to "I Refuse To Be Lonely"
"Prime Of My Life" and "Livin' All Alone." And I listen "You Know How To Love
Me" quite a bit.

------- 

*Your impressions of live concerts or club gigs:
I'm still kicking myself. I was in New York for a conference once. She was
performing at the Apollo. Two shows. I was invited to the late show by an
NYC-resident friend, along with my colleagues. They didn't feel up to it; I
did, but I let them talk me into a little bar/club-hopping (something I don't
normally do anyway) instead. My NYC friend later told me that she,
naturally, turned it out. I've regretted it ever since.

She headlined a festival at my alma mater while I was in school. I had to
work and could not get the time off no matter how hard I tried. I was evil
for about a week.

I finally got to see her perform during homecoming at my alma mater -- in
her stocking feet. This around the time of "Prime." I never knew how funny
she could be. I liked the way she came into the audience and took requests
for songs that weren't in the show. She honored each request with a brief a
capella rendition. I wasn't close enough to her make any contact, but I'm so
glad I got to see her at least once. 

"Sophisticated Ladies" isn't a concert/club gig, of course, but I love her
performance. Never saw it on Broadway. Have it on tape, though. And the
audience that night clearly loved her as much as I do. I've got to say, that
as much as I love Paula Kelly and love to see her dance, and as much as I
like to see Hinton Battle (the Tinman in "The Wiz"  on B'way) dance -- but
I'm sorry. These two who had billing over Phyllis were DULL! Even further,
and I am not exaggerating, most of the performances in that show were
uninspiring -- at least on that night. But Phyllis! EVERY time that she was
onstage it was magic.

Interesting:  The first time we see her onstage after several dull numbers
from the others, she makes no entrance. Instead she simply appears, rather
unceremoniously I might add, perched a few feet above the stage and radiant
as ever in her blue ostrich (or whatever) feathers. The audience recognizes
her. So even before she opens her mouth, the audience is hers. With her
first few utterances, they're clearly "under her spell." She naturally puts
a hurtin' on "It Don't Mean A Thing." But even more, she returns to her
throne to allow a musical and boys' chorus interlude. She reigns over this
theatrical kingdom and manages to keep the focus on her without deliberately
upstaging the dancers or the band. But the audience knows she's there. And
though it's not likely, but if anyone forgot, she appropriately reminds them
in spoken props to Hinton Battle's dance solo when she let's him know: "Ow!
But ya killin' me, Baby!"

Phyllis brings it home from her perch and all the while the focus remains on
her -- even though there's a dance duo in front of her. They are closer to
the audience, but she is who they're responding to. That's presence. That
number gets the first enthusiastic response from the audience with a
standing ovation. In fact, all her numbers get enthusiastic applause. That's
the FIRST time the audience hears from her that night. Thereafter, you can
tell the audience waits for her time and time again. They receive her
warmly, she more than delivers, and they wait 'til her next number. One last
thing: Phyllis isn't a dancer. She's competing with a troupe of dancers with
only her extraordinary voice, her expressiveness, her incredible scatting,
her humor, her runway grace, her mere presence. And the rest of the folk
CANNOT hang.

----

*How did you discover her music? What was the first song or album you heard?
"You Know How To Love Me." I was in college and I fell in love with her. I
couldn't afford much new music then, so I never bought an album until
"Livin' All Alone." One album I've never heard that I'd kill for (though
that applies to anything of hers) is either titled or has the song "Riding
The Tiger." I just don't remember anything about it and would like to hear it. 

Tony Moor

 ****************************************************************

From: Walid Itayim
Subject: Phyllis' Guest Appearances 

These are some other artists' albums that featured Phyllis as guest vocalist: 

Norman Connors - You Are My Starship

Jon Lucien - Premonition

Joe Sample - Oasis

School Daze - Soundtrack

The Whispers - So good

Pharoah Sanders - Love will find a way

Grover Washington Jr. - Time Out Of Mind

McCoy Tyner - Looking Out

Barry Manilow - Swing Street

Sophisticated Ladies - Original Cast Recording 

Thanks 

Walid  

************************************************************

From: Richard Kenyada 
Subject: PH Phyllis Hyman in Concert 

(Note:  Previously I have written about my experiences at a 1983 concert
which featured Ms. Hyman as the headliner, among other artists. But this '92
audience - 9 years later, in a decidedly different venue, came here to hear
Phyllis, and only Phyllis...... and the place was PACKED.  So come with me
now, to the last time I saw Phyllis...)

Summer 1992 - Chastain Park Amphitheater, Atlanta 

An Evening With Phyllis Hyman
with The Duke Ellington Orchestra (conducted by Mercedes Ellington) 

The Chastain Park Amphitheater is the premier outdoor venue in Atlanta, set
in the midst of a diverse, upper middle class neighborhood of eclectic
professionals, who each year play host and audience to acts as different as
The Temptations/Four Tops shows, to Travis Tritt (a country star).  The
stage alone is magnificent, set low in the middle of a meadow of orchestra
table seating, to stepped-up chairs-seating further back and, finally, a
grassy upper terrace for picnicking on blankets.  Everyone arrives early to
set up sometimes very elaborate mini-feasts, complete with candles, flowers
and fine wine.

This audience, refined and appreciative of elegance, was ready for a moment
they would never forget. 

The Ellington Orchestra begins to weave its magic playing lush standards
written by Duke and his oft-time collaborator, Billy Strayhorn.  One can't
help but think that this is the perfect setting: Black sky, tall Georgia
pines stretching moonward, a slight breeze, a stage full of masterful
musicians.....and Phyllis Hyman.  

This evening was a kiss from God. 

Ms. Hyman walked out to thunderous applause, adorned in royal attire.
Off-white, with gold lame' trim.  Angelic.  Long, layered with a cape-like,
see-through chiffon that seemed to float at the slightest breeze.  Topped
off with a hat inspired by Egyptian Queen Neferititi.    What a presence! 

The orchestra accompanied her flawlessly.  It was almost as if Duke
Ellington himself was sitting at the keyboards, stroking gently the melody,
as to build the fire slowly.  This was the night that we had all dreamed of
spending with Phyllis Hyman.  It was pillow talk for the male audience, and
sistah-friend confiding for the women. 

I cannot remember all the songs she sang that night, but I'll mention a few
that, to this day, stand out in my memory.
"Sophisticated Lady", and others from the Ellington Songbook.  And then
there were her disco-era hits such as "You Know How To Love Me".   But what
would a Hyman concert be without the ballads; you know them by heart: Betcha
By Golly Wow,  The Answer Is You,  I Don't Want To Lose You, among others.
And she topped it all off with "Somewhere In My Lifetime".  

There were quite a few standing ovations from this very sophisticated crowd.
As we looked around, we found a sense of familiarity.   For that one night
we were family. The faces, joyously fulfilled, were faces of people we knew
.  People with CD collections much like ours.  The evening never ended....it
just mellowed into something resembling a quiet reflection. 

As my fiancée and I left the park, we looked at each other, then back toward
the stage....maybe we both knew that it was to be the last time we would see
Phyllis in this setting.  But the echoing lyricism of Phyllis herself seemed
to play again in our minds, somehow reassuring us that tomorrow could not
erase tonight because..... 

"Somewhere in my lifetime, there was you and me" 

Kenyada    (under the headphones)
*****************************************************

Thanks for your invitation to contribute to your P.H. newsletter. I really
have little to add; I'm more interested in her early career and I'd love to
find out what others know of her professional activities in Miami and her
initial musical performance in NYC. 

Don 

***************************************************

"You Know How To Love Me" by Phyllis Hyman- One of the best disco songs from
the 1979/80 disco era!  I only have the album version, but would love to
have the extended 12" or CD5. 

Brian Evans 

**************************************************

From: Walid Itayim
Subject: Has anyone seen this movie? 

Has anyone seen a 1989 movie called The Kill Reflex?
It stars Fred Williamson in the leading role.
The cast list includes Phyllis Hyman.
I am curious what kind of role she had in it.  

*****************************************************

Phyllis Hyman is still one of today's greatest R&B singers. Although she
committed suicide last year, she continues to live through her music. When I
listen to her current single "I Refuse To Be Lonely", I feel the pain and
confusion this 6ft. woman was going through. That's what makes her
the best. There is no way you can be alive and not feel every word she
sings. It is very difficult for me to even write this review because
conveying how her music makes me feel is impossible. The day that I found
out of her death you would have thought I knew her personally. I was truly
in mourning; crying as I listened to her rendition of the Stylistics'
classic "Betcha By Golly Wow". Just thinking that I could never here her
sing that song live again made me very sad. We have truly lost one of the
greatest. As a result, R&B will never be the same.  

Diona McLucas 

*******************************************************

(The following article was sent by Melissa Weber to rec.music.funky
3 days after the passing of Phyllis Hyman. I have tried to e-mail Melissa
countless times but I have gotten no reply. I hope she doesn't object to
my including this article here. ) 

Date: Mon, 3 Jul 1995 17:51:38 +0000 (GMT)
From: Melissa Weber

Subject: Reflection on our sister Phyllis Hyman 

        Early Saturday morning I learned the disturbing news about our
sister Phyllis Hyman.  It brought me to tears to know that this beautiful
talent had possibly taken her own life.  The news report said, "Singer
Phyllis Hyman was found on the floor . . . a bottle of pills lay next to
her... ...dead at the age of 45 . . . the jazz community will suffer a great
loss." 

        We all know that Phyllis was more than jazz.  She was embraced
by jazz, r&b, disco, pop, soul, Broadway.  But her roots were in jazz
since her first recordings were with jazz drummer Norman Connors.
She reigned from Philadelphia where she sang as a young girl in
gospel church choirs, but admitted to not being comfortable in the spotlight
to do solos.  Later in the early 70s, Connors, a popular fusion jazz artist,
"discovered" her and featured her smoky voice on several of
his albums (he did the same with Jean Carn), and in the meantime, the
collaboration created some unforgettable moments of female vocalese this
side of Patti Labelle (my favorite being her duet with bassist Michael
Henderson on "We Both Need Each Other" from Connors' 1975 _You Are My
Starship_). 

        It wasn't a surprise that Phyllis soon landed her own solo
recording contract on Connors' home label, Buddah records.  (She
did release a 7' single in 1976 on the obscure Desert Moon label.)
On Buddah she released her self-titled debut in '77.  One year later she
signed with the still-new Arista label where she saw most of her
success on the soul charts ("Somewhere in My Lifetime" (1978), "I'll Try
Something New" (1978),  "You Know How to Love Me" (1979), "Can't We Fall in
Love Again" (with Michael Henderson, 1981), etc.).  She recorded on Arista
until 1983 and recorded on Philadelphia Int'l in 1986.  I don't know too
many recording details after this point though she popped up
on quite a bit of jazz recordings (McCoy Tyner and others) and in the jazz
club circuit, and also on Broadway where she received a Tony nomination for
her performance in a play I believe is called "Sophisticated Lady."  She
also made an appearance in the Spike Lee film _School Daze_. 

        Phyllis, from what I've been told, was one hell of a performer. 
She was a down-to-earth kind of gal, one who didn't put on airs.  One
funny story that I was told saw Ms. Hyman onstage singing her heart out
when suddenly the "woman's way" came upon her.  She stopped singing,
realizing her "monthly visitor" had decided to stop on by and politely
walked offstage.  A few moments later she returned joking about the whole
situation with all the grace in the world.  The audience loved her
kidding and soon she resumed her set as if nothing had gone wrong. 

        Though the exact cause of her death is still under investigation,
there is heavy speculation that it was a suicide.  It is a sad
speculation indeed.  It was just 11 years ago that our brother Donny
Hathaway fell to the same demons that possessed sister Phyllis. 
Hopefully, through this tragedy, the Black community and everyone will
learn something about the problems of depression, and more specifically,
treating those problems.  There's no doubt that this will affect the
African-American community as a whole. The terrible news transcended to a
seminar at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans where I and a large
group of people wept.     

In my opinion, Phyllis was a terribly overlooked vocalist with amazing range
and phrasing abilities.  She was the
type of artist that didn't stay on the charts, but the Black community all
knew who she was and loved her.  Her personable voice was a cross between
sultry siren and hometown girl. And her manner was always classy and beautiful.   

        She kept right on going until the end, despite severe depression,
weight and relationship problems, and rumored drug abuse. 
Unfortunately that end, unknown to her adoring fans, was too bitter
for her to handle.  Hopefully our sister's passing will raise more awareness
about helping our community to treat depression, and also about Phyllis, the
singer and the person.  I'll be the first in line to learn both.  Phyllis
gave us her soul and ultimately her life.  I will miss her. 

Melissa 

****************************************************

Well, this is it for this first  installment. I hope you have all enjoyed
reading it and that some of it has been interesting and informative.
It would be really great if we can get more posts especially from the
subscribers who haven't yet written anything. Replies to what has
been written so far are welcomed. Comments and suggestions on
the format of the newsletter and any other ideas are also welcomed.
October 29th. will be the release date of "The Legacy of Phyllis Hyman"
on Arista/BMG. We would love to read your reviews or thoughts on that
2-CD set.

Until the next time,
Take Care and thanks for your support, 

Walid Itayim 

THE PHYLLIS HYMAN INTERNET NEWSLETTER #2
1996 

Here we are with the second issue of the PH Internet Newsletter. I am 

pleased to announce that Richard Kenyada, my good friend in Atlanta 

and a great writer, is now co-editor of this newsletter. His advice and 

guidance have been invaluable.  

There are now 72 people subscribed to the list and the number increases 

daily. This really makes me happy because to start with I was a bit hesitant 

about undertaking this project. On the list, we have 4 people from the UK, 

one from Germany, one from Norway, 2 from Japan and one from Hong Kong!! And 

I am in Cyprus! The rest are in the US and Canada. The intense love for 

Phyllis Hyman and her music is an international phenomenon!!!

Walid Itayim 

***************************************************************

I am thrilled that Walid has asked me to assist him as Co-Editor  

of this wonderful project.  In our way of thinking, this Newsletter is, 

in essence, a Love Letter to Phyllis Hyman  - from her Fans and Friends 

all over the world. 

For those who recently discovered Phyllis' music..... 

for those who were mesmerized by her enormous talent during the 

latter years......and certainly for those of us who were there from the 

moment she first burst upon the musical horizon.... 

Ms. Hyman is unforgettable, irreplaceable and incomparable. 

We will always remember her with a tear      ....and a smile, because 

Somewhere in our Lifetime ........there was Phyllis Hyman.

Richard Kenyada

 *******************************************************************

From: "LOREN M. PIERRE"  

Subject: PH: ~~Songs of Love~~~

 I was first introduced to Phyllis Hyman, almost by accident I might say... 

It was during a visit to South Dakota back in 1987 when I was browsing  

through a record collection.  I couldn't believe the amount of records!   

I came across the album of Phyllis Hyman.  Phyllis Hyman I said to  

myself.  I've not ever heard her songs on the radio...  Out of curiosity, 

I went on and played the record.  I couldn't believe my ears!  I was listening 

to the best voice I have ever heard!  Her words, her voice, her songs, they 

were magnificent!  I immediately asked who she was and if she had any other 

recordings?  Unfortunately, they did not know much.  Only that she was a 

great artist and that her music would never leave you.  That evening after 

listening to the album over and over again I had to tape it on a cassette 

for the long drive back to Denver.  I think I listened to the cassette the 

whole time we drove, and could remember asking myself how did this beautiful 

woman get such meaningful words that meant so much.  I think those words 

meant a lot to me as well.  Well, from that moment on you could say I have 

been and will always be a fan of the one and only Phyllis Hyman!   

 I remember it being a holiday last year, not sure if it was Thanksgiving  

or perhaps it was Christmas that I opened the newspaper and out of the 

blue there was a picture of Phyllis Hyman.  The picture was beautiful..   

However the article was not!  It stated how Phyllis Hyman took her own life 

in her apartment on a drug overdose. I couldn't believe I was reading  

such disturbing words!  I remember my heart becoming very heavy --- it 

was like loosing a dear friend.  Tears steamed down my face as I felt so  

empty.  I will never forget that day!   

 I still play her music, as a matter of fact, I play her music cassettes  

in my car everyday.  My 4-1/2 year old daughter already knows the words to 

some of her melodies - as she and I follow along and sing.   

 I don't know much about the late Phyllis Hyman, but I can say this,  

her music does say a lot about her.  You just wouldn't think that this 

beautiful talented woman would be so alone.  I wonder if she ever married  

or if she left any children behind? 

 Well, I would like to close for now - and thank all of you who have  

shared your experiences and memories of Phyllis Hyman with us dedicated 

fans...  I  have enjoyed reading the first Phyllis Hyman  

electronic fanzine newsletter!  Thanks to all for the information.  

 Many thanks to you Walid, for your e-mail messages, your hard work, and 

your devotion in making this newsletter happen!  

 Keep in touch, and God Bless,

        ~Loren~ 

******************************************************************

From: high-priority

Hello,  

I just subscribed to the PH Mailing list and I do like all the comments 

that I have seen about the extraordinaire Phyllis Hyman. She was indeed 

one of the best vocalists this world has ever seen. I got into Phyllis 

Hyman about 5 years ago, around the time I was 15 years old and  "Prime 

of My Life" was new. The first song I heard from Phyllis was "Living In 

Confusion" and "Don't Wanna Change the World", but It wasn't until I 

heard her perform "Meet Me On The Moon" on Video Soul that I became a 

fan. Most of her music was rather personal to me. I mostly liked her 

voice more than anything, this woman was a diva!!! I bought most of her 

albums right after I heard her perform that. I had ordered directly  from 

overseas an LP of Phyllis' "You Know How To Love Me" and it was so ironic 

that I received the album on the same day that she passed away.  

All I did the following day after her death was listen to her music all day, 

but "Old Friend" is one song that I always cry when I hear. Phyllis is truly 

missed!     

Sincerely, 

Ernesto Cano 

***************************************************************

From: DNathSoul 

Subject: Re: "Thank God! And The Beat Goes On" 

I did go to see the Whispers' play, "Thank God! And The Beat Goes On" which 

features Alyson Williams as Phyllis.  I was very unhappy with the way they 

portrayed Phyllis because they gave a very one-sided, one-dimensional 

viewpoint on her.  To see the play, you would think that she was always this 

unhappy, highly-strung, demanding diva - and while that was most assuredly a 

part of her temperament and personality, it was by no means the whole 

picture.  I found the depiction of her suicide demeaning and distasteful.

If anyone wanted to do a Phyllis Hyman tribute in musical form, they should 

have done something on her entire life - not just the ending. 

David Nathan 

(David Nathan has worked as a music journalist for Blues & Soul and 

Billboard. He also wrote the liner notes for the CD "Loving You Losing You- 

The Classic Balladry of Phyllis Hyman" - the editors) 

******************************************************************

It is customary, during the Thanksgiving season, that we pause to  

reflect upon our lives and our blessings.  This year there is so much for 

which to be thankful - not the least of which is the launching of the  

Phyllis Hyman Newsletter. 

As the editors of the newsletter, we are thankful that the extraordinarily 

talented artist, Phyllis Hyman, shared her unique gift with all of us.  

Thankful, too, for her recordings and videos that exist all over the world, as 

needles in haystacks, beckoning us to search them out. 

We are extremely delighted and thankful to have met Glenda Gracia, Ms.  

Hyman's manager and close friend, who has enthusiastically consented  

to contribute her insight and memories. 

We are also thankful for the technology that brings us closer together - 

from every corner of the globe - and allows us to sit around this cyberspace 

kitchen table for a "family" discussion about our remembrances of Phyllis. 

For it is through a sharing of the experiences  

of those who adored her that we can make this a lasting and loving tribute 

to our sister, Phyllis. 

So, as we gather around the world to begin celebrating the Holiday Season, 

giving Thanks for all that we are, all that we have and all things great and 

small,,let us say a prayer for.......and cherish a memory of our 

Sophisticated Lady. 

Walid Itayim and Richard Kenyada 

Editors 

***************************************************************

From: MILES BELL 

Subject: PH, Arista/BMG's release of "The Legacy of Phyllis Hyman" 

The recent Arista/BMG two set CD, "The Legacy of Phyllis Hyman" is 

a disappointment. Some of the same songs appear on RCA's "The  

Balladry of P. Hyman" and other compilation CDs. I wish Arista  

chose to release their Hyman albums intact as they were released

on vinyl some ten to fifteen years ago. "The Legacy of P. Hyman" 

is all but another cheap hodge podge of some record executive's 

summation of Hyman work. The best thing about the CD set is the 

rare pictures of a young, thin and sultry Hyman. The liner notes 

are ok. "In A Sentimental Mood" extracted from the "Sophisticated 

Ladies" Broadway soundtrack was a welcome surprise. 

****************************************************************

From: Ian Horst 

Subject: Phyllis with Pharaoh Sanders 

Greetings to this Phyllis Hyman newsletter.  

I loved her music for years and was greatly saddened by her death.  

I thought I'd put in my own vote for my favorite album featuring Phyllis, one 

that has sadly never been issued on CD. In 1979 previously way-out jazz 

musician Pharaoh Sanders made a bid for jazz/pop crossover success and 

released an album on Arista entitled "Love Will Find a Way." Produced by 

Norman Connors, the album features some fine work by Phyllis on 3 or4 songs, 

if I recall correctly. My vinyl version is scratchy and barely audible: it's 

time to get this masterpiece on CD! 

--Ian Scott Horst

*******************************************************************

From: Bill Ralston 

Glad to hear that Phyllis Hyman is not forgotten. I remember when I first 

saw and heard her in Spike Lee's School Daze. She had this incredible 

soulful sultry voice  and such a wonderful screen presence. A friend of mine 

was a fan of hers for years and I remember when he told me that he had heard 

she had died, We both felt such a sadness that a talent such as hers had 

been snuffed out so young. The only cd I have of hers' is prime of my life. 

I know some cds were released after her death but I  

could find little information on them. I would appreciate knowing any must 

haves of her recordings.  

****************************************************************** 

Subject: I never met Phyllis. 

From: Anthony E. Lewis 

I never met Phyllis. But, she sang to me. I fell in love with 

her the first time I saw her face in Spike Lee's movie 

'School Daze'. I remember at the time thinking to myself, 

she's too beautiful for me to ever see in real life. But, that 

didn't stop me from loving HER. I fell in love not because 

she sang so well, but because she sang to ME. When 

Phyllis sang, she was IN YOUR FACE! Her presence 

was so powerful and real. I still think she's here with me 

at times.

When I heard that she was gone, a part of me died with 

her. A part of my heart is gone and I know it will never 

come back. It's still very, very, VERY hard for me to think 

or talk about. Sometimes the pain is just unreal. I 

remember that my first thought upon hearing the news was, 

'Why didn't just call me? Oh God! Why didn't she somehow 

just get in contact with me?'

I know; crazy.

But, I'll never forget it or the feeling that came with it. 

My only solace now is the music, and a woman that loves 

and misses Phyllis EVERY BIT AS MUCH as I do. 

*************************************************************** 

From: Louisa J. Middlebrook

What A Woman... 

I 'met' Phyllis in the late '80's.  I was just 18 or 19 at the time. 

As a tall, full-figured young woman it was an honor to see 

her in videos or on some music show or read about her and 

know that so many loved her.  I quickly became a fan.  First 

attracted by her size and beauty (one and the same) I soon 

found myself being mesmerized by her voice.  That incredible 

voice!  I cannot put it into words.  I tried to describe to my 

boyfriend (also a lover of Phyllis) what her music meant to 

me.  I told him that if you listened really closely it sounded 

like crying.  I began to cry myself thinking how much  

pleasure I had derived all these years from listening to her 

soul wrenching melodic tears.  I told him that that kind of 

singing was not contrived or fake.  It came from her very 

soul.  I'm sure that those who had the opportunity to  

work with her can attest to the bone chilling, haunting, 

shivers-up-and-down their spine feeling they got just 

being so close to 'music from the soul'.  Yes, she is 

gone but never forgotten.  I still can't imagine what drove 

her to do it.  Why did she take herself away from us?  What 

did we do wrong?  

I wish she could have known how much 

she was genuinely loved.  But then with artistic prowess such 

as she possessed I don't know if any amount of love would  

have been enough.  She gave her all time and time again (and 

there was so much to give) it's not hard to understand how we 

could not replace what was lost.  I only pray that now she is 

at peace, the peace she 'cried' about in her songs and that all 

the love we have and express for her now has finally set her free and 

that she knows, finally, that she was never alone.

PEACE. 

Joy.

A Writer Writes...always 

I love a Marine(Semper Fi) 

Thanks AEL for everything 

*************************************************************

Subject: Phyllis' Guest Appearances 

From: Hidetoshi Hoshi  

>Norman Connors - You Are My Starship

>Jon Lucien - Premonition

>Joe Sample - Oasis

>School Daze - Soundtrack

>The Whispers - So good

>Pharaoh Sanders - Love will find a way

>Grover Washington Jr. - Time Out Of Mind

>McCoy Tyner - Looking Out

>Barry Manilow - Swing Street

>Sophisticated Ladies - Original Cast Recording

>Does anyone out there know of any others?

Your discography is not complete.

please add to it LONNIE LISTON SMITH's "Love Goddess"(1990)

Record Company:Startrak Records/Ichiban

No:STA 4021 CD                                                    

On this album she sang "OBSESSION (Phyllis Hyman,Terry Burrus)"     

********************************************************************

From: Roosevelt Littleton  

Subject: Phyllis' Guest Appearances

A few  titles excluded from your list include the following:

      1. LONNIE LISTON SMITH - LOVE GODDESS -OBSESSION

      2.NORMAN CONNORS-1994-REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE

      3. THE BEST OF NORMAN CONNORS 1978

       JON LUCIEN'S 'PREMONITION LP DID NOT FEATURE MS. HYMAN, AND  MS HYMAN 

ONLY ARRANGED THE BACKGROUND VOCALS ON THE WHISPERS'  SO GOOD.    HOW CAN I 

GET A COPY OF JOE SAMPLE'S OASIS LP?

DR. ROOSEVELT LITTLETON, JR 

ASSOCIATE DEAN FOR STUDENT LIFE 

ABRAHAM BALDWIN AGRICULTURE COLLEGE 

*******************************************************************

From: Richard Kenyada 

The Things We Have In Common 

We are not strangers, you know.  Though we have never met or sat across a 

table from each other, we have shared something that is perhaps even more 

intimate - a heartfelt appreciation of Phyllis Hyman's artistry. 

Sometimes it's difficult to comprehend how so many others loved Phyllis as 

we do.  The PH experience was, on some level, a deeply personal one.  We 

attended her concerts with someone we cared about.....or we went alone.  And 

from the moment she hit that first note, until the curtain went down, she 

took each of us to a special place. 

It was not necessarily the lyric, or the arrangement, or the 

instruments......it was the sheer Presence of Phyllis Hyman, which combined 

ALL of those entities with The Voice, to be greater than the sum total of 

their parts.  While it is true that she was an immensely talented performer, 

to many of her fans she was more ....she was a state of mind. 

At home, Phyllis peeks at me from my CD collection, always seducing me - 

making me play just one more song, from one more CD.  I try to listen to 

other female singers, but most just don't measure up. And Phyllis -or shall 

I say  my memory of her - doesn't seem to mind.  She knows that I always 

come "home" to surrender my heart all over again. 

The things we share are memories of who we were ......with Her.  Maybe she 

stayed among us as long as she was supposed to, according to the Grand Plan. 

Perhaps there was another gig to do elsewhere, beyond our comprehension. 

But she'd never want a perpetual, living eulogy. That's why our Newsletter 

is more a chain love letter.  Like Phyllis herself, ever-changing, moving, 

up/down/all around..... privately intimate, rambunctiously public.  Phyllis 

was our sister - yours and mine.  Phyllis was Love. 

....and  Love shares the ultimate commonality.

****************************************************************** 

From: "Traci A. O'Neal"  

I had an opportunity to see this great lady in concert at the Coors  

Lite Cincinnati Jazz Festival only a few years ago and was memorized by  

her and the fact that she sang my favorite song, "Meet Me on the Moon". 

The irony is Phyllis (THE ACTRESS)also sings this song in the movie, 

KILL REFLEX. YES, WALID, I HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

She plays the owner of a nightclub and girlfriend of the villain. This  

movie has been on HBO several times, but not recently. The movie is a 

FRED WILLIAMSON production and is "supposedly" on moratorium and not 

available. I have been searching for a video copy since Phyllis'  

departure.  

I recently saw Fred Williamson in an interview on BET where he said he  

started producing his own movies so they were only accessible with his  

permission. And I am very close to writing him for a copy of this special video. 

In my area, which is Phoenix, where African American concerns are  

second nature, this movie is not available. But when visiting my home, 

Milwaukee, I visited several video stores that called their own  

warehouses, one of which was Columbia. They advised that the movie  

is not on moratorium and available at the suggested retail price of  

$89.99. I haven't tried to order yet, but have no problem paying for this movie.

Walid, I was reading the newsletter and was going to post this request 

when I ran across your question about the movie. I'm excited that I now 

have a forum to help Phyllis' memory live on.  

Traci

*****************************************************************

(Here is a poem by co-editor Richard Kenyada)

 The Last Love Song                                       

i don't remember its title, 

can't recall, either, where i heard it - 

or whether it was live     or memorex 

But i know the last love song was smoothly profound, 

well-orchestrated            with strings and brass 

and someone's deft fingering of piano keys. 

and i remember the mood it set in my mind 

as i looked into my woman's eyes and, 

for the first time understanding that   

love is   tenderness tempered with strength. 

it is forever, partitioned into free-form jazz notes 

of  here and now.          and its song is of fleeting 

nuance, unstoppable        cascading like rain...... 

cleansing us in its simplicity 

and leaving a rainbow in our hearts 

                                         as it departs

i don't remember much about the last love song 

but i am certain it was sung by  

phyllis hyman.

*****************************************************************

From: Jeffrey Hannan  

I am a writer in Berkeley, Calif. and am interested in writing a long piece 

on her career and life.  The press seems to have ignored her, for the most 

part, which I think is a shame.  In many ways, and from my outsider's 

opinion, her story is highly symbolic of  the nature of the music industry 

in this country and really leads me to question the nature of the distribution  

of information regarding performers and their art. 

I don't necessarily have to have specific article names, authors, dates, 

etc., but if people have a strong suspicion which publication(s) ran 

article(s) on Phyllis and roughly when those articles ran (e.g. early 1992, 

late 89, etc.) that would also help. 

Obviously I'm going to have to do a lot more research than I suspected,  

because I was first introduced to Phyllis' music via "Goddess of Love". 

I was very surprised to see on the discography that Goddess was actually  

number six!  I've got some catching up to do--assuming I can find LP's  

that pre-date Goddess.  I think it's critical for me to hear early  

recordings, given the high emotional content of her work. 

I'm not sure what shape the piece is going to take or who I'm going to  

sell it to, but I have strong feelings about Phyllis and about the  

article.  If my initial impressions are substantiated in the course of  

research (or even if they're not--I have to see what shows up), I know  

the story will have some impact.  It won't change the industry or the  

arts in America, but hopefully it will expose a large number of people  

to Phyllis, which is what we all ultimately want for her: broader exposure. 

And Goddess of Love re-released on CD...! 

Thanks for posting my request, and thanks to everyone in advance who 
gives me a little bit of path to proceed on.

--jeffrey 

****************************************************************** 

From: Raymond  

Subject: Who's the diva 

As I look back on Phyllis Hyman's career,. I 've come to the conclusion, 

as many of her fans, that Phyllis possessed star quality, all of us wonder 

why she was so underrated in her time. 

Let's look at the current super divas -- Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, 

Janet Jackson, and Toni Braxton. In my opinion, Mariah and Toni both possess 

star quality....and great voices.  Mariah is the true #1 queen in 

this era. Her influence on the whole pop/r&b music industry is 

undeniable.  She's got the great fan base, the great songs, producers,  

and high exposure. All the necessary ingredients to make her a star.  

I do admire Mariah.... she's something.. 

And Toni, while the most beautiful lady I've ever seen, she also possesses 

that special quality. Her songs, every one of them, make  

me cry for joy. Her live performance thrill me. She is A TRUE DIVA, a 

soulful princess. Her new "Secrets" CD further demonstrates this. 

Let's look at our queen Whitney, and Janet... well do they really sing 

well..?? I like Whitney, but personally (sorry to those who love Whitney), 

I don't think she's as soulful and jazzy as Phyllis Hyman.. Undoubtedly, 

she has the voice, and she inherited her mother Cissy Houston's singing 

talent as well.  She possessed many #1s and much TV/Film exposure. 

But what made her a star??  The answer is hard work and luck. 

Her debut album sold more than a million copies worldwide  

because she put superior material in the album. She can be categorized  

as the Pop lady, or the r&b lady, but we cannot regard her as a jazz diva 

because she's not that.  She is the marketable pop star; the daughter 

of singer Cissy Houston, the relative of the legendary Dionne Warwick, and 

Grammy Award Winner Thelma Houston (also my favorite). 

And Janet has done well in the past decade, so much so that many of us may 

still regard her as a dance queen. But she has proven versatile enough to 

change her image as she matures, which has been great for her career.  

But what about Phyllis?? Those other talented ladies got their share. 

Why was Phyllis denied that kind of over-the-top success? 

Well, let's not forget that she was once as successful as those 

super-divas I mentioned earlier... "You Know How To Love Me" 

is her all-time signature dance act, "Can't We Fall in Love Again" made 

her a star, and "Don't Wanna Change the World" brought her first #1 R&B 

song. All of the so-called commercially successful song have one thing in 

common -- they are marketable... 

"You know how to love me" fits the disco-period in the 70s.. and so 

record execs can find it easy to market this single. Similar hits such as 

"Under Your Spell", "Kiss You All Over" also got their share in this 

period. 

"Can't We Fall in Love Again", was a fantastic ballad, which garnered 

great exposure on local radio stations.  Therefore, it shot straight to 

the Billboard top 10. 

"Don't Wanna Change the World".... A  really complicated story: she's 

been gone from the scene for more than 5 years since the album "Living 

all alone"....But she returned with a real funky dance track.  Phyllis even 

learned how to rap, and did it it typical Phyllis fashion.....exquisitely.

Those who had loved her for years were somewhat surprised, and the new fans 

who were not familiar with her music, jumped on board without reservation. 

All this resulted in a song that went to the top of the chart. 

Phyllis Hyman is the only true diva -- a queen of the night,  the most 

beautiful unique human creature in her time, the R&B, Jazz, Pop, Soul Lady. 

She sang extremely well -ranging from the simple dance melody to a 

soulful, jazzy song. She's got the right stuff.. but she refused to be 

categorized.  

One thing is for sure: Phyllis Hyman was successful because her fans never 

left her...and they never will.  She remains deep in our hearts. 

*****************************************************************

>From The Editors: 

That's it for this month! Hope you enjoyed it! 

Next issue, which we hope will include one of writer David Nathan's 

tribute articles on Phyllis and a newspaper review of the Whispers' play  

"Thank God! The Beat Goes On", will go out to you around Dec. 13. I also 

strongly encourage you the readers to post your thoughts on Phyllis to me so 

I can include them in the coming issues. As you were informed by e-mail,

Richard and myself are in contact with Phyllis' manager Glenda Gracia and we 

hope she will be a major contributor to the newsletter!

 Happy Thanksgiving!!! 

Walid 

      ****    ****    ****      ****    **** 

....and we wish to thank the contributors to this issue.  You are an 

integral part of this project, as well as a part of our growing "family"

We have a unique opportunity to get to know others around the world who 

love the music of Phyllis Hyman.  When you think about it, Phyllis left us  

so much more than her music.  By bringing us together, like this, she  

has proven that Love doesn't stop growing and multiplying; giving and 

receiving - Love exists solely for the purpose of Loving...   

Happy Holiday !!!   See ya next month. 

Richard   

Walid Itayim 

 THE PHYLLIS HYMAN INTERNET NEWSLETTER #3
1996

Season's Greetings, 

This issue is a very special one in that it is the first one to include
the contribution of Ms. Glenda Gracia, Phyllis' manager and one
of the people who were closest to her. I want to thank Glenda for
her letter to the fans in which she also took the time to answer
the questions that were posed by some of you.  

Walid 

In this and coming issues, as you read Glenda's inspired words,
you'll get a glimpse "backstage" in the life of Phyllis Hyman.
You'll see her as "girlfriend", business woman, artist, humanitarian,
and so much more.  I join Walid in thanking Glenda for her enormous
contribution.  And we look forward to the continuing contributions of
the rest of you, too.    

Richard
************************************************************** 

Letter To The Fans                                  By Glenda Gracia 

Dear Friends, 

It is indeed an honor to share with you the beautiful feelings that I
have of extreme gratitude for your devotion, love and friendship for
Phyllis Hyman. 

We all have one thing in common :  we know that Phyllis was more than she
ever got credit for being... 

It is because of this, that I am especially pleased to know that so many of
you wish to convene this way; to share your feelings and stories and
tenderness about Phyllis. 

I met Phyllis in 1976 when she was performing in New York at  a little
upper West Side club called Mikel's.  Mikel's was a small jazz supper
club that people in the know would frequent.   At the time, I worked for
CBS Television Network and was invited to come check Phyllis out by
Roberta Flack and her boyfriend, Stewart Bosley. 

Needless to say that when I saw and heard Phyllis, I was blown away by
her.  She was unlike any other talent that I had ever seen or heard.
Although I could hear her influences (Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone), she had
her own voice, her own style, her own magic... 

And, she was very magical indeed.  At the end of her performance, she
joined Roberta, Stewart and me.  We sat there giggling and chatting
about the business and what she thought was happening in her career.  I
never in a million years thought in another six (6) years that I would be
representing her! 

The magic of Phyllis and her life is being developed as a beautiful photo
journal biography that should be published within the next year or so.
It is in development as we speak.  It is a wonderful project and as soon
as it is further along, I will share that with this Newsletter. 

In fact, it is my intention to share with you all things which will be
happening around the legacy of Phyllis so that you --- her true and
loyal friends and fans --- will know before the general public, so to speak! 

*****  " Maybe what I really want to know is 'who was Phyllis Hyman'?
Can you please be so generous as share with me the real woman?   Not the
artist so far removed from me. Bring her to my level.  What did she
like/love, hate/despise?  I'd like to know more about her." **** 

This is a question asked by Louisa Joy Middlebrook. 

Louisa, thanks for your question.  Phyllis was an extremely complex
person.  She had many layers to her personality.  But, in all of her
complexity, she was very simple and basically the only thing she ever
wanted was to know that people loved and cherished her.  That she
mattered, that she was special.  This is what we all want.  And, in this
regard Phyllis was not different.  What did she like/love :  fun, the
news, flowers, good food, fine men, great clothes and jewelry, a healthy
debate over a controversial subject, great books, people who were
principled and loyal... 

What did she hate/despise : people who lied and cheated, people who were
late, men who abused women, racism, war, superficial relationships, cold
food, bad sound checks, people without a sense of humor... 

**** " Any plans to release a "box" CD of all Phyllis' recordings?  How
can one obtain a photograph of Phyllis suitable for framing?" ***** 

F. Bligen wrote and asked this question.  Thanks for asking.  We are in
the process of creating a Phyllis Hyman memorabilia catalog that her
fans and friends can receive and order whatever is available from it.
Because this is in development, it will take a while still to get it
organized and published, but thank you for your interest and for your
patience. 

**** " what kind of singer did she want to be. Was she as much at home in a
jazz setting as a pop setting?...  I know the direction a singer takes is
not always their own, but their producers. Was she satisfied as an artist,
and the direction of her career?  " ***** 

This question was asked by Bill Ralston. 

Phyllis very much enjoyed performing in the jazz environment as well
as the pop environment. 

The reason that she signed with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff (Philadelphia
International Records) was because they both saw Phyllis' explosive vocal
capability. They wanted to nurture her so that she could explode first into
a solid audience base through great black music with lush musical
environments.  Then, the plan was to cross her into the pop/jazz genres. 

They saw what Phyllis and I had hoped could happen to her artistically
--- that one day, she could become a major pop star like Barbara Streisand. 

But, that required great material and a plan.  If Phyllis had lived, her
next album (after  "I Refuse To Be Lonely") was going to be a very
special jazz project.  Regrettably, that will never happen now... 

Phyllis loved to sing jazz.  As you know, she guested with many jazz
musicians (Chuck Mangione, Grover Washington, Jr., Pharaoh Sanders,
Lobby Listen Smith, etc.)  She especially loved to perform in small jazz
clubs and one day hoped to record a live album at either the Blue Note in
New York or at Blues Alley in Washington, D.C.  

She also had lots of fun performing the jazz/blues repertoire of Duke
Ellington in "Sophisticated Ladies", for which she received a Tony
Nomination.   

As you may also know, she did a great job of jazz vocal performances in her
special guest appearance on a CBS Television Special with Barry Manilow
called "Swing Street" almost 8 - 10 years ago. 

Her last album,  "I Refuse To Be Lonely", was really important
artistically because it was Phyllis' first project where her feelings
were vocalized.  If you've noticed, half of the album was written by
Phyllis --- a first in her career.  She was also being supported by
Kenny Gamble to start producing herself.  Eventually, this would have
happened in her career. 

Although producers do influence artistic direction for a vocalist,
Phyllis had the right to approve all of her material before she recorded
it.  So, starting with her experience and career at PIR, she never really
recorded anything that she didn't really want to record.                          

I love this idea of the Phyllis Hyman Internet Newsletter and I want to
thank Walid and Richard for making the dream a reality.  I feel that this
will be an important place for all of Phyllis' friends and fans to get
to know each other and to stay in touch with each other and with her
legacy.   

I also feel that this is an important place to dispel rumors and get the
truth straight so to speak... 

As Phyllis' manager of almost 14 years and now, as the Executrix of her
Estate, my job is to preserve her legacy.  I cherished her while she was
alive and did all that I could to support her as a person and
entertainer --- just because I loved her voice so much and, came to love
her deeply as a person.  She and I became more than friends... we were
like sisters. 

Communicating with you all is very joyful for me.  It sustains a sense of
connection to Phyllis' spirit in a very special way.  I want to thank you
all for that.  It is important to me in ways that you may never fully
understand. 

One final thing.  Recently, the Whispers and Allyson Williams got
together to create a new musical show called "Thank God, the Beat Goes On!" 

There has been some controversy about the show because the story takes place
on the last day of Phyllis' life and,  therefore,  her character in the
show, performed quite brilliantly by Allyson Williams, displays the
more dark and moody side of Phyllis.  Some friends and fans feel that
Phyllis was much more than this and, consequently are frustrated about
the portrayal. 

After seeing the show three times, I can only share that I feel the show
is very healing for everyone : for the Whispers, for Allyson, for
Phyllis' fans, family and friends.  Because Allyson does such a great
job, while she will never sound like Phyllis or ever be Phyllis --- she
does such a great  job that the audience loves her performance and gives
her standing ovations throughout the show.   

I am grateful that the Whispers wanted to tribute Phyllis and I think
that the show is doing well because of the sparkle that the show has on
its own. 

If you get a chance, go see it! 

Well, that's it for now.  I have really enjoyed visiting with each of you.
Thanks for your love, your support and your friendship.  If any of you
have any questions, please feel free to ask.  I'll do what I can to answer them. 

Stay in the Light and Love, 

G.
*******************************************************************

 (The following letter was sent by Tom Conroy, a long time fan of
Phyllis and a native of Pittsburgh, her hometown. Tom is not connected
to the internet but we transcribed his letter in full for all of you to
read. - the editors) 

Dear Walid, 

I'm sorry it took me so long to respond. Thank you for sending me
your Phyllis Hyman Newsletter! I was very happy to see there are
many people who share my passion for PH. I would like to add
another guest appearance that Phyllis did to your CD list, the 1993
release of "Remember Who You Are", by Norman Connors. She sings
the title song, and as usual, is in fine form. You asked me to share
some stories about PH with you and the others......

I was first exposed to Phyllis by a neighbor in 1976. Norm worked
for a record distributor and often gave my wife and I promo albums
of music he knew we liked. This particular album was "Starship",
by Norman Connors. Norm told me to pay close attention to a female
singer on the album, she was an old friend from high school. I
listened to "We Both Need Each Other", and I was in love with this
VOICE! I've always favored female R&B and jazz singers but the
connection I felt to Phyllis was different, stronger...... 

Norm told me stories about Phyllis, she was six foot one, beautiful
and a sweet girl in school. She used to sing old Motown songs for
other kids on the school bus, and he said he knew then that she was
going far with her music.... He also said that she always seemed
pleasantly surprised at the strong reactions she received from those
that heard her voice, as if she wasn't really quite aware of how talented
she was. She sang in the All City School Choir and you could always
her apart from the others. Norm lost track of Phyllis after school, then he
heard she was making quite a name for herself in the clubs of New York. 

Later that year her debut album was released and I bought copies for
my family and friends. I had this mission to turn on as many people
to her music as I could (I still do! It isn't hard). With the release of that
album came a tour and Phyllis returned home as the opening act
for someone ( can't remember who), and my wife and I and a few
friends were sixth row center....The lights dimmed, there was scattered
applause and then silence, and her voice came, acapella from the
darkness, a spotlight hit her center stage and the night was hers. She
OWNED that audience and we gladly let her. She worked that stage
like a twenty year veteran and there were three standing ovations that
night. It was more than an excellent show, it was MAGIC, the kind that
you see only two or three times in your lifetime by a performer. As for me,
my fate was sealed. I became her number one fan. 

I saw PH every time she came home, from our prestigious Heinz
Hall to intimate clubs (my favorite shows), depending on her different
degrees of fame. Once at a small club here, I could have grabbed her
ankle I was so close to her. She was always kind, always took requests
and would sing at least a few bars of every song they asked for. The
one thing you could always count on her to do was kick off her shoes
and do the show in her stockinged feet. 

As the years went by I was always puzzled as to why PH was not getting
the fame she deserved. Singers like Madonna, Janet Jackson, Jody
Watley, all talented, but nowhere near the depth and the passion of
Phyllis, were burning up the charts with mediocre material, while PH
never attained that position. I wanted the world to see and her
as I did. But secretly, I always felt like part of a special group, PH was
ours, she was too good for the bland musical tastes of the masses.
We were an elite group, the Phyllis-philes..... 

I was on the way to see her one night with my wife and a friend when we
became stuck in downtown traffic. Phyllis took the stage at eight  o'clock
and at ten minutes to eight I was ready to jump from the backseat of the
car and run the six blocks to the theater.... As I sat there cursing these
people who were going to miss her entrance, I noticed a white stretch
limo pull alongside us. The back window of the limo slid down and I saw
two pre-teen girls and a woman lean up to see the traffic. I gasped as
I recognized Phyllis (she always had some of her nieces with her)! I
shouted over to her waving my tickets. She waved and laughed and said
she was going to be late too! The window slid back up and I could relax,
I wasn't going to miss her entrance after all! And what an entrance it was..... 

I am very interested in getting any video on Phyllis if you know of any
sources.....I also urge everyone to write or e-mail Glenda Gracia
(PH's manager, address in liner notes of CDs) and encourage more
releases of music and Video, there's lots of unreleased stuff from the
albums yet. I'll write back with some more stuff soon and tell you about
the memorial service we had here, and I'll go through my albums to
find new stuff for you all. 

Thanks!!! 

Tom Conroy

***********************************************************************

From: Richard Kenyada

 My Christmas Wish List 

As many of you who are celebrating the Holiday, I'm secretly hoping to
receive a special gift (or three).  There are some gifts, however,  we will
never get. Not because we're not loved, or we can't afford them....but
because they were never created.  Two gifts I would have treasured
forever are The Phyllis Hyman Christmas CD and The Phyllis Hyman Remake CD,
which would have included the following: 

The Christmas CD-

Silent Night
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve
What Child Is This?
O Holy Night
This Christmas (by Donny Hathaway)
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Away In a Manger
I'll Be Home For Christmas (a duet with Will Downing)
The Christmas Song
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas 

The Remake CD-

I Can't Make You Love Me
Someday We'll All Be Free (originally by Donny Hathaway)
Evergreen
Get Here (originally by Brenda Russell, then Oleta Adams)
Piano In The Dark
Don't Go To Strangers

...and anything written by Babyface 

There are soooo many songs she had yet to sing, and so many emotions
she had yet to explore through those songs.  We are left to only imagine
the sheer splendor of her music, unsung.  The way in which she could have
interpreted a lyric like .... 

"Turn down the lights
Turn down the bed
Turn down these voices
inside my head 

Lay down with me
Tell me no lies
Just hold me close
Don't patronize,
don't patronize  me 

'Cause I can't make you love me
If You don't
You can't make your heart feel
something it won't........." 

Her voice will never wrap itself around this lyric.
The silky sheer strength of this woman  could have
lifted this song beyond most other singers' ability
to grasp it.  The subtle nuance, the heartbreaking
crackle in her voice that sent shivers through my composure,
will never, ever sing this song, and so many others that begged
her special gifts........gifts that will forever be on my Christmas
Wish List. 

Richard Kenyada **********************************************************************

From: Bill Ralston
Subject: I Refuse To Be Lonely CD 

I would like some information on the Phyllis Hyman cd, I refuse to be
lonely. I cannot find it here and will have to order it, but if anyone
could give the songs included in the cd, the producers, and the song
writers I would appreciate it. I enjoyed prime of my life, the writing and
producing talents of Gamble and Huff, and the fine selection of songs. I
am hoping the "I refuse to be lonely" cd is of that calibre and not an
attempt to cash in on Ms. Hyman's tragic death. Thank you for any
information.

********************************************************************** 

In Memory Of Phyllis Hyman: Review & Thoughts 

Phyllis Hyman I Refuse To Be Lonely/Zoo-Philadelphia International 

It is with great saddness that I write this piece. Phyllis Hyman who
possessed one of the purest voices on the R&B scene committed
suicide on June 30th, 1995 just hours before she was due to perform
at the Apollo in New York. A suicide note was left behind and her death was
ruled as an overdose from pills. Hyman was 45 and was six days short of her
46th birthday. In '94 she started work on what sadly turned
out to be her final Swansong her latest release I Refuse To Be
Lonely/Philadelphia International-Zoo. Hyman recently before her death
started writing her lyrics and of the 5 tunes on her new CD "I Refuse To
Be Lonely", "I'm Calling You"  and "It's Not About You (It's About Me) are
the emotions of someone digging deep into the depths of their soul. Her
lyrics are extremely autobiographical and her voice is so expressively
rooted with sensitivity, especially on "It's Not About You (It's About Me)
her vocal is as raw to the nerve with pain that you could only say 'I wish I
could have helped her'. This is not a pretty picture. She was a tormented
artist who on her new and last release was undoubtedly soaring new heights
artistically and will not be here to reap her rewards. True success on her own
terms may have finally been in the wings for her, but she decided to knock
on heavens door instead and was accepted. No more heartaches, no more
business bullshit, no more sleazeballs, no more substances to numb the hurt,
no more pain, no more... no more period. Being an artist is like a doubled
edged sword, an angel on one side and
a demon on the other. Unfortunately, in her case the demon won out.
Regardless, she sang like an angel and left us all with a wonderful rich
musical legacy that will be remembered always.  

Jay Siekierski
************************************************************************

From: Srdmac

Hi, I am a fan too of the late Phyllis Hyman. One reason that I'm writing is
to find out more about her death. Somehow ,last year I missed all headlines
dealing with her death and as a fan was astonished to find
she had taken her own life. I've enjoyed her music every since I was a small
child and appreciated her beauty when I grew to be a man. We
have suffered a great loss and my heart goes out to her soul, such a talented
woman with the potential to captivate her audience with her melodies, gone
from us with only her past recordings to remember by.

Oh how we will cherish them. Anyway, I would like to be included to your
mailing list so I can interact with more people like me who loved Phyllis' music. 

*********************************************************************** 

From:  Tanya LaNice