Jazz Singer Sarah Vaughan

Nicknamed “The Divine One” for her lush, operatic style talent, Sarah Vaughan was an iconic jazz singer nominated for nine Grammy Awards, receiving one and a Lifetime Achievement Award, while earning widespread acclaim.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1924, Sarah began singing in church choirs as a child. Later, she entered and won an amateur contest at the Apollo Theater, and by the 1940s, she was becoming a star.

Throughout her career, Sarah showcased her versatility, effortlessly blending jazz, pop, and classical elements. Hits like “Misty,” “Broken-Hearted Melody,” and “Whatever Lola Wants,” cemented her as one of the greatest voices in jazz.

Sarah passed away in 1990.

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Note: click here to read a snapshot biography of another jazz singer, Ella Fitzgerald.

Story Sources:

• Gottlieb, William P, photographer.Portrait of Sarah Vaughan, Café Society Downtown?, New York, N.Y., ca. Aug. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2023868362/>.
• Gourse, Leslie. Sophisticated Ladies : The Great Women of Jazz. 1st ed, Dutton Children’s Books, 2007.
• National Endowment for the Arts, arts.gov/honors/jazz/sarah-vaughan
• “Sarah Vaughan.” Grammy Awards, https://www.grammy.com/artists/sarah-vaughan/15516