Phyllis Hyman(1949-1995)
- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Deep-voiced and statuesque, Phyllis Hyman sang with a life-affirming
energy and emotional intensity found in few other female vocalists.
Born in Philadelphia in 1949 (and raised in Pittsburgh), her
professional career began in New York City where, during an engagement,
she was spotted by producer
Norman Connors and contemporaries
Jean Carne and
Roberta Flack, among others. She was
immediately offered a guest appearance on Connors' "You Are My
Starship" album (1976), which included her classic rendition of "Betcha
By Golly Wow" (previously a hit for The Stylistics in the early 1970s).
In 1977 Buddah Records released her self-titled debut LP, which
featured the hits "Loving You/Losing You" and "I Don't Wanna Lose You".
A year later she was signed to Arista Records. Her premiere album for
the label, "Somewhere In My Lifetime", was released in 1978 (it
included many tracks that she recorded for a second album at Buddah
titled "Sing A Song", which is now available on CD!). The title track
for the album--produced by a newcomer named
Barry Manilow, a longtime admirer of
hers--became Phyllis' first solo radio hit. A cover version of Exile's
"Kiss You All Over" was remixed for club play as part of Arista's
promotion, showcasing her versatility. The following year, the
James Mtume-/Reggie Lucas-produced
"You Know How To Love Me" album, also on Arista, hit the record stores,
and the title track became one of her biggest dance anthems. She would
include it in her repertoire until the time of her passing. The album,
which also contained fan favorites like "Complete Me" and "Under Your
Spell", was remastered & re-released in the US in 2002.
In 1981 Phyllis co-starred (with
Gregory Hines and
Judith Jamison) in the hit Broadway
tribute to Duke Ellington "Sophisticated
Ladies" and continued in the role for 2-1/2 years, garnering a Tony
Award nomination and a Theatre World Award for Best newcomer (the
original cast recording was released by RCA and the CD is now out of
print). While performing in "Ladies", Phyllis cut her next album,
"Can't We Fall In Love Again" (1981) with the title track a duet with
Michael Henderson and the album itself a production by Norman Connors.
Phyllis was at the peak of her career at this point, and was widely
recognized as a New York celebrity. She was everywhere! The follow-up
album, "Goddess Of Love" (1983), featured a sensational cover shot of
Hyman at her most seductive, draped in a silver bugle beaded gown
(which, according to Phyllis, weighed 30 pounds!) and sporting
chandelier-sized earrings, a Hyman trademark. The album (produced by
Narada Michael Walden and
Thom Bell), although containing two
strong tracks, was patchy at best and Phyllis, discontented with the
material chosen for this project, was blunt about her feelings toward
Arista and its cavalier attitude towards her. "Firstly, I came to the
label because of the takeover of Buddah. So I didn't have much choice
in the matter," she recalled. "There were some nice records, but I'd
say I was pretty much overlooked and ignored." Ironically, the title
"Goddess of Love" stuck with Phyllis as a term of endearment from both
critics and fans. "Goddess" would be her final Arista album, and even
though it is a highly sought collector's item, Arista never released it
on CD, though many of the songs can be found on a variety of Phyllis
Hyman compilations.
She didn't record for four years due to contractual discrepancies with
Arista, and since she was still legally bound to the
Clive Davis-owned company, signing
with another label wasn't possible. Arista also tried to destroy
Hyman's career by deleting key albums/CDs, and by preventing her from
recording full-length albums elsewhere. During her tenure as a
"prisoner" at Arista, the label used all of its resources to promote
Aretha Franklin and
Whitney Houston's self-titled debut
album in 1985, while Angela Bofill was barely holding on herself. As
legal battles continued, Phyllis appeared on numerous movie soundtracks
and albums as a guest vocalist, most notably with
Chuck Mangione, Manilow,
The Whispers and
The Four Tops. Keeping in the public eye,
Phyllis also toured extensively with her band, did a college lecture
tour and lent her voice to several television commercials.
In mid-1985 Phyllis was finally free from Arista, and in 1986 she
recorded the classic "Living All Alone" album for the resurgent
Philadelphia International record label (released through Manhattan/EMI
and produced by Kenny Gamble and
Leon Huff). The release of the first single,
"Old Friend", brought her back to the forefront of the industry with
saturated radio play, international concert bookings, talk-show
appearances and countless magazine articles. Arista also attempted to
cash in on her new success by releasing the shabby "Under Your Spell"
compilation, which totally missed the mark. Phyllis also had a cameo
role in the Spike Lee film
School Daze (1988), performing the
jazzy tune "Be One", to which a video was later released. Other film
appearances include Lenny (1974),
Too Scared to Scream (1984)
and a co-starring role with
Fred Williamson in the action drama
The Kill Reflex (1989). "Prime
of My Life" (1991, P.I.R./Zoo/BMG) was Phyllis' eagerly awaited
follow-up album after a four-year lull, but was well worth the wait as
she took an active role in selecting the material. While making the
album, she agonized over a recent breakup. "It made the songs difficult
to record, but the results were fabulous," Phyllis conceded. The
up-tempo song "Don't Wanna Change The World" was enthusiastically
received by clubs and radio, attaining international status and
becoming her first #1 record, according to Billboard. When the song's
popularity soared, P.I.R./Zoo issued a remixed version to accommodate
the demands of disc jockeys around the country.
In 1992 Phyllis was voted Number One Best Female Vocalist in the United
Kingdom by Blues & Soul magazine readers, beating out the likes of
Anita Baker, Whitney Houston and Aretha
Franklin. During this time Phyllis became involved in combating the
AIDS crisis by lending her voice to countless benefit shows and
visiting wards and hospices in and around New York. Many patients
requested Phyllis' presence, which left the singer feeling inadequate
and perplexed as to their reasons for wanting to see her as opposed to
a family member or friends. The visits took a heavier toll on Phyllis
than she realized. By now, her own personal problems were becoming
evident. An ongoing battle with alcohol and weight gain, combined with
career and financial woes, were making life difficult for her and those
around her. In 1993 she was dealt another blow when both her mother and
grandmother died within a month of one another.
Although Phyllis continued to record new material and perform live, her
bouts of depression were clearly overwhelming her. Her irrational,
self-destructive behavior was becoming common knowledge to those inside
the music industry, her friends and also her fans. On June 30, 1995,
only hours before a scheduled performance at the Apollo Theater in New
York, Phyllis' lifeless body was found in her apartment; she had taken
an overdose of sleeping pills and left a suicide note. Her suicide,
while shocking, was not a surprise to many insiders. We, like so many
others who know her, believed she would pull her life together. Sadly,
we were mistaken.
energy and emotional intensity found in few other female vocalists.
Born in Philadelphia in 1949 (and raised in Pittsburgh), her
professional career began in New York City where, during an engagement,
she was spotted by producer
Norman Connors and contemporaries
Jean Carne and
Roberta Flack, among others. She was
immediately offered a guest appearance on Connors' "You Are My
Starship" album (1976), which included her classic rendition of "Betcha
By Golly Wow" (previously a hit for The Stylistics in the early 1970s).
In 1977 Buddah Records released her self-titled debut LP, which
featured the hits "Loving You/Losing You" and "I Don't Wanna Lose You".
A year later she was signed to Arista Records. Her premiere album for
the label, "Somewhere In My Lifetime", was released in 1978 (it
included many tracks that she recorded for a second album at Buddah
titled "Sing A Song", which is now available on CD!). The title track
for the album--produced by a newcomer named
Barry Manilow, a longtime admirer of
hers--became Phyllis' first solo radio hit. A cover version of Exile's
"Kiss You All Over" was remixed for club play as part of Arista's
promotion, showcasing her versatility. The following year, the
James Mtume-/Reggie Lucas-produced
"You Know How To Love Me" album, also on Arista, hit the record stores,
and the title track became one of her biggest dance anthems. She would
include it in her repertoire until the time of her passing. The album,
which also contained fan favorites like "Complete Me" and "Under Your
Spell", was remastered & re-released in the US in 2002.
In 1981 Phyllis co-starred (with
Gregory Hines and
Judith Jamison) in the hit Broadway
tribute to Duke Ellington "Sophisticated
Ladies" and continued in the role for 2-1/2 years, garnering a Tony
Award nomination and a Theatre World Award for Best newcomer (the
original cast recording was released by RCA and the CD is now out of
print). While performing in "Ladies", Phyllis cut her next album,
"Can't We Fall In Love Again" (1981) with the title track a duet with
Michael Henderson and the album itself a production by Norman Connors.
Phyllis was at the peak of her career at this point, and was widely
recognized as a New York celebrity. She was everywhere! The follow-up
album, "Goddess Of Love" (1983), featured a sensational cover shot of
Hyman at her most seductive, draped in a silver bugle beaded gown
(which, according to Phyllis, weighed 30 pounds!) and sporting
chandelier-sized earrings, a Hyman trademark. The album (produced by
Narada Michael Walden and
Thom Bell), although containing two
strong tracks, was patchy at best and Phyllis, discontented with the
material chosen for this project, was blunt about her feelings toward
Arista and its cavalier attitude towards her. "Firstly, I came to the
label because of the takeover of Buddah. So I didn't have much choice
in the matter," she recalled. "There were some nice records, but I'd
say I was pretty much overlooked and ignored." Ironically, the title
"Goddess of Love" stuck with Phyllis as a term of endearment from both
critics and fans. "Goddess" would be her final Arista album, and even
though it is a highly sought collector's item, Arista never released it
on CD, though many of the songs can be found on a variety of Phyllis
Hyman compilations.
She didn't record for four years due to contractual discrepancies with
Arista, and since she was still legally bound to the
Clive Davis-owned company, signing
with another label wasn't possible. Arista also tried to destroy
Hyman's career by deleting key albums/CDs, and by preventing her from
recording full-length albums elsewhere. During her tenure as a
"prisoner" at Arista, the label used all of its resources to promote
Aretha Franklin and
Whitney Houston's self-titled debut
album in 1985, while Angela Bofill was barely holding on herself. As
legal battles continued, Phyllis appeared on numerous movie soundtracks
and albums as a guest vocalist, most notably with
Chuck Mangione, Manilow,
The Whispers and
The Four Tops. Keeping in the public eye,
Phyllis also toured extensively with her band, did a college lecture
tour and lent her voice to several television commercials.
In mid-1985 Phyllis was finally free from Arista, and in 1986 she
recorded the classic "Living All Alone" album for the resurgent
Philadelphia International record label (released through Manhattan/EMI
and produced by Kenny Gamble and
Leon Huff). The release of the first single,
"Old Friend", brought her back to the forefront of the industry with
saturated radio play, international concert bookings, talk-show
appearances and countless magazine articles. Arista also attempted to
cash in on her new success by releasing the shabby "Under Your Spell"
compilation, which totally missed the mark. Phyllis also had a cameo
role in the Spike Lee film
School Daze (1988), performing the
jazzy tune "Be One", to which a video was later released. Other film
appearances include Lenny (1974),
Too Scared to Scream (1984)
and a co-starring role with
Fred Williamson in the action drama
The Kill Reflex (1989). "Prime
of My Life" (1991, P.I.R./Zoo/BMG) was Phyllis' eagerly awaited
follow-up album after a four-year lull, but was well worth the wait as
she took an active role in selecting the material. While making the
album, she agonized over a recent breakup. "It made the songs difficult
to record, but the results were fabulous," Phyllis conceded. The
up-tempo song "Don't Wanna Change The World" was enthusiastically
received by clubs and radio, attaining international status and
becoming her first #1 record, according to Billboard. When the song's
popularity soared, P.I.R./Zoo issued a remixed version to accommodate
the demands of disc jockeys around the country.
In 1992 Phyllis was voted Number One Best Female Vocalist in the United
Kingdom by Blues & Soul magazine readers, beating out the likes of
Anita Baker, Whitney Houston and Aretha
Franklin. During this time Phyllis became involved in combating the
AIDS crisis by lending her voice to countless benefit shows and
visiting wards and hospices in and around New York. Many patients
requested Phyllis' presence, which left the singer feeling inadequate
and perplexed as to their reasons for wanting to see her as opposed to
a family member or friends. The visits took a heavier toll on Phyllis
than she realized. By now, her own personal problems were becoming
evident. An ongoing battle with alcohol and weight gain, combined with
career and financial woes, were making life difficult for her and those
around her. In 1993 she was dealt another blow when both her mother and
grandmother died within a month of one another.
Although Phyllis continued to record new material and perform live, her
bouts of depression were clearly overwhelming her. Her irrational,
self-destructive behavior was becoming common knowledge to those inside
the music industry, her friends and also her fans. On June 30, 1995,
only hours before a scheduled performance at the Apollo Theater in New
York, Phyllis' lifeless body was found in her apartment; she had taken
an overdose of sleeping pills and left a suicide note. Her suicide,
while shocking, was not a surprise to many insiders. We, like so many
others who know her, believed she would pull her life together. Sadly,
we were mistaken.