Sarah Vaughan | |
|---|---|
Sarah Vaughan, possibly at Cafe Society, NYC, ~August 1946, by William P. Gottlieb. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Sarah Lois Vaughan |
| Also known as | "Sassy" "The Divine One" |
| Born | March 27, 1924 |
| Died | April 3, 1990 (aged 66) |
| Genres | Vocal jazz, bebop, cool jazz, traditional pop |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Instruments | Voice |
| Years active | 1942–1989 |
| Labels | Columbia, Mercury, Roulette, Pablo |
Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. She was described by jazz writer Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century". She had a contralto (alto) vocal range.
Vaghan had the nicknames "Sassy" and "The Divine One", and she was a Grammy Award winner. The National Endowment for the Arts gave her its "highest honor in jazz," the NEA Jazz Masters Award, in 1989.