1. Phyllis Linda Hyman was an American singer, songwriter, and actress.
23 Facts About Phyllis Hyman
1. 2.
Phyllis Hyman performed on Broadway in the 1981 musical revue Sophisticated Ladies, which ran from 1981 until 1983.
3.
The eldest of seven children, Phyllis Hyman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Phillip, a World War II veteran, and Louise Phyllis Hyman, a waitress at a local night club, and grew up in St Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh.
4.
Phyllis Hyman moved to New York City where she did background vocals on Jon Lucien's Premonition and worked in clubs.
5.
Phyllis Hyman heard about Phyllis Hyman, who was working at a club on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
6.
One night after a Jon Lucien concert at Carnegie Hall, he saw Phyllis Hyman perform and offered her a spot as the female vocalist on his fourth album for Buddah Records.
7.
Hyman sang with Pharoah Sanders and the Fatback Band while working on her first solo album, Phyllis Hyman, released in 1977 on the Buddah Records label.
8.
Around this time, Phyllis Hyman began using cocaine, for which she developed a lifelong dependency.
9.
Phyllis Hyman performed in the role for almost two years, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical and winning a Theatre World Award for Best Newcomer.
10.
Phyllis Hyman used the time to appear on movie soundtracks, television commercials and guest vocals, working with Chuck Mangione, The Whispers and The Four Tops.
11.
Phyllis Hyman provided vocals for three tracks on jazz pianist McCoy Tyner's Looking Out.
12.
Phyllis Hyman toured often and did a college lecture tour.
13.
In 1983, Phyllis Hyman recorded the song "Never Say Never Again" as the title song for the James Bond movie of the same name, written by Stephen Forsyth and Jim Ryan.
14.
Free from Arista in 1985, Phyllis Hyman released the album Living All Alone on Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International label in 1986, capitalizing on the torch songs, "Old Friend" and the melancholy title track, as well as "You Just Don't Know".
15.
In 1987, Phyllis Hyman recorded "Black and Blue" as a duet with Barry Manilow on his 1987 Swing Street Arista album.
16.
Phyllis Hyman would continue to lend her voice to albums for other artists and musicians, including Grover Washington, Jr.
17.
Phyllis Hyman suffered from bipolar disorder and depression for years, having been diagnosed in the 1980s.
18.
Phyllis Hyman often self-medicated with alcohol and drugs, and frequently spoke about suicide.
19.
Phyllis Hyman was married once, to Larry Alexander, who served as her music arranger from 1977 until divorcing in 1982.
20.
Phyllis Hyman was the cousin of actor Earle Phyllis Hyman, best known for his recurring role on The Cosby Show as Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable, and as Panthro on the popular 80s cartoon Thundercats.
21.
Half of Phyllis Hyman's vocals were re-recorded with both singers alternating vocals and providing Williams with exposure.
22.
The legendary Phyllis Hyman was my first choice to sing the song and working with her is one of the highlights of my musical career.
23.
Phyllis Hyman sadly took her own life in the [mid] nineties.