Sharon Jones, Soul Singer Of The Dap-Kings, Dies At Age 60

Christina Lee @MinaAnnLee | November 19, 2016 11:08 am

Sharon Jones, the powerhouse voice of soul revival act the Dap-Kings, died November 18 after a years-long battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 60.

Sharon wouldn’t find fame until she reached her 40s. Previously, she worked as a corrections officer at Rikers Island and an armed guard at Wells Fargo, performing as part of a wedding band and singing backup on the side. In 2000 the Dap-Kings formed, of which Sharon became lead singer. In 2002, bandleader Gabriel Roth formed the independent label Daptone Records — the Dap-Kings’ new home.

The Dap-Kings backed Amy Winehouse during the recording of her own breakthrough album, 2006’s Back to Black. From there, with “the female James Brown” Sharon at the helm, the band became a must-see live act, performing at festivals like Glastonbury and opening for Dave Matthews Band, Prince and Hall & Oates. In 2015, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings’ Give the People What They Want was nominated for a Grammy.

“So sad to hear about the passing of my friend and the soulful, dynamic singer I loved performing with, Sharon Jones,” said John Legend, who re-imagined Marvin Gaye‘s What’s Goin’ On with the Dap-Kings and the National Symphony Orchestra at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center.

“Sharon Jones had one of the most magnificent, gut-wrenching voices of anyone in recent times,” said Mark Ronson, who co-produced Back to Black. “She’ll be so missed.”

Watch Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings perform Sheila E.‘s “A Love Bizarre” with Prince in 2011 below.

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