In Black America; A Tribute To Jazz Singer Phyllis Hyman

From the University of Texas at Austin, KUT Radio, this is in Black America. My family had little or no influence on me choosing this as a career. They were very supportive. But I'd never sang in church. Bicessing with school choirs and college choir. And then in 71, I was asked to join the new direction, which was a group out of Washington, D.C. headed up by Dick Morgan, a wonderful pianist. I joined a group and I really like being on the road. I like singing professionally. The late Phyllis Linda Hyman, jazz and R&B artists. Diva, a reference made to a female performer, used in opera singer. And the popular vernacular of the music business, particularly in black music circles.

The term Diva takes on a whole other meaning. It implies that a female artist is demanding, difficult, uncompromising and inflexible. It can also be considered a term of endearment, referring to the incredible talent they possess, making them a cut above the rest. In addition to these Diva qualities, Hyman was very elegant, statuous, radiant, photogenic, and jazzy. She was truly a sophisticated lady. Hyman began her career as a silky voice, jazzy, and fluent singer. And gradually moved into slick, heavy-produced, urban, contemporary ballots and light-dance songs. She won a music scholarship, the first given by a business school. And in 1971, she began her professional career with the group New Direction. When the group broke up after a national tour, she joined the Miami Ensemble, All the People. In 1974, she impeded the movie, Lennie. When Hyman committed suicide at the age of 45 on June 30, 1995, she closed the book on a career that has long been deeply appreciated by countless sewers of romantic jazz and R&B singing.

A commanding physical presence and riveting stage performer, she was a tragic figure beset by personal problems. Never quite achieving the popularity of her gifted talent seemed to justify. She nevertheless left behind a legacy of deeply felt recordings and unforgettable live performances. I'm Johnny Ohanson Jr. and welcome to another edition of In Black America. On this week's program, Attribute to the Late Phyllis Hyman, In Black America. Somewhere in my lifetime, you've been here with me, oh so close to me. Somewhere in my lifetime, somewhere in my lifetime.

I have kissed your lips, lived so tenderly, they've been kissing me. It was so long ago, you know memories come. Cooking, cleaning, and sleeping. And not in that order, sleeping, sleeping, sleeping, cooking a little bit. Now, I have a lot of interest as most people do.

I mean, recording is not your whole life. Oh please, God knows. Not getting me, it's not even a half of it. I enjoy what most girls like to do. Pretty close, makeup. If I had children, I'd be into my kids, but today I was on a plank, I'm an awesome, I was into someone else's kid. I love my old man, I take good care of him, I love men, I love my female friends. You know, I just like to do what normal people do. This is my job, this is a gig. I come to work at a certain time, I do my gig, I leave. It is more intricate and more personally involved. Make your mind do strange things on you, because you have people idolizing you. And you're always being attended to, and people always pushing you, they want things from you. Tall, beautiful, and talented. Devoted fans of Blake Singer described her as a songstress extraordinaire, with the no nonsense added to, and the lavish, larger than life stays persona.

She sang with the life of firming energy and an emotional intensity found in few other female vocalists. Hyman had one of the greatest voices of her time, and although she did not have many blockbuster hits, her dedicated fans respected her talent as a true diva deserving of wider recognition. Born Phyllis Linda Hyman on July 6, 1949 in Philadelphia, she grew up in St. Clair Village, the South Hills section of Pittsburgh. Hyman was the elders of seven children. Her artistic style was often described as the cross between Aretha Franklin and Josephine Baker. She began singing while in public school and became a member of the Pittsburgh All-City Choir. She attended the Robert Morris Business School on a music scholarship. In 1975, Hyman arrived in New York City and discovered by Russ Brown's now-defunct Westside Club. During an engagement, she was spotted by a band leader and producer Norman Conner's. A year later, he tapped her to sing the lead in his version of the stylistics 1971 classic Bet you by Golly Wilde.

Nearly 34 years after its release, it remains one of Hyman's most memorable performances. Hyman's first solo top 10 hit came in 1981 with Can't We Fall in Love Again, a duet with Michael Henderson. The song was recorded while she was performing in the Broadway musicals of Fisticated Ladies. A tribute to Duke Ellington. She performed in the role for almost two years, receiving a Tony Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in the Musical and winning a Theatre World Award for Best Newcomer. In March 1983, in Black America spoke with Phyllis Hyman. My family had little or no influence on me choosing this as a career. They were very supportive, but I'd never sang in church, by assisting with school choirs and college choir. And then in 1971, I was asked to join the new direction, which was a group out of Washington D.C. headed up by Dick Morgan, a wonderful pianist.

And I joined the group and I really liked being on the road and like singing professionally. What's the thing is that you particularly idolized when you were going up and trying to imitate when you first started singing? I have to say Nancy Wilson was one, I imitated more than anyone. I listened to only a few consciously, of course you listened to a lot through radio playing and people who had records on, but consciously Nancy Wilson was the only singer I would play the record, you know, guess what I saw today and things like that. And for a long time I would not perform. I didn't get into the business of I was 21 because of Nancy Wilson. I figured if you couldn't sing like her, don't try it. I also understand if memory served me correctly, your first professional debut as far as albums concerns with Norman Connus. How did you particularly get hooked up with Norman Connus? I was working in New York City at a club called Russ Browns and I'd been there about two weeks. And Norman came into the club and he obviously liked me, I guess, you know. I don't really remember what happened except he asked me to come sit with him and his then manager.

He asked me to come to what I liked to make a record. And I'd never made records before kind of demos and I had made a solo record before but nothing ever happened to it. I thought it would be fine, I was getting paid for it and I'll do it. And if the record had not been a good one I wouldn't have done it but it went in and worked with, it's a ranger on Najee Allen Gumsum. It was a joint and it was a big hit for me and Norman. There's a sparkle magic in your eyes, candy land appears each time you smile. Never thought that fairy tales come true but they come true when I'm near you.

You're my gene in disguise. Oh wonder and surprise. Hey, get your back on me while you're the one that I've been waiting for forever. And I will love for you. Keep rowing strong. Oh keep rowing strong. If I could, I'll catch a falling sun to shine on you so I know where you are. All the rainbows and your favorite shame. To show I love you, making of you,

ride your name across the sky. Anything you have to try calls that you've got got me wild. You're the one that I've been waiting for forever. And I will love for you. Keep rowing strong. Oh keep rowing strong. When you start taking serious actions, I have a talent here and I can really make a living at this. Probably not until a few years ago. Maybe I don't really think about it but I would think not until a few years ago.

I didn't realize, after suffocate ladies, maybe a year ago, I realize now what it is I have. I'm not sure what it is. I just know there's something that people are fine. So I'm trying to work with every facet of the industry that I can. And of course, up to now, I've done jingles which are singing commercials for television radio. And I do concerts like I was in Dallas and Houston with the Whispers. I do nightclubs like here in Austin. I do the talk shows like Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas. I do specials like the Martin Luther King special that I did on the 8th shot at the Kennedy Center in Washington and aired on his birthday of the 15th. And then I did the special for you to be Blake his 100th year celebration. I do it all. Anything that helps pay the rent. That is musically respectful, musically wonderful. I will get in there and do it.

What did mean to you being a part of the sophisticated ladies? It was, at first I was very thrilled about it. My initial reaction to my being taken into the show was, I was ecstatic. I didn't have to rehearse or start. I was like, oh, what if I got myself into? I signed this contract. It was a drag. It was too many rehearsals. And they don't always spend time with you. Most of the time I spent with dancers, not with the singers. So you had to develop your own style and things. So, I was in perpetual shock all the time because I had very little duper surround eat. Like I'm doing now, but now I eat tomatoes and lettuce and olives. Then I was at hamburgers and lots of bread. Now it's rabbit food. It was wonderful. DeGonka's music stands on its own merit. He is the greatest American composer ever. And who wouldn't be thrilled doing his material? You find Phil Osheim being somewhat of a woman who likes to do what she likes to do. Sure, as most people are.

Yet I do what other people want me to do too. That's why I'm still in the industry. Otherwise I'd be home cooking for my husband. I wouldn't, um, I live with a wonderful brother. Good brother who's an optician. Mixed glasses and fashion glasses, designer glasses. He's a sweetheart and I'd be home cooking and cleaning house for him. But I can't participate in my portion of revenue sharing if I were to do that. In order for people to live and survive today, both people have to work. It's not easy out here. So he's real support of more than most men have ever been toward me. How does Phil Osheim survive being out here on the road a single attractive woman and keeping her head on straight if they're such a terror? Men don't talk to female singers. So there's no problem. I have no problem whatsoever. Is there a particular reason for that? I don't know. Men just don't talk to female singers. I have no idea. I'm told people tell me it's because they're intimidated and they're afraid to say anything

and they also feel I already have somebody. Well, I do have someone but he's in Philadelphia. He thoroughly understands. You know, what is a person going to do? I'm not going to do much more than talk. Maybe I've done it with someone or a drink or something like that. I do like male company. That'd be a weirdo if I said it didn't. But men never talked to female singers. Not as a rule. Only a real brave man. And I know they're around some way. But wherever you want, come out, come out, wherever you are. I don't know. Does Phil and Hyman write in, produce her albums? I have written some material, but I've never produced anything on myself. Other than in the studio, in demo form, which is kind of the... I don't get you put together before. Pre-production is what you put together before you do the actual record. I've produced and on that level. It's very time consuming, very tedious. And I'd rather eat and hang out. Are there any particular rangers, songwriters or producers

you particularly like working with when you go on the studio and want to produce an album? I've worked with all of them. Not all of them, but a lot of them. I love them all. Unfortunately, excluding him to me and Lucas, I've never had a major smash. I love working with Tom Bell. He's so wonderful. And in order, Michael Walden, I had such fun together. Jerry Peters and my ex-husband, Larry Alexander, and Skip Scarborough. I've worked with a bunch of folks, Chuck Jackson, and Norman Connors. Also, we're wonderful. But they've given me a certain amount of recognition, which I appreciate. I'm just sorry I didn't sell enough records with that. I'd like to work with all of them again. But we didn't sell a great deal of records. We sold enough for Aaron to not give you my pink slip. Pink slip folks is like called Exit Stays Left. You are fired. I haven't gotten that yet. So, I guess I'm lucky. This is important for an artist to find a record company

that has the backing of the people in power at the record company and having a product. And what you produce. There's no question record company is extremely important. I have been with Aaron for a few years. I think this project with Aaron's to... Oh. I have great hopes for this project. That's a God is the love product to you. Oh, that's gone. Done. God's love is done. New project. We're going for the new project. And I have great hopes for it. If not, I'm going out of the hotel window. 11th floor folks read it in tomorrow's paper. But... It's a little time in being a today woman. What are your other interests besides being a recording artist and a Broadway performer, and what have you? Cooking, cleaning, and sleeping. And not in that order. Sleeping, sleeping, sleeping, cooking a little bit. No.

I have a lot of interests as most people do. I mean, recording is not your whole life. Oh, please. God, no. No, you're getting me. It's not even three-fourths. It's not even half of it. I enjoy what most girls like to do. Pretty close. Make up. If I had children, I'd be into my kids. But today I was on a plank. I'm an awesome. I was into someone else's kid. I love children. I love my old man. I take good care of him. I love men. I love my female friends. You know, I just like to do what normal people do. This is my job. This is a gig. I come to work at a certain time. I do my gig. I leave. It is more intricate and more personally involved. Make sure mine do strange things on you. Because you have people idolizing you. And you're always being attended to them. People are always pushing you. They want things from you. I do what I want to do. If I want to be bothered, I hang. If I don't, I tell them that.

That a gig like you, Jack. I'm going to sleep. Good night. People understand that. If they don't understand it. It's okay. I just feel a time and keep herself looking so lovely day in and day out. You work at it? Make up. Jack. Wash the face, put it back on again. What work at it? No. I'm blessed with fairly decent skin. Big eyes. A enormous lip spoke. It looked like the good-year tires. Yeah, I have to work at it. I could surely stand to be a lot slimmer. Things like that. But one can't have everything, you know? So I just make do with what I have and try to always improve upon it. That's very important for me. To improve upon what was given to me. Inciting a live performance seems to me to feel a time and enjoy live in club performances. I love it. I can see the audience. I can touch them. I can relate to them a lot better than for your big... Oh, TV.

You relate to the camera. I just have a live audience. And I do TV because I have television. I want to learn about camera angles and how to work. That's small lens. And what you do, I think the last show I do with Martin Luther King Special. I was much more in tune to the camera that I have been before. Because your movements need not to be exaggerated. Exaggerations for theatre and for live concerts. In television, less is better. Less is much better every time. And I've learned that because I don't fling my arms out. I jump up and down because the camera can't get to all that. It's called stand still singing, get down. So now I stand still singing it down. And it picks up very well. Can't we fall in love again? Can't we fall in love again? We were known to stop great lovers.

We have a magic from the start. We had so much to give each other. Now you're telling me you lost the spark. Hold on tight. Don't turn out the light. Can't we fall in love again? We're full of my weight. I'll try to make things right. Can't we fall in love again? I thought I couldn't live without you babe. But oh, how the months have flown so fast A chance we need and magic's happening once again

The second time around us make it land Come on darling, hold on tight Don't turn up the light Can't we fall in love again? We're all of our might Let's try to make these rhymes But oh, darling Can't we fall in love again? In love again So we need And so it goes, baby How will we turn out? No one knows But here we go Find a question for this hymn What advice would you have for inspiring in actors, songwriters, songwriters, performers of your statue? I have different answers for different sexes

I would advise women to give it very careful thought Because of the way society is, because of the way we were raised Because of our mental interpretation of what's going on I would tell chicks as a rule, don't hang, it's not happening It's really, I love it, I love people But the business really isn't worth it For a woman's... God, unless a woman is a real strong, almost arrogant and detached From all emotional involvement It's very difficult If there's a girl I did, it's got a great voice and has very little emotional involvement With people and stuff, I say right on to it Because she will be successful Those of us are very emotionally attached, like myself, who's a cancer With a sadge, such a Terry, Simone and Ryzen It's not easy for me Because if my own man said, hey, I'd rather you be home I'd probably go home

And if I were secretary, I wouldn't go home, you see? So that's really not realistic and it's not good for you But he would never do that I've known other men that would have, he would never ever do that Which is making me stronger If God forbid, we should break up I'll be able to handle the next guy with no problem If he says, come on, my talent drop dead Because I don't take you to come on from your job as an engineer Or a gas attendant that lets you do your bookie So don't bother me with mine But girls have a hard time dealing with that because moms tell them They're supposed to wash the clothes, dialing, seal, wash the clothes again I want you to wash the clothes Do the laundry, cook dinner And girls today really must dictate their own lifestyles We can't let our husbands do it our boyfriends Even our fathers want to reach a certain age We learn from our parents We learn from the male influencers Bottom line is you must make your own decisions And create your own space And I've done that over the years And it's worked pretty good It's hard, it's very hard because you're very lonely

Women are very much alone If you've noticed the group is here tonight They have girls everywhere You notice it's just me and you Ain't nobody here but you and I I miss this work Men don't come around female performers They just don't do it This has been a tribute to the lace Philist Linda Hyman, singer, songwriter and actress Hyman died on June 30, 1995, at the age of 45 If you have questions, comments or suggestions ask your future in Black America programs Email us at lowercasejhanset at cut.org

Also let us know what radio station you heard us open The views and opinions expressed on this program Not necessarily those of this station or of the universe Just Texas and Austin You can hear previous programs online at kut.org Until we have the opportunity again for technical producer David Alvarez I'm John L. Henderson Jr Thank you for joining us today Please join us again next week CD copies of this program are available And may be purchased by writing in Black America CDs KUT Radio, one university station Austin, Texas, 78712 That's in Black America CDs KUT Radio, one university station Austin, Texas, 78712 This has been a production of KUT Radio