On Nov. 18, the music world lost a true and tremendous talent. Miss Sharon Jones died as the result of an ongoing battle with cancer. The 60-year-old performer will be remembered as the impassioned soul singer of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. However, this women and artist has a long and inspiring story.
Born in 1956, Jones was the youngest of six children in their Atlanta household. The family relocated to Brooklyn, sans Jones’ abusive father, when the artist was still young. Here, Jones began to explore the funk and disco scenes in addition to her participation in Church choirs.
Jones’ career had multiple ups and downs. Throughout it all however, she did not give up on her craft. Her determination eventually led to six albums with the Dap-Kings, international touring and a Grammy nomination. Amidst arguably the most successful part of her career, Jones bravely fought against pancreatic cancer. Unfortunately, she lost that battle on Friday after three years.
For those that know the artist well – or are not familiar with Sharon Jones at all – we have complied a list of the Top 10 things you should know about this life of this incredible women.