Sharon Jones Dies
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lifestyle SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2016 FEATURES Big-voiced Dap-Kings soul singer Sharon Jones dies haron Jones, the stout powerhouse who shepherded a ly lived in nearby North Augusta, South Carolina, across the The sound, backed by walls of horns and tightly guided by soul revival despite not finding stardom until middle Savannah River from the birthplace of James Brown. Jones, bandleader Roth, was propelled by Jones' grit and ferocity. For Sage, has died. She was 60. Jones' representative, Judy who would grow into a dynamic, show-stopping performer, her, soul and survival went hand in hand. Her torrid perform- Miller Silverman, said Jones died Friday at a Cooperstown, grew up idolizing the Godfather of Soul and would later be ances began, like Brown's, with a prolonged introduction from New York, hospital after battling pancreatic cancer. Loved frequently tagged as "the female James Brown." her bandmates. Jones never disparaged the better-selling ones and members of her retro-soul band, the Dap-Kings, But for decades, such a fate was unimaginable. On "I'm British soul revival led by Ronson and Winehouse that coincid- were among those surrounding her, Silverman said. The story Still Here," she sings of being turned down by music execu- ed with her rise. But she wasn't shy about claiming to be the of Jones' battle with cancer, first diagnosed in 2013, was told tives for being "too short, too fat, too black and too old." more genuine article. "We've been there, and we're still doin' in Barbara Kopple's documentary, "Miss Sharon Jones!" After growing up in Brooklyn (her mother moved to escape this," Jones told New York magazine in 2010. "In another few released earlier this year. an abusive husband), Jones regularly sang gospel at her years, what are they gonna be doin'?" Though she triumphantly returned to the stage in 2015 church, performed for years in a wedding band and sang Their sixth album, "Give the People What They Want" after the cancer went into remission, Jones late last year back-up for various session bands. To make ends meet, she earned Jones her first Grammy nomination for best R&B announced its return. Still, Jones mounted another comeback worked as a corrections officer at the Rikers Island jail com- album. Their last album, "It's a Holiday Soul Party," was with the defiant single "I'm Still Here" and hit the road again plex and was a bank security guard. released last year. Kopple witnessed the charismatic Jones this summer with the Dap-Kings even while undergoing But in one recording session, she caught the attention of light up hospital wards while undergoing chemo. "When chemotherapy. "You got to be brave," a debilitated Jones told Gabriel Roth and Philip Lehman. The two, blown away by people are around or there's an audience, that gives her fuel the Associated Press in July , in between tour stops. "I want to Jones' fiery voice, made her the lead singer of their newly and she forgets her pain," the director said ahead of the use the time that I have. I don't want to spend it all laid up, formed Dap-Kings and launched the Bushwick, Brooklyn- release of "Miss Sharon Jones!" Even while suffering the wishing I had done that gig."Jones' death was immediately based label, Daptone Records, around her unlikely star power. effects of her cancer and its treatments, the workmanlike noted on social media and throughout the music industry. They debuted with 2002's "Dap-Dippin' With Sharon Jones Jones toured relentlessly "It's therapy," Jones said of per- The British producer Mark Ronson, who brought the Dap- and The Dap-Kings," released when Jones was 46. Three more forming in July. "I know I need rest and sleep. But I want to In this June 14, 2008 file photo, Sharon Jones and the Dap- Kings in to play backing band to Amy Winehouse on her albums followed in the ensuing decade, and two compila- work and that is our job."— AP Kings perform at the Bonnaroo music festival in breakthrough album, "Back in Black," said, "Sharon Jones had tions. Standouts included a soulful rendition of Woody Manchester, Tenn. Jones, a big-voiced soul singer who one of the most magnificent, gut wrenching voices of anyone Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" and the single "100 Days, performed with high energy onstage has died at age 60 in in recent time." The youngest of six children, Sharon Lafaye 100 Nights," in which she belts: "100 days, 100 nights to know New York, after battling pancreatic cancer. — AP Jones was born on May 4, 1956, in Augusta, Georgia. Her fami- a man's heart/ And a little more, before, he knows his own." Work for 'all of us', ‘Hamilton' cast asks Vice President-elect Thrones star ice President-elect Mike Pence was booed at a performance of award-winning Broadway Vmusical "Hamilton", whose "alarmed and anx- ious" cast made an unusual call from the stage for the incoming Trump administration to work on behalf of all Americans. Donald Trump's right-hand man attended a performance late Friday of the hit Emilia Clarke musical about young colonial rebels who shaped the country whose founding fathers they would become. The show's lead actor, Javier Munoz, is openly gay, HIV positive and a cancer survivor. Activists have worried that the incoming Trump administra- joins 'Star tion will be hostile to gay rights. Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays former vice president Aaron Burr, read a statement to Pence during the curtain call that echoed some of the biggest concerns critics have voiced since Republican firebrand Trump was elected on November 8. And with that, a perform- Wars' spin-off ance of a musical about the American Revolution and the dawn of a young nation became even more political. rom the mystical land of Westeros to a Thanking Pence for attending the performance, galaxy far, far away-British actress Emilia Dixon asked him to "hear us out". "We, sir, we are the FClarke has been announced as the female diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that lead in the "Star Wars" Han Solo spin-off. your new administration will not protect us, our Clarke, 30, who plays flaxen-haired warrior planet, our children, our parents or defend us and queen Daenerys Targaryen in "Game of uphold our inalienable rights, sir," Dixon said. "But Thrones," joins Alden Ehrenreich and Donald we truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold sage. When he entered the theater earlier before the entering the US. And the bombastic billionaire real Police remove protesters Glover, who have already been announced as our American values and work on behalf of all of us. show, Pence was greeted with a mix of boos and estate investor, who was showered with widespread from the streets after they Han and Lando Calrissian on the project. All of us." The audience cheered and applauded loudly his comments. Dixon highlighted the fact cheers from the audience. The show celebrates condemnation from both within and outside his shouted slogans at Vice "Clarke's role will round out a dynamic cast of diversity and immigrants' contribution to the nation. party after video emerged of him making lewd President-elect Mike Pence characters that Han and Chewie will encounter that Hamilton, which won 11 Tony Awards in June, was performed by "a diverse group of men, women The audience gave a standing ovation at the line boasts of groping and forcing himself on women, while he was leaving the on their adventures," StarWars.com, the fran- of different colors, creeds and orientations". "immigrants we get the job done", theatergoer has largely appointed older white men to major Richard Rodgers Theatre chise's official website, said in a statement. Like Christy Colburn wrote on Twitter. "Crowd went NUTS posts so far in his presidential transition. — AFP after a performance of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,'" which comes Audience goes 'nuts' at King George's lines 'when people say they hate ‘Hamilton’ in New York on out next month, the new, as yet untitled, spin- The New York Times reported that although you' & 'do you know how hard it is to lead?' He had Friday, Nov 18, 2016. — AP off will be set before the franchise's original Pence was leaving as Dixon began to read his state- to stop the song." 1977 film, "Star Wars," which was later renamed ment from the stage, he stood in the hallway by the Trump has deployed polarizing rhetoric to "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope." auditorium's entrance and heard the entire mes- describe immigrants, vowing to build a wall along Lucasfilm boss and Hollywood veteran the US-Mexico border and to ban Muslims from Kathleen Kennedy is co-producing the stand- alone film, which is expected to begin filming in January, according to Variety magazine. It will be directed by Phil Lord and Christopher 'Speechless' big winner as Miller, the team behind "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009), "The Lego Movie" and the "Jump Street" films (2012 and 2014). It is set for Media Access Awards salute release in the United States on May 25, 2018. Last year's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" made more than $2 billion worldwide-much of people with disabilities it in 2016 - contributing to Walt Disney Studios eople with disabilities-aka the world's sion.") Woodburn also doubled as emcee of the marking its biggest-ever year at the global box invisible minority-were saluted Friday at event.