Maude Crews, who worked as choirmaster and principal organist of the First Mount Zion Baptist church, was one of the first to recognize Sarah's talent and Newark's Little Jimmy Scott, the jazz singer who at this moment is enjoying some long overdue recognition of his talent, heard that "Sarah was a soulful singer", he remembered the gossip that Sarah could become another Marion Anderson, many years after Sarah became a famous singer. News spread fast in the Newark Baptist community that the only child of the Vaughan family was very talented. At the age of twelve Sarah played organ and sang in the choir of the First Mount Zion Baptist church. Sarah s mother, Ada, worked as a laundress and sang spirituals and hymns in the choir of the First Mount Zion Baptist church, a humble church with a poor congregation.īy the age of seven, Sarah started piano lessons with Josephine King, a church member. Jake was a carpenter whose hobby was playing guitar and singing Negro folk tunes. Sarah Lois Vaughan was born in Newark, New Jersey on March 27,1924, the only child of Asbury "Jake" and Ada Vaughan, who had migrated from Virginia to Newark during World War 1. These combined gifts and talents made the shy, defensive, bucktoothed slip of a girl into one of the superstars of the 20th century in a career that lasted more than 40 years. She combined this gift with a jazz musician's ear, command of the harmonic structure of songs, powers of invention and above all the great joy she had in her voice and the ability and daring to do with that voice pretty much anything she chose. Gifted with a wide range, Sarah Vaughan had the ability to sing tunefully and expressively from the deepest contralto growls to sparkling high notes.
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