Sharon Jones
Sharon Jones (1956–2016) was an American soul, funk, and R&B singer best known for leading Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. Her powerful voice, late-blooming career, and heroic spirit amid illness made her a legend in the soul revival movement.
Introduction
Sharon Lafaye Jones (born May 4, 1956 — died November 18, 2016) was a soul and funk singer whose career defied conventional timelines. Though she had long sung backing vocals and worked outside music, her breakthrough as Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings came in her late 30s and 40s. Her raw, gut-wrenching voice, dynamic stage presence, and dedication to authentic soul sound positioned her as a central figure in the retro-soul revival movement.
Even as she battled cancer in the latter years of her life, Jones refused to yield her stage or her passion. Her life is a testament to perseverance, artistry, and the belief that it's never too late to make your mark.
Early Life and Family
Sharon Jones was born in Augusta, Georgia, to Ella Mae Price Jones and Charlie Jones. Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York.
As a child, she and her siblings would imitate James Brown’s singing and dancing, an early sign of her affinity for dynamic performance.
Her early life was steeped in music at home and community, but the path to stardom would not come until later.
Youth, Education & Early Work
Jones graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Brooklyn in 1975. Brooklyn College.
During her early adult years, she worked in nonmusical jobs to support herself. She was a corrections officer at Rikers Island, and worked as an armored car guard for Wells Fargo. Meanwhile, she continued to sing backing vocals on sessions (sometimes credited as “Lafaye Jones”).
Thus, for many years she balanced everyday work with her passion for music, waiting for the right break.
Career and Achievements
Finding Her Break & The Dap-Kings
In 1996, during a recording session for The Soul Providers (a funk/deep soul ensemble), Sharon Jones showed up as the only vocalist out of several expected. She recorded multiple parts, impressing producers Gabriel Roth (aka Bosco Mann) and Philippe Lehman.
Her performance on songs like “Switchblade” led to her being invited to record as a solo voice over the instrumental tracks. That collaboration evolved into the band Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings.
Under the Daptone Records umbrella (which Roth co-founded), the Dap-Kings became one of the flagship acts in the soul revival movement.
Their debut album, Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, appeared in 2002. Naturally (2005), 100 Days, 100 Nights (2007), I Learned the Hard Way (2010), and Give the People What They Want (2014).
The band’s sound consciously resurrected elements of 1960s and 1970s soul and funk—warm analog instrumentation, tight horns, raw vocals—while remaining fresh and engaged.
Recognition & Collaborations
In 2014, her album Give the People What They Want earned a Grammy nomination in the category Best R&B Album.
Jones also made several notable collaborations and appearances:
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She had a small acting role in the film The Great Debaters (2007), performing period songs.
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Some members of the Dap-Kings backed Amy Winehouse on her album Back to Black (notably on Rehab and You Know I’m No Good).
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She sang with Michael Bublé on his album Crazy Love on the track “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)”.
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She performed on other projects by Rufus Wainwright, They Might Be Giants, wax tailor, and more.
Battles with Illness & Final Works
In 2013, Sharon Jones was diagnosed first with bile duct cancer, which later was revised to stage II pancreatic cancer.
Despite her illness, she returned to the stage in 2014.
While battling her illness, she and the Dap-Kings worked on material. Their final album with her voice, Soul of a Woman, was completed and released posthumously in 2017.
She was also the subject of the documentary Miss Sharon Jones! (directed by Barbara Kopple), which chronicled her fight against cancer and her relationship with her band.
Jones died on November 18, 2016 in Cooperstown, New York, at age 60.
Historical & Musical Context
During the 2000s and 2010s, there was a growing revivalist movement in soul and funk—artists and labels working to reinvigorate the sound, warmth, and emotional immediacy of mid-20th-century soul. Jones and The Dap-Kings were at the forefront of this wave.
They reclaimed analog recording techniques, eschewed heavy digital processing, and emphasized live musicianship. That authenticity resonated with audiences tired of overproduced pop.
In the larger music landscape, Jones bridged generational gaps—honoring the legacies of James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and others, while asserting her own voice and vision in contemporary culture.
Her story also challenges narratives about timing and success: that a breakthrough must come early. She showed that creative passion, commitment, and taking opportunities—even later in life—can yield lasting legacy.
Personality and Talents
Sharon Jones was renowned for her powerhouse voice—gritty, emotional, fearless. She delivered soul like it was a matter of survival.
On stage, she commanded presence. Despite not fitting typical industry expectations (in terms of age, looks, or style), she embraced her full self, projecting confidence and integrity.
Her resilience and work ethic were legendary. Even amidst health struggles, she persisted in making music, touring, and finishing her art.
She was deeply loyal—to her band, to the Daptone label, and to the sound she believed in. That consistency earned her reverence in the soul community and beyond.
Notable Quotes
While Sharon Jones was less quoted than literary figures, some lines from interviews and her documentary reflect her strength, passion, and humility:
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“You got to be brave.” — she said this during her fight with cancer, as she continued touring.
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In Miss Sharon Jones!, she described her attitude to illness: “The disease is here, you think it’s gone — and suddenly it’s back again … it’s scarier than the first time.”
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Reflecting on artistry and age, she sometimes spoke of how success came late: she once joked with media about being “too old, too short, too fat, too black” by industry standards—but she turned those into strengths by embracing who she was.
Her voice often spoke for her more than her words—the emotional clarity of her singing often communicated more than interviews ever could.
Lessons from Sharon Jones
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It’s never too late to shine.
Jones’s major break came in mid-life. She reminds us that persistence and readiness, even when success seems overdue, can eventually open doors. -
Authenticity matters.
She stayed true to her musical roots, to live instrumentation, to emotional honesty—resisting trends that would dilute her voice. -
Art is resistance.
In refusing to be silenced by illness or industry norms, Jones asserted that creative life continues in struggle. -
Collaboration fuels longevity.
Her enduring partnership with The Dap-Kings, Daptone Records, and her collaborators grounded her sound and expanded her reach. -
Legacy is built by staying — not just arriving.
Jones didn’t just explode once and vanish—she kept creating, adapting, and moving forward until the end.
Conclusion
Sharon Jones’s life and career embody a rare alchemy: a voice that carried history, a spirit that refused surrender, and a narrative that challenged conventional wisdom. Her powerful, soulful singing helped reforge a connection to the roots of American music while speaking to the modern listener.
She showed that artistic integrity and perseverance matter, that you can start late but still create deeply, and that you can face mortality without ceding your voice. Her legacy lives on in every chord struck by retro-soul artists, every listener moved by her recordings, and every member of The Dap-Kings who continues that spirit onward.
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