The amazing life and death of Sharon Jones

Probably only those visitors to this website who are fans of funk and soul will have heard of Sharon Jones, who died earlier this week.

Sharon found fame relatively late in life as the lead singer with New York based multiracial funk band the Dap-Kings, formed in 2002. Before that she cut some highly rated funk singles under her own name. As a recognition of her talent and ability she had a small part as a singer in the 2007 film The Great Debaters, starring Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker.

Sharon Jones came up the hard way…before her musical career blossomed, she worked as a prison officer and security guard in New York.But thanks to her total commitment, wonderful stage presence and fantastic voice, things were looking good for Sharon and the Dap-Kings as the twenty-first century progressed.Indeed, they were at the forefront of the funk and soul revival, touring regularly and bringing out acclaimed albums.

Then in 2013 she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. What followed was the bravest battle one could possibly imagine, and a battle which she seemed to have won a year later. Then, so cruelly, cancer was rediscovered in her body.

Sharon kept fighting, that was her nature. According to band member Gabriel Roth she even laughingly said in her last days that she had suffered a mild stroke when watching the US Presidential results, blaming Donald Trump for her setback. She then suffered a second stroke from which she never recovered.

Her time in showbusiness, particularly with the Dap-Kings, was covered by a New York photographer Jacob Blickenstaff. A few days after her death, his powerful eulogy recalling Sharon Jones, appeared on the New York Times website.

I encourage you all to read it, for Ms Jones was an amazing woman and we should reflect on her life and courage with respect and admiration.

Paul Hensby