Gloria Lynne dies of heart attack aged 83

Gloria Lynne sang as a child in church, then won an amateur contest at age 15 at Harlem's Apollo Theater

Jazz star Gloria Lynne, whose career included dozens of albums and whose signature song was I Wish You Love, has died just weeks before her 84th birthday, her son said.

Gloria Lynne died on October 15 at Columbus Long-Term Acute Care Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, of a heart attack.

Born in New York in 1929, Gloria Lynne sang as a child in church, then won an amateur contest at age 15 at Harlem’s Apollo Theater, said her son, P.J. Allen.

Gloria Lynne sang as a child in church, then won an amateur contest at age 15 at Harlem’s Apollo Theater

The prize: $15, $5 of which Gloria Lynne lost when her mother slapped the bills out of her hand upon discovering she had entered the contest without telling her.

Soon, she was signed by Everest Records.

“But her real break came with Harry Belafonte’s Strolling ’20s,” P.J. Allen said, referring to the 1966 television special that included Duke Ellington, Sidney Poitier, Nipsey Russell, Sammy Davis Jr. and Diahann Carroll.

Gloria Lynne last performed on August 27 at 54 Below in New York, said Todd Barkan, who produced the show and knew her for 40 years.

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Sonia Pantiss

Sonia is the heart and the artist of the team. She loves art and all that it implies. As Sonia says, good music, a well directed movie, or attending a music or film festival melts people’s heart and make them better. She is great at painting and photography. Working on scrapbooks is her favorite activity.