Sharon Jones Dies from Pancreatic Cancer Aged 60

Soul revival singer Sharon Jones has died from cancer at the age of 60.

The singer spearheaded a soul revival movement with her band the Dap-Kings.

Sharon Jones died on November 18 in a New York hospital after a battle with pancreatic cancer, the singer’s representative said.

Image source Wikimedia

Despite her powerhouse voice, Sharon Jones failed to make a breakthrough for decades until a recording session led to a Dap-Kings album in 2002.

The Dap-Kings later won a Grammy nomination and performed at Glastonbury.

Members of the band were at Sharon Jones’ bedside when she died, her representative, Judy Miller Silverman, said.

The cancer was diagnosed in 2013 but failed to stop Sharon Jones performing during periods of remission.

Barbara Kopple, who directed the documentary Miss Sharon Jones! released this year, said the singer even lit up hospital wards when she was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

Sharon Jones was born in Augusta, Georgia, in 1956 and sang in gospel choirs and backing bands. However, real success eluded her and she took many jobs, including as a corrections officer at the Rikers Island jail.

A recording session performance led to the formation of the Dap-Kings and the release of Dap-Dippin’ With Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings in 2002, when Sharon Jones was 46.

Six more albums followed, including the Grammy-nominated Give the People What They Want.