Sharon Jones

American gospel-influenced soul/funk singer, born May 4, 1956, Augusta, Georgia; died November 18, 2016, Cooperstown, New York, at age 60.

She was the lead singer of [a83816], a soul and funk revivalist band based in Brooklyn, New York.

Born in Augusta, Georgia, raised in North Augusta, South Carolina, moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York, in 1960. Began performing in 1970s. Also worked as prison guard at Rikers Island, New York, in the late 1980s, and then as an armed security guard for Wells Fargo. Discovered by [a=Gabriel Roth] at a 1996 session backing the soul singer [a=Lee Fields]. And began recording with Roth for [l=Pure Records (6)], [l=Desco Records] and then [l=Daptone Records]. Her debut album was 2002's [m50147], which was Daptone's first album release. In 2013, she was diagnosed with stage 2 pancreatic cancer. Returned to performing in 2014. The cancer returned in November 2015. Subject of the 2016 documentary "Miss Sharon Jones!"