Sarah Vaughan was born on March 27, 1924, in Newark, NJ. She sang in church as a child and began studying music at the age of seven. She entered the Apollo Theater’s amateur contest and won. As a result of her Apollo Theater performance she was hired by Earl Hines as a singer for his band. Sarah’s friend Billy Eckstine was also apart of Earl Hines’ band. Billy Eckstine left Earl Hines’ band and Sarah left too to sing with Billy Eckstine. During the mid-‘40s she became a solo artist and began to develop a huge following. Sarah had one of the greatest voices of the 20th Century. Sarah died of lung cancer in Los Angeles on April 3, 1990.

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