25 Years Ago Today We Lost Phyllis Hyman

[carlo]

We agree Carlo except can you explain how the industry was tough on her because she was a black woman? She released eight albums and around thirty singles on major labels ...that seems amply supportive !! Maybe I'm missing something...

The sad truth is that the music industry at large has generally always put more value on artists who are male and white. Phyllis was fortunate to release the body of work that she has, but does it mean she received her proper dues as an artist? That would be up for debate, and in my opinion, no, she hasn't. Unless you're Aretha Franklin, the industry has been pretty dismissive of its black female artists. It's only in recent years that some have started to cut some fair deals, get equitable pay, obtain fair songwriting credits, etc. But years ago, forget it if you wanted a songwriting credit or wanted to contribute your own song to your own album. You were restricted to a very specific mold. I feel that at one point, the industry looked at Phyllis and said, "Well, we now already have our Anita Baker, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson...there's no more room for you on the radio or on the charts. You sold decently but you failed to get a 'cross-over pop hit', so we are done with you." That is what happened with her at Arista. That kind of attitude doesn't apply to people like Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Paul Simon... [[just insert an endless amount of white male artist names here). There's been some articles written on this subject in recent months, but even still, many black artists and executives are afraid to speak out. She didn't get a real chance to write her own songs until her last album, the release of which kept getting deferred. It was kept 'in the can' until after she passed away. At times, she was sadly not taken seriously as an artist.

[marv2]

The sad truth is that the music industry at large has generally always put more value on artists who are male and white. Phyllis was fortunate to release the body of work that she has, but does it mean she received her proper dues as an artist? That would be up for debate, and in my opinion, no, she hasn't. Unless you're Aretha Franklin, the industry has been pretty dismissive of its black female artists. It's only in recent years that some have started to cut some fair deals, get equitable pay, obtain fair songwriting credits, etc. But years ago, forget it if you wanted a songwriting credit or wanted to contribute your own song to your own album. You were restricted to a very specific mold. I feel that at one point, the industry looked at Phyllis and said, "Well, we now already have our Anita Baker, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson...there's no more room for you on the radio or on the charts. You sold decently but you failed to get a 'cross-over pop hit', so we are done with you." That is what happened with her at Arista. That kind of attitude doesn't apply to people like Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Paul Simon... [[just insert an endless amount of white male artist names here). There's been some articles written on this subject in recent months, but even still, many black artists and executives are afraid to speak out. She didn't get a real chance to write her own songs until her last album, the release of which kept getting deferred. It was kept 'in the can' until after she passed away. At times, she was sadly not taken seriously as an artist.

This still goes on today maybe to a lesser extent. I keep thinking of the great Jully Black of Canada. That girl sing and has sung just about everything. She writes produces etc and still does not receive the recognition she deserves. Most Americans never heard of her.

[splanky]

This still goes on today maybe to a lesser extent. I keep thinking of the great Jully Black of Canada. That girl sing and has sung just about everything. She writes produces etc and still does not receive the recognition she deserves. Most Americans never heard of her.

I think most of that is because she's a female singer and not a rapper like Drake and that
she's Canadian. We in the states only retain a vague awareness of what goes on in popular culture in other places unless we get bombarded like when the Beatles dropped
in.Even though she hit here with her 2003 Another Day release most folks couldn't tell you who Molly Johnson is. Or even the ex-pat Jeri Brown. Anyway I thought Jully had
dropped out of the business but she released a new song this year right before the pandemic blew up called Follow Your Love. I won't post it here on Phyllis's thread. I
always liked Jully's Etta James cover of Seven Day Fool. Lotta fun....

[marv2]

I think most of that is because she's a female singer and not a rapper like Drake and that
she's Canadian. We in the states only retain a vague awareness of what goes on in popular culture in other places unless we get bombarded like when the Beatles dropped
in.Even though she hit here with her 2003 Another Day release most folks couldn't tell you who Molly Johnson is. Or even the ex-pat Jeri Brown. Anyway I thought Jully had
dropped out of the business but she released a new song this year right before the pandemic blew up called Follow Your Love. I won't post it here on Phyllis's thread. I
always liked Jully's Etta James cover of Seven Day Fool. Lotta fun....

I believe you're right Splanky. By the way, I saw Jully Black on television the other day singing the Canadian National Anthem in honor of "Canada Day". She was looking great and sounding superb! Yep, she did an excellent cover of "Seven Day Fool".

Back to Phyllis. I first got into her in the 70s. Heard her before I saw her in a few entertainment magazines like "Black Star". I didn't realize how tall and lovely she was. She was very down to Earth I gathered from an interview I saw of hers back in the day. Her album, "Somewhere In My Lifetime" became my favorite of all of her works. I believe she married a few times, I'm not sure. But she needed someone very strong with her and didn't have it.

[Boogiedown]

I feel that at one point, the industry looked at Phyllis and said, "Well, we now already have our Anita Baker, Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson...there's no more room for you on the radio or on the charts. You sold decently but you failed to get a 'cross-over pop hit', so we are done with you."

I don't know what you are imagining that "the industry" was?, but if you are picturing a bunch of white men gathered in a room determining which black women were going to be successful or not, or that they collectively were concerned that too many black women were making it, so they selectively squeezed one out , choosing Phyllis Hyman, well the whole notion is so ludicrous that I don't even want to persue it anymore . In fact it turns my stomach.