June Tyson
Encyclopedia
June Tyson was a jazz
singer
.
She performed with keyboardist and bandleader Sun Ra
regularly, from at least the early 1970s to her death. Tyson was diagnosed with cancer
and grew increasingly ill. When she was unable to sing because of her illness, she played the violin
instead.
Tyson's voice was somewhat reminiscent of Sarah Vaughan
's, though she was not as technically skilled as Vaughan, coming more from the blues shouter
tradition.
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
.
She performed with keyboardist and bandleader Sun Ra
Sun Ra
Sun Ra was a prolific jazz composer, bandleader, piano and synthesizer player, poet and philosopher known for his "cosmic philosophy," musical compositions and performances. He was born in Birmingham, Alabama...
regularly, from at least the early 1970s to her death. Tyson was diagnosed with cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
and grew increasingly ill. When she was unable to sing because of her illness, she played the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
instead.
Tyson's voice was somewhat reminiscent of Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Vaughan
Sarah Lois Vaughan was an American jazz singer, described by Scott Yanow as having "one of the most wondrous voices of the 20th century."...
's, though she was not as technically skilled as Vaughan, coming more from the blues shouter
Blues shouter
A blues shouter is a blues singer, often male, capable of singing with a band. The singer must project, or "shout", to be heard over the drums and musical instruments of the band. Blues shouting was a major pathway by which jazz music edged over into rock and roll...
tradition.