Why Sarah Vaughan Was One Of The 20th Century’s Great Voices

A reissue of Sarah Vaughan’s recordings give insight into what made her one of the great singers of the 20th Century. Yet she was also careless about protecting her musical gifts. “Essentially, she was correct in her belief that miracles, like her voice itself, not only happen but, like diamonds, are forever. Or, at least, they should come with a lifetime guarantee. Her voice, which ripened with age into plummier, darker depths, really was a like a precious gift from heaven that just kept on giving. It kept on giving, in fact, right up until the lifelong, two-pack-a-day smoker died from lung cancer at 66 in 1990.”