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Phyllis Linda Hyman was born on July 6, 1949, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and emerged as a soulful contralto singer whose career spanned the late 1970s through the early 1990s. After early training in music schools and touring with groups such as New Direction and All the People, Phyllis Hyman signed with Roadshow Records/Desert Moon in 1975, and her breakthrough came when she joined Norman Connors on the 1976 album You Are My Starship, earning a Gold certification and establishing her presence on jazz and R&B radio. She released her debut solo album Phyllis Hyman in 1977, followed by Somewhere in My Lifetime (1978) and You Know How to Love Me (1979), the latter producing the R&B Top 20 hit "You Know How to Love Me". After a brief period with Arista, she recorded Living All Alone (1986) on Philadelphia International, featuring the title track and the torch song "Old Friend". In 1991, the album Prime of My Life yielded her first Billboard Hot 100 hit "Don’t Wanna Change the World" and a Number 1 R&B single, solidifying her commercial success. Phyllis Hyman’s career included collaborations with Norman Connors, Barry Manilow, and Pharoah Sanders, and a Tony‑nominated Broadway run in Sophisticated Ladies (1981‑83). She died by suicide on June 30, 1995, in New York City, and posthumous releases such as I Refuse to Be Lonely (1995) and Forever with You (1998) have continued to showcase her vocal legacy.
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