DavidEye and the rest of them made me go back to my bedroom and start listening 2 The Legacy of Phyllis Hyman CD and the 1st minute I played Be Careful(How You Treat My Love) I dropped a tear LOL this LP brought me back, waaay back 2 my childhood days when I was just a 5 years old lady singing the same song in my sistah's wedding. Its a damn shame how a beautiful woman like that with a very BEAUTIFUL VOICE take her own life .

I felt like making a thread about Phyllis so I did, hope you guys show love 2 this late sister.


http://images.amazon.com/...1.LZZZ.jpg

it's so sad that she had to leave us like she did. all we can do is pray for her soul and that her pain has been laid to rest.

IAM said:

Amen

Not that its important anyway but is she mixed??

Phyllis Hyman - "Goddess Of Love" an ol' skool anthem.

:I: remember hearing this when :I: was around 4-5. She was absolutely amazing.

'dre

Yeah, her death was a stunner. My mom really loved her music. I'm not that familiar with her music, but I'm sure I know at least one or two songs. She was one of those head turning, stop whatever you are doing and listen to her singers.

Damn, I still remember myself dancing with my momma to her song "You know how to love me" like it was yesterday I wish they could make a movie about her

Her version of Betcha By Golly Wow is heart wrenching imo. Kills me. She was so underrated and under appreciated. R.I.P.

u know what guys, someone should do a special on her life and music, because no one really talked about her death in any details. I also feel this way about roger troutmann who was killed by his brother no details on either of these fine artist. and yo, roger was the man also what do u guys think?

joelmarable said:

In order 2 respect their memories & their families we SHOULDN'T talk about that at all. However, we should talk about what did they achieve in this life.

And I didn't know that Roger was killed?? When did that happen??

Harlepolis said:

c what i mean, no one talked about it so u did not know did u harlepolis. he was killed by his brother in the studio about 2or 3yrs ago.4 what, never came out, or was talked about.

Harlepolis said:

Go ahead Harepolis...you REAL so do what you FEEL!!!

Phyllis was very talented. To me, when I think about her, I think about what happened with Donny Hathaway. They were both blessed with an enormous talent. They had popularity and fame. And yet they both craved and cried out to be loved. Phyliss admited this in so many words in her interviews{she was very conscious about her weight BTW} and that was Donny problem as well as he felt in his heart that people didn't love him.

When you hear stuff like that, it makes you wish you could have just been around them or visited them and told them how much they inspired and touched people. But they did leave us their work and wouldn't you know it... they're not forgotten.

rdhull said:

Her version IS the absolute best!! She kills it, and it's much better than the original and, of course, Prince's horrid take of it!

Phyllis was like a fine wine. (To me) She had one of those voices where whenever she came on the radio you would stop and listen no matter how many times you heard the song.

This might sound weird but Toni B'S Unbreak My Herat video really reminded me of Phyllis.

As cliched as it might sound I wish she was still here.

joelmarable said:

Not really statifying, but it could count:
Phyllis Hyman's friend/manager Glenda Gracia talks about the suicide

Walid and Richard have shared with me that many of you would like to know "Why Phyllis killed herself ..."

This question has been asked of me time and time again. I always respond with the short answer, which is : only Phyllis *really* knows why she killed herself.

However, for those of you who may be able to relate to my *feelings* about what her motivations were, I will share my feelings with you...

First, let me start by saying that within two hours after Phyllis' death, she visited me in my office. When I heard her laughing, I asked her the very question you have asked me --- to which she responded "Because no one believed that I would." I then asked her, "But, do you see all of the chaos and confusion that your death has created?" She said, "Handle it!" Then she giggled and left as suddenly as she arrived.

Phyllis had a philosophy about life, death and her body. Simply, she felt that because it was her life, it was also her death. Because it was her body, she had the right to do with it as she chose, including leaving it behind when she was ready to.

Although she was not a member of the Hemlock Society, she was very clear that suicide was indeed an option for those whose lives could not be managed successfully because there was just too much pain : emotionally, physically and spiritually.

About ten years ago, Phyllis was diagnosed as being "bi-polar", a medical term for someone who suffers from the dis-ease of manic-depression. As she got older, her dis-ease became more and more difficult for her to manage. She elected not to use pharmaceutical medication. She elected to self medicate. Her self medication distorted her dis-ease more and more, until she felt helpless about ever being able to recover from it.

Phyllis was an extremely complex person. She had many, many layers to her personality. But, at the root of everything was her most basic need : love --- to both give and receive love.

She could love in a very deep, deep way. She had the capacity to love so deeply that she would become empathic --- meaning, that she was so sensitive that she could actually *feel* the feelings and the pain of others. Although she never considered herself to be *psychic* per se, her sensitivity was such that she experienced telepathy, pre-cognition and generally speaking, the paranormal environment in a way that did not allow her to be easily understood by others. As a consequence, she experienced frustration and oftentimes enormous agony when she knew that she *saw* something happening before it happened and no one would believe her.

When she *saw* distortions in the world, she would feel so much pain from these distortions that she could literally detach herself from everyone for days so that she could recover/heal from the experience. For example, when the Oklahoma bombings occurred, the death of the children, in particular, so disturbed her that she was out of commission for a week!

Phyllis' pain was personal and global. She had carried it around with her since childhood, as do most of us.

It is important to note that she had attempted suicide twice before she actually committed suicide. Because she and I talked about suicide as an option to living a painful life, I was not surprised by her death. I was and am still very sorrowful that she actually made the decision to ascend June 30, 1995. I really miss her...

Stay in the Light and Love,

G.

cranshaw62 said:

Glad I'm not the only one here LOL Toni is the perfect one who can make a movie about Phyllis cuz both women look exactly like each other.

She will B missed...I'll never 4-get seeing her perform in Oakland's Festival @ The Lake, many years back.

"Old Friend" still takes me back 2 an old relationshop and causes chills. That 2 me is a sign of a personal classic...Great songs-great woman...

Glad I'm not the only one here LOL Toni is the perfect one who can make a movie about Phyllis cuz both women look exactly like each other.[/quote]

The part after after the bridge where Toni sings say you love me again vocally reminds me of Phyllis and the part in the video where she has the white dress towards the end of the video. (If I remember right.)

Living All Alone...this song and video was played on BET back in the late 80's and gave me chills everytime I saw/heard it.Heartbreaking and sophisticated all at once.

cranshaw62 said:

The part after after the bridge where Toni sings say you love me again vocally reminds me of Phyllis and the part in the video where she has the white dress towards the end of the video. (If I remember right.)[/quote]

Mmmm vocally she was pulling Anita but you were right about the white dress. She said she was pulling a Barbra Straisand

What would she sound like if she sang a Prince-produced song?? Damn, I trip thinking about that.

I Miss Her Pressence as a Artist&also Her Beauty.I dug Her stuff but If I had a Wish List for People for Her too work with they would include: Maurice White,Quincy Jones&Donald Fagen.nowadays a Toni Braxton&others have Cross-Over Exposure&get a chance too shine but Phyllis Hyman is one of those Artists that I wish had that chance too shine because She was the Real Deal IMHO.

Phyllis had real class and style.Despite the ever-changing trends in pop music,she stayed true to herself and created songs that were richly soulful and emotional.A personal favorite of mine is "Falling Star",a 1983 song that never became single.You will cry when you hear it.

I also love "Old Friend","Living All Alone","Living In Confusion","Don't Wanna Change The World",and "Somewhere In My Lifetime".To those of you who don't have any of her recordings,may I suggest you pick up the 2-CD "Legacy Of Phyllis Hyman" set.You will be moved.

mistermaxxx said:

James Mutme, Reggie Lucas and the rest of them didn't do her wrong and even if the producers you mentioned were there then they would def add nothing.

With a vocal pressence like that she won't need no high-profile producer 2 betta up her stuff,,,uh uh,,,no sir