Sharon Lafaye Jones, a gifted vocalist, was born in Augusta, Georgia, and later relocated to New York City at a young age. With a talent for singing gospel songs since childhood, she only recently gained widespread recognition and acclaim in the genres of Soul, Funk, and Rhythm and Blues.
Prior to her rise to fame, Jones worked as a Correction Officer at Rikers Island in New York City, holding down a "day job" until the late 1990s. Initially, she was a backup session singer, but her exceptional talent caught the attention of record executives and producers Gabriel Roth and Philip Lehman when she was the only one to show up for a recording session and demonstrated her ability to sing on multiple backup tracks.
In 2002, Jones formed "Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings," a band comprising members from three other groups. The band's original lineup included Bosco Mann on bass, guitarist Binky Griptite, percussionist Fernando Velez, trumpet player Anda Szilagyi, and organist Earl Maxton, joined by saxophonist Leon Michels and drummer Homer Steinweiss from "The Mighty Imperials," as well as Neal Sugarman from "Sugarman 3."
Throughout her career, Jones and The Dap Kings have released several critically acclaimed albums, including "Naturally" in 2005 and "I Learned the Hard Way" in 2010. A significant milestone in her career occurred in 2007 when she appeared in the film "The Great Debaters," playing the role of "Lila" and singing "That's What My Baby Likes." Additionally, Jones performed the gospel classics "Up Above My Head" and "Two Wings" in the film's soundtrack, which introduced her to a broader audience.
Jones's subsequent television appearances with The Dap Kings included a high-energy mini-concert on "Austin City Limits" in 2008, as well as appearances on "Late Night with David Letterman" in 2010 and "The Conan O'Brien Show" on TBS in 2010.
