This project began during my days as a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania and would never have happened without the support, guidance, and continued encouragement of Carol Muller and Guthrie Ramsey Jr. They taught me how to think about music, race, and gender, and for that I am grateful.
As a young scholar just beginning my journey into the world of Sarah Vaughan, I was fortunate to discover the wealth of resources at the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University’s Newark campus. In the years since, its staff, in particular Tad Hershorn, Joe Peterson, Elizabeth Surles, and Vincent Pelote, has helped me navigate its holdings, all while generously sharing their enthusiasm and expertise. A travel grant from the Morroe Berger–Benny Carter Research Fund facilitated my work at the Institute of Jazz Studies.
I have also appreciated the assistance of Loren Schoenberg and Ryan Maloney at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Tom Ankner at the Charles F. Cummings New Jersey Information Center, Thomas Tierney at the Sony Music Archives Library, Maristella Feustle of the Willis Conover Collection at the University of Northern Texas, Jacqueline Thornburg of the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum, and Vickie Wilson of Johnson Publishing Company, as well as the librarians, archivists, and sound technicians at the Performing Arts Reading Room of the Library of Congress, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, the Paley Center for Media, the Jazzinstitut Darmstadt, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Washington.
I owe a special thanks to the friends and musicians who discussed their memories, experiences, and impressions of Sarah Vaughan. I enjoyed these conversations, and even though only a fraction of what we talked about appears in print, their contributions shaped the manuscript and brought Vaughan, the artist and woman, to life. In particular, I would like to thank vocalists Dianne Reeves, Ann Hampton Callaway, and Annie Ross. Their insights shifted my perspective and helped me more fully understand what it is like to be a singer and touring musician and what made Vaughan so extraordinary. I also thank Robert Richards, Michiyo Tanaka Fisher, Carlton Schroeder, and Frank De La Rosa for sharing rare videos, private recordings, unpublished notes, and their personal memorabilia with me. This project benefited immeasurably from the kindness and generosity of spirit of each person I spoke with.
This book could not have become a reality without my literary agent, Matt McGowan. He possessed a keen understanding of its objectives, saw its potential, and skillfully found it a good home.
I am also indebted to everyone at Ecco. My editor, Denise Oswald, has been patient, given me extra time when I needed it, and, most important, offered thoughtful, spot-on feedback. She, along with Emma Janaskie, Emma Dries, Rachel Meyers, Ben Sadock, and the rest of the team at Ecco, has made this an enjoyable and rewarding process.
My research assistant, Kelsey Cloonan, has been indispensable. She tracked down leads, visited libraries and archives, scoured the secondary literature, and prepared more than six hundred endnotes. She has been my eyes and ears on the ground on the East Coast, making it possible for me to spend more time with my family in Seattle. She is a bright, capable, and talented young woman, and I am excited to see what her future holds.
I thank Julie Bradley, Beth Maxey, Chris Robinson, Jennifer Lin, Sara Smith, Susan DeMattos, and Judith Tick. They each offered a different kind of support—intellectual, emotional, or practical, and sometimes all three. I am thankful for my wonderful nanny, Aryka Olson Lucey, who cared for my son during the first two years of his life. Knowing that he was in loving, capable hands made it possible for me to pursue my dreams and aspirations. I also appreciate the devoted teachers at Bright Horizons Redmond, especially Sharon, Kelsey, Karen, Orit, Sarah, and Sol.
And finally, this project would have been impossible without the unconditional love of my family. My parents, Joyce and Cecil Hayes, taught both my brother and me how to be curious, creative, and engaged. They have always stood behind me emotionally, physically, and, in the early days, financially as I battled poor health and struggled to find my way. Even after I opted out of a traditional academic career, my father encouraged me to get my work and ideas out into the world. My brother, John, has been both an ally and friend, and I consider myself lucky and proud to have him as a brother. My in-laws, Dick and Peggy Kramer, have been kind, supportive, and tremendously patient, delaying vacations to accommodate this book’s deadlines. I also thank Peggy for donning her editor’s hat and reading my proposal and first chapters. But most of all, I thank them for their son, Nicholas. He has been my greatest advocate, friend, and confidant. He knows little about music or writing but understands that I needed to write this book to find my voice and thrive. I am forever grateful for his love, compassion, generosity, and skills as a co-parent to our son, Jack, the light of both of our lives.