Biography
Sharon Lafaye Jones was born on May 4, 1956, in Augusta, Georgia, and spent her childhood summers there while being mostly raised in Brooklyn, New York. She began singing gospel in church from a young age and as a teenager in the early 1970s performed in talent shows and local funk groups. Unable to break into the recording industry initially, she supported herself with session work as an anonymous backup singer (sometimes credited as Lafaye Jones), wedding band gigs, and day jobs including armored car guard for Wells Fargo and corrections officer at Rikers Island prison.[1][2][3]
Fun Facts
- Sharon Jones made her first recording as a frontwoman at age 40 with 'Damn It's Hot' after being discovered during a Lee Fields backup session.[3]
- Before music success, she worked as a prison guard at Rikers Island and an armored car guard for Wells Fargo.[1][2]
- The band's debut album Dap Dippin' was recorded in a Brooklyn basement under a vacuum cleaner store and pressed in limited copies to fund a Barcelona residency.[2]
- Dap-Kings members contributed uncredited but key instrumentation to Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, including hits 'Rehab' and 'You Know I'm No Good'.[2]
Musical Connections
Mentors/Influences
- Gabriel Roth (Bosco Mann) - Producer, bandleader, and bass player who discovered her talent and put her front and center as lead singer (Soul Providers sessions including 'Switchblade' and 'The Landlord'; formed Dap-Kings) [1996 onward]
Key Collaborators
- Neal Sugarman - Saxophonist and co-founder of Daptone Records; core Dap-Kings member (All Dap-Kings albums including Dap Dippin' (2002), 100 Days, 100 Nights (2007)) [2000-2016]
- Binky Griptite - Guitarist and emcee; original Soul Providers member who joined Dap-Kings (Dap Dippin' (2002), Naturally (2005), I Learned the Hard Way (2010)) [1996-2016]
- Leon Michels - Saxophonist from Mighty Imperials; core Dap-Kings member (Dap-Kings albums; Amy Winehouse's Back to Black (2006)) [2000-2016]
- Homer Steinweiss - Drummer from Mighty Imperials; core Dap-Kings member (Dap-Kings albums; Amy Winehouse's Back to Black (2006)) [2000-2016]
- Lee Fields - Soul legend; initial session where Jones sang backup, leading to her discovery (Soul Providers' Soul Tequila (1996)) [1996]
- Amy Winehouse (via Dap-Kings) - Dap-Kings provided session musicians for her album (Back to Black (2006), tracks like 'Rehab' and 'You Know I'm No Good') [2006]
Connection Network
Current Artist
Collaborators
Influenced
Mentors
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Discography
Albums
| Title | Release Date | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Naturally | 2005-01-25 | Album |
| Soul of a Woman | 2017-11-17 | Album |
| 100 Days, 100 Nights | 2007-10-02 | Album |
| I Learned the Hard Way | 2010-04-06 | Album |
| Give the People What They Want | 2014-01-14 | Album |
| Crazy Love (Hollywood Edition) | 2009-10-06 | Album |
| Soul Time! | 2011-11-25 | Album |
| It's a Holiday Soul Party | 2015-10-20 | Album |
| Dap Dippin' With Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings | 2002-05-14 | Album |
| Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In) | 2020-10-23 | Album |
| Miss Sharon Jones! (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | 2016-08-19 | Album |
| The Daptone Super Soul Revue Live at the Apollo | 2021-10-01 | Album |
| Give the People What They Want | 2014-01-13 | Album |
| Naturally (The Instrumentals) | 2025-05-02 | Album |
| The Daptone Super Soul Revue Live at the Apollo | 2021-10-01 | Album |
Top Tracks
- How Long Do I Have to Wait for You? (Naturally)
- Come and Be a Winner (Soul of a Woman)
- Pass Me By (Soul of a Woman)
- 100 Days, 100 Nights (100 Days, 100 Nights)
- This Land Is Your Land (Naturally)
- How Do I Let a Good Man Down? (Naturally)
- Nobody's Baby (100 Days, 100 Nights)
- Tell Me (100 Days, 100 Nights)
- Better Things (I Learned the Hard Way)
- Making Up and Breaking Up (And Making Up and Breaking Up Over Again) (Give the People What They Want)
External Links
References
Heard on WWOZ
sharon jones and the dap kings has been played 3 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station.
| Date | Time | Title | Show | Spotify |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 18, 2025 | 19:48 | ain't no chimney's in the projects | R&Bw/ Your Cousin Dimitri | |
| Dec 15, 2025 | 20:42 | AIN'T NO CHIMNEYS IN THE PROJECTS | Blues and R&Bw/ Gentilly Jr. | |
| Sep 12, 2025 | 15:24 | People Dont Get What They Deservefrom DAPTONE 45 | The Blues Breakdown |