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Phyllis Hyman

1949–1995

United States

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Biography

Phyllis Linda Hyman (July 6, 1949 – June 30, 1995) was an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Hyman's music career spanned the late 1970s through the early 1990s, and she was best known for her expansive contralto range. Some of her most notable songs are "You Know How to Love Me" (1979), "Living All Alone" (1986) and "Don't Wanna Change the World" (1991). Hyman is also known for her covers of popular songs, which include renditions of "Betcha by Golly, Wow", "Here's That Rainy Day", and "What You Won't Do For Love". Hyman performed on Broadway in the 1981 musical revue Sophisticated Ladies, which ran from 1981 until 1983. The revue, based on the music of Duke Ellington, earned Hyman a Theatre World Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-20

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