R.I.P. Sharon Jones

BY Brock ThiessenPublished Nov 19, 2016

Following a long and documented battle with cancer, modern soul star Sharon Jones has died. The news came this evening (November 18) via a press release, though it's unclear exactly when Jones passed away. She was 60.

The note from Jones's camp reads:

We are deeply saddened to announce that Sharon Jones has passed away after a heroic battle against pancreatic cancer. She was surrounded by her loved ones, including the Dap-Kings.

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts during this difficult time.


Jones, who was best known for leading her band the Dap-Kings, was diagnosed with cancer in 2013. Following treatment, she returned to her musical career and the stage for 2014's Give the People What They Want — something that was documented in the recent music doc Miss Sharon Jones! Her cancer returned in 2015.

Jones was born North Augusta, SC, in 1956, but moved to New York with her family as a child. It's there in the Bedford Stuyvesant of Brooklyn where she got her start in music.

She was a key figure of the Daptone Records family and released her first album with the Dap-Kings in 2002 with Dap-Dippin' With... In addition to working with many groups on the Daptone label, Jones collaborated with the likes of Lou Reed and David Byrne, as well as had her "100 Days, 100 Nights" recently featured on the Netflix series Luke Cage.

The message Jones's camp encourages fans to donate to the following charities in lieu of sending flowers:

The Lustgarten Foundation
James Brown Family Foundation
Little Kids Rock

Additional memorial details will follow soon, according to the message.

You can revisit Exclaim!'s Questionnaire with Jones from 2015 here.







Latest Coverage