Phyllis Linda Hyman

 Phyllis Linda Hyman (July 6, 1949 – June 30, 1995)

Hyman is best known for her music during the late 1970s through the early 1990s, some of her most notable songs were "You Know How to Love Me" (1979), "Living All Alone" (1986) and "Don't Wanna Change the World" (1991). Hyman also performed on Broadway in the 1981 musical based on the music of Duke Ellington, Sophisticated Ladies, which ran from 1981 until 1983. The musical earned her a Theatre World Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. In 1987, Phyllis Hyman recorded "Black and Blue" as a duet with Barry Manilow on his 1987 Swing Street Arista album. Manilow was a long time admirer of Phyllis and her work. Shortly afterward, she appeared in the films School Daze (1988) and The Kill Reflex. She would also continue to lend her voice to albums for other artists and musicians, including Grover Washington, Jr. and Lonnie Liston Smith, while at the same time doing international tours. Hyman was married once to Larry Alexander, who served as her music arranger from 1977 until divorcing in 1982. She had no children. Hyman was also the cousin of actor Earle Hyman, best known for his recurring role on The Cosby Show as Cliff's father.

Hyman suffered from bipolar disorder for years, having been diagnosed in the 1980s. She often self-medicated with alcohol and drugs, and frequently spoke about suicide. On the afternoon of June 30, 1995, a week before her 46th birthday, Hyman died by suicide by overdosing on a mixture of Tuinal and vodka in the bedroom of her New York City apartment at 211 West 56th Street. She was found unconscious at 2:00 p.m. (EDT) and died at 3:50 p.m. at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital (now Mount Sinai West) hours before she was scheduled to perform at the Apollo Theater.