North Augusta in Aiken County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Sharon Lafaye Jones

1956-2016

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 10, 2023

1. Sharon Lafaye Jones Marker

Inscription.

Sharon Lafaye Jones. "Soul Music Queen" Rhythm and Blues Legend. The Sharon Jones story begins and ends in North Augusta. Born May 4, 1956, she lived in North Augusta during her early years. She first sang publicly as an angel in a Christmas pageant at North Augusta Baptist Church. Sharon and her siblings moved with their mother to New York City in the early 1960s. She spent many summers in North Augusta during her New York years. , Sharon Jones and her band, the Dap-Kings, performed in sold out venues from the Apollo Theater in Harlem to the iconic Sydney Opera House in Australia. She electrified her fans with concerts in Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. , Recognition and success came to the Soul Music Queen in her 40s, in spite of being told by music executives she was “too fat, too short, too black and too old.” The album, “Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings,” released in 2002, was a global sensation and the first of six albums released before her death. Sharon and the band received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album “Give the People What They Want.” Her talent was also widely showcased in movie roles, major TV talk shows and national commercials. , Sharon returned to North Augusta in 2011, living the last five years of her life in her yellow brick house on Jackson Avenue. Sharon Jones loved North Augusta. The crowd reaction she received while striding down Georgia Avenue in the 2014 Christmas Parade showed just how much the feeling was mutual. She sang at local gatherings and exercised in local gyms. She loved being outdoors, and enjoyed walks on this very river bank and the greenway. , Sharon Jones died November 18, 2016 at age 60. Her valiant battle with pancreatic cancer was chronicled by Barbara Kopple in the acclaimed documentary, “Miss Sharon Jones!” , Acknowledging her love for North Augusta and revering her optimism, musical talents and enormous success, this beautiful outdoor venue was named the “Sharon Jones Amphitheater” by the unanimous vote of City Council.

"Soul Music Queen"
Rhythm & Blues Legend
The Sharon Jones story begins and ends in North Augusta. Born May 4, 1956, she lived in North Augusta during her early years. She first sang publicly as an angel in a Christmas pageant at North Augusta Baptist Church. Sharon and her siblings moved with their mother to New York City in the early 1960s. She spent many summers in North Augusta during her New York years.

Sharon Jones and her band, the Dap-Kings, performed in sold out venues from the Apollo Theater in Harlem to the iconic Sydney Opera House in Australia. She electrified her fans with concerts in Carnegie Hall, Madison Square Garden, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center.

Recognition and success came to the Soul Music Queen in her 40s, in spite of being told by music executives she was “too fat, too short, too black and too old.” The album, “Dap Dippin’ with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings,” released in 2002, was a global sensation and the first of six albums released before her death. Sharon and the band received a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Album “Give the People What They Want.” Her talent was also widely showcased in movie roles, major TV talk shows and national commercials.

Sharon returned to North Augusta in 2011, living the last five years of her life

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in her yellow brick house on Jackson Avenue. Sharon Jones loved North Augusta. The crowd reaction she received while striding down Georgia Avenue in the 2014 Christmas Parade showed just how much the feeling was mutual. She sang at local gatherings and exercised in local gyms. She loved being outdoors, and enjoyed walks on this very river bank and the greenway.

Sharon Jones died November 18, 2016 at age 60. Her valiant battle with pancreatic cancer was chronicled by Barbara Kopple in the acclaimed documentary, “Miss Sharon Jones!”

Acknowledging her love for North Augusta and revering her optimism, musical talents and enormous success, this beautiful outdoor venue was named the “Sharon Jones Amphitheater” by the unanimous vote of City Council.

Erected 2021.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Women. A significant historical date for this entry is May 4, 1956.

Location. 33° 29.062′ N, 81° 58.533′ W. Marker is in North Augusta, South Carolina, in Aiken County. Marker is on Center Street just south of Railroad Avenue. Marker is located at the Sharon Jones Amphitheater entrance on Center Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1009 Center Street, North Augusta SC 29841, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are

Sharon Lafaye Jones image. Click for full size.

Courtesy Paul McGeiver

2. Sharon Lafaye Jones

within walking distance of this marker. Pottery Production in North Augusta (approx. 0.2 miles away); North Augusta's Historic Industrial Area (approx. 0.2 miles away); James U. Jackson Memorial Bridge / James U. Jackson (1856-1925) (approx. 0.2 miles away); Riverfront Village (approx. 0.3 miles away); Curtis Baptist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away in Georgia); Boeckh Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); Springfield Baptist Church Birthplace of Morehouse College (approx. 0.4 miles away in Georgia); Ware High School (approx. half a mile away in Georgia). Touch for a list and map of all markers in North Augusta.

Also see . . .
1. Sharon Jones (Wikipedia). Excerpt:

A regular gospel singer in church, during the early 1970s Jones often entered talent shows backed by local funk bands. Session work then continued with backing vocals, often credited to Lafaye Jones, but in the absence of any recording contract as a solo singer, she spent many years working as a corrections officer at Rikers Island and as an armored car guard for Wells Fargo, until receiving a mid-life career break in 1996 after she appeared on a session backing the soul and deep funk legend Lee Fields. Jones has sometimes been called, especially early in her late renaissance of a career, the Female James
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 10, 2023

3. Sharon Lafaye Jones Marker
(marker is mounted on brick stanchion at amphitheater entrance)
Brown.

(Submitted on October 12, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Sharon Lafaye Jones. Excerpt:

In 2007 Jones played the part of Lila, a juke joint singer in the movie, The Great Debaters. She also collaborated with The Rolling Stones, Phish, Michael Buble, and performed in 2013 in the 87th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Jones was nominated for a Grammy in 2014 in the category Best R&B Album. A documentary entitled Miss Sharon Jones debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015.

(Submitted on October 12, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 10, 2023

4. Sharon Lafaye Jones Marker

Sharon Lafaye Jones Amphitheater image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, October 10, 2023

5. Sharon Lafaye Jones Amphitheater

(looking south from near marker • Savannah River & Augusta, Georgia in background)

Credits. This page was last revised on October 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 12, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 106 times since then and 15 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 12, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.