She was 60. (Source: Facebook)
The lead singer of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Sharon Jones, who found success after working for years as a prison guard, is dead. By: IANS | Los Angeles |

Published:November 19, 2016 2:47 pm

The lead singer of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings – Sharon Jones, who found success after working for years as a prison guard, is dead. The Dap-Kings were formed with performers from the Soul Providers and the Mighty Imperials, and Jones released her first album “Dap Dippin’ With Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings” on the new Daptones Record label. Born in North Augusta, South Carolina, she moved to Brooklyn as a child.  
Jones released her first album at the age of 40, and was nominated for her first Grammy in 2014 for Best R&B Album for “Give the People What They Want”. She was 60. She began to be known as “the queen of funk”. She was recently the subject of the documentary “Miss Sharon Jones!”, directed by Barbara Kopple. In 1996, her career picked up momentum when she began backing soul musician Lee Fields, recording the song “Switchblade”, which appeared on Soul Providers’ album “Soul Tequila”. The singer passed away on Friday of pancreatic cancer, according to her Facebook page, reports variety.com. After sharing that her cancer had returned at the Toronto Film Festival premiere of the documentary in 2015, she returned with the albums “It’s a Holiday Soul Party” and “Miss Sharon Jones!,” which included the new track “I’m still here”. Though she worked sporadically as a session singer, for many years she was a corrections officer at Rikers Island and an armored car guard for Wells Fargo Bank.