Ceybil Jefferies
Ceybil Jefferies, also known by the stage name Sweet Sable, (death announced April 10, 2020) was an American house and R&B vocalist and musician best known for her work during the 1990s, including the 1996 Dutch house single, "It's Gonna Be Alright" with Deep Zone, which hit No. 20 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs charts.[1] Her other best known singles included "So Special" and "Open Your Heart", both of which reached the Top 20 of the Billboard Dance Club Songs charts in 1991.[1] Jefferies, who sometimes went by the stage name Sweet Sable beginning in 1994, often changed the spelling of her name or reinvented it, depending on the release.[1] Variations of her name included Ceybil, Sable Jefferies, her birthname Sybil Jefferies, and Ceybil Jeffries.[1]
Jefferies should not be confused with Sybil, another American R&B and pop singer–songwriter.
Biography
Born Sybil Jefferies, she was a native of Brooklyn, New York.[1]
She initially signed with Atlantic Records, which released her debut album, Let Music Take Control, in 1991.[1] Two singles from the album, "So Special" and "Open Your Heart", peaked as hits in the Top 20 Billboard Dance Club Songs charts that same year.[1]
Prior to the release of her sophomore album, Open Your Heart, Jefferies left Atlantic Records and signed with Scotti Brothers Records under the new artist name "Sable Jefferies."[1] Her first single from "Open Your Heart", called "Friends (For Old Time Sake)", was more heavily influenced by the New jack swing genre, rather than her earlier house music work.[1] "Friends (For Old Time Sake)" proved successful by reaching Number 15 on the Billboard R&B charts and reaching Number 2 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 charts.[1] Only Doug E. Fresh's single "Freaks" kept Jefferies' song from reaching the Number 1 spot on the Bubbling Under chart.[1] Shortened to "Old Time's Sake", her song was included on [Above the Rim (soundtrack)|Above the Rim]] film soundtrack in 1994 under her moniker, Sweet Sable.[2] The album also spawned two other singles, "Tonight" and "Love Thang", which both landed on the Billboard R&B chart. Her single, "Love Than", reached Number 1 on the former Billboard Hot Dance Breakdowns Chart in 1995, beating out Usher's "Think of You", which peaked at Number 2 behind Jefferies' song.[1]
In 1996, she teamed with a Dutch house group called Deep Zone to provide vocals for their single, "It's Gonna Be Alright" under her original name, Ceybil Jefferies. "It's Gonna Be Alright" peaked at Number 20 on Billboard Dance Club Songs charts.[1] In a review written at the time, Larry Flick from Billboard described the song as "a joyfully optimistic romp merging edgy house beats with keyboards that are, by turns, jazzy and retro-disco. Life in the urban lane has done wonders for Jefferies' voice, which is now far more assured and smooth."[3]
Jefferies continued to record and release music into the 2000s. However, she was diagnosed with neurosarcoidosis, an inflammatory type of sarcoidosis which severely affected her lungs and breathing capacity.[1] Her diagnosis effectively ended her singing career.[1] Additionally, Jeffries lost much of her vision due to the illness.[1][2]
Ceybil Jefferies died from COVID-19. Her death was announced and confirmed by music industry colleagues on April 10, 2020, including record producer Salaam Remi.[1][2]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Thompson, Desire (2020-04-13). "Vocalist Ceybil Jefferies, Also Known As Sweet Sable, Has Died From Coronavirus". Vibe (magazine). Archived from the original on 2020-04-20. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
- ^ a b c Gunn, Tamantha (2020-04-14). "Ceybil Jefferies reportedly passes away due to complications from Coronavirus". Revolt (TV network). Archived from the original on 2020-04-25. Retrieved 2020-04-25.
{{cite news}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; 2020-04-24 suggested (help) - ^ Inc, Nielsen Business Media (5 August 1995). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 25 – via Internet Archive.
deep zone it's gonna be alright chart.
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