Sharon Jones, the lead singer and founder of the American soul band Dap-Kings has passed away after a long and “heoric battle against pancreatic cancer” at the age of 60.
Jones had been placed in remission before receiving the devastating news last year that it had returned. Despite this, she still continued touring whilst undergoing the intense treatment of chemotherapy.
Many fans of the singer have shared their condolences of the loss of such a talent, with Mark Ronson tweeting of how she had “one of the most magnificent, gut-wrenching voices of anyone in recent times.” and Chaka Khan saying how she was “the real deal in this industry”.
The Georgia born singer released her first single, “Damn It’s Hot” in 1996 at the age of 40 and since then had gone on to release four studio albums and two compilations and was nominated for a Grammy in 2014 for her album “Give The People What They Want.”
Her website released the statement saying that during her last moments, “she was surrounded by her loved ones, including the Dap-Kings.”