Customer Reviews

Strength of a Woman: The Phyllis Hyman Story

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I must first thank Mr. Michael for writing such an in-depth but sensitive biography of the late great Phyllis Hyman. Everything from her poverty-stricken childhood to her tumultous relationship with Arista Records' boss Clive Davis to her never-ending battle with chronic depression and bipolar disorder is covered. It's truly sad to think that someone as talented and gifted as Phyllis was unable to overcome her personal demons (despite really tring to). Sadly, we now know that (for all her beauty and talent) Phyllis was a tortured soul whose inner pain and insecurity led her to self-destructive behavior--unfortunately, those around her wouldn't (or couldn't) understand why. If you are a Phyllis Hyman fan you really should get this book but know that it IS heartbreaking as it is (to some degree) like watching a home video of her childhood up to her suicide at the age of 45. In retrospect, the real reason why Phyllis sounded so convincing on romantic ballads which dealt with pain, betrayal and lost love was because their lyrics mirrored her own experiences.

STRENGTH OF A WOMAN is a self-published biography of troubled r&b singer Phyllis Hyman. Author Jason Michael's book is a thoroughly researched, thought-provoking piece of work that elegently honors the smooth soul singer while sensitively exploring Hyman's troubles with bipolar disorder, depression and mental illness. Throughout this excellent biography, Michael treats his subject like royalty, warts and all. And the print quality of this self-published book would put most major publishers to shame. Be warned, once you start reading this biography, you don't want to put it down. It's like being glued to a good mystery novel.

An excellent biography. Phyllis Hyman is my favorite singer of all time. I now know why there was such long periods when we had no new product from her. It was heartbreaking to read the part of Shug Avery was hers and she let it slip through her fingers. Mr. Jason has done a fantastic job of telling her story warts and all without making it tabloid.

Hyman left us too soon. Talent and beauty can be a deadly combination in "this business we call show". The true Queen of Quiet Storm had alot of issues. But, one thing was clear. She could sing! Hallelujah, thank God her recordings remain for us all to enjoy. This book is a good read if you desire to get the behind the scenes on a druggie diva that never really got clean.

This really is the most wonderful book. I eagerly devoured it - it reads so well and is absolutely fascinating. I have been constantly engrossed, amazed and thrilled at the level of detail Jason Michael was able to go into in this truly no holds barred account of the amazing Phyllis Hyman who is still so sadly missed. His book is the absolute bible of her amazing and tragic life and yet told with maximum respect. Strength of a Woman allows us to live with her again and through her life quite intimately.

As I finished the book this morning, I have been feeling a sort of grief today - although the end was inevitable, it's all just so terribly tragic.

In a beautiful writing style, here is a story which definitely needed telling.

Strength of a Woman is the best book I've read in a longgggggggggg time. It answers a lot of my questions about what her troubles were all about. After reading the book I realize what many of her troubles were. The author Jason Michael probably only captured a part of what she was dealing with. What we do know is that it was too much for her to bear. For that I'm sorry ! She was an awesome entertainer !Her music will continue to entertain us for many years to come !

I remember listening to Phyllis Hyman on Smooth Jazz (106.1) in Philadelphia in the early 90s. Her voice was sensational, the range and depth of her emotions powerful. I knew very little about her personally though, and when I heard that she had committed suicide in 1995, I was deeply saddened and shocked. How could she do this!? I thought. How selfish!

Thank you Jason Michael for filling in the blanks. I devoured your book in a week. Well-written, excellent documentation and anecdotes from friends and relatives. Jason takes you along on Phyllis's hard fought battles: from dealing with the difficulties in the recording industry to her own personal demons. Phyllis's struggle with bipolar depression and her self-medication unfold in tragic way.

This book is a must-read for anyone who is even remotely interested in Ms. Hyman, or who wants to know about the cut-throat goings-on behind the scenes in the record business. It's not pretty. But it is real, and the author captures her story perfectly. And to Phyllis, we'll never forget you, or your amazing voice. Rest in Peace, my Philly sister.

As Patti LaBelle says on the back cover, there are so many people who've been waiting so long for this. I was only 14 when Phyllis died, so I didn't know much about her, nor did her music really resonate with me at that age. Now that I'm an adult, however, she's one of my absolute favorite singers.
This book unlocks many mysteries about this sorely misunderstood and underrated talent. Sometimes, it seems scandalous, but the unfortunate events in Phyllis' life were most often the results of her addiction and disease, not flaws in her temperment. It seems a shame how many opportunities she passed by (or often destroyed), but this eye-opening book really sheds light on the motivation behind so many of her decisions.
On a technical level, the book could use an editor to fix some minor stylistic flaws. However, that certainly didn't pull me away from the book. I couldn't put it down and finished it just the day after I began reading it. I couldn't recommend this book any more highly.

Thank you Jason for introducing this book to the public. I appreciate your not keeping these memories to yourself. I enjoyed the book immensely and appreciate the way her disorder was explained. It helps me understand a little clearer those that I know who are bi-polar. We still say why, why, why? However, you will never know unless you can actually get inside of someones mind, body and soul to feel what they feel. There really is no human answer. Back in the day I listened to Phyllis sporadically, however I find myself listening to her more now. I am especially enamored by "The Strength of A Woman."

I fell in love with Phyllis Hyman's voice as a child listening to the radio in Philly. Phyllis was a favored "daughter of the city" so her records were played on one of the more popular r&b stations in the city. I thought she was such a star who seemed to have it all - boundless talent, beauty, wit, charm as well as the "it factor" that makes people take notice of her no matter if she's doing something as ordinary as grocery shopping. I was deeply saddened when a somber dj reported that Ms. Hyman had taken her own life and I couldn't figure out why - I mean for God's sake, she was only 45 years old! Back in the day people didn't talk about mental illness as openly as they do now so I never knew that she was suffering with largely untreated manic depression and I had NEVER heard about her drug & alcohol abuse.

The TVOne series "Unsung" went a long way in detailing her rise to celebrity and in revealing her problems but THIS book delved deeper into her life as a child and her lifetime battle with mental illness & substance abuse. I cried during much of the Unsung episode and while I read this book as the author details how Ms. Hyman battled to establish her career, languished while record execs tried to figure out how to cross her over to the pop charts and subsequently how her frustrations & inner demons caused her pain enough to damage her spirit & led her to sabotage her career and eventually take her own life.

This book is a must read for all fans who want to learn who she was off stage and it also truly gave me more insight into the record industry/music business that often has no idea what to do with a talented, strong woman like Phyllis. (I must say that I lost a LOT of respect for Clive Davis in reading about his treatment of her as a woman & of her career.)

I know that this book is out of print and hard to find these days but hopefully renewed interest in this artist will not only help get it reprinted but also prompt her labels to re-issue ALL of her albums stateside.