By Liz Belilovskaya

The traditional success stories in the entertainment business generally have a common theme. Some young person form the unlikeliest of backgrounds gets their Cinderella on and glass slippers their way to the top. The ugly step sisters along the way serve merely as obstacles that make their success that much sweeter (and make for a better story). Much like Cinderella, these stories almost always possess the factor of youth and vitality. She wasn’t a milf or a cougar; she was a young girl on the way to her prince.

It’s always refreshing when we get a success story of a different kind. Sharon Jones, lead singer of The Dap Kings cannot be shoehorned in the above scenario. She’s enjoying the fruits of her labor at age 54. That alone should perk ears. She has only been on the music scene for about 15 years, with only six of them as a recognizable figure. Where did her journey begin? It turns out she had a very normal life with an average job in warm and sunny Brooklyn New York.

Born in Augusta, Georgia she relocated to NY as a child. She always loved singing and was an active member in the church choir. Together with her brothers she would mimic and copy James Brown’s music and moves in her spare time. She entered local competitions and frequently performed in talent shows but remained a solo act without a contract. There was no fast track to stardom for Jones. It would seem that the lush life was not to be.

In the real world, bills have to be paid, and bellies have to be filled and you eventually put your dreams to bed and get a job. The would-be singer traded in the microphone and the stage for the hard live of a corrections officer on New York’s infamous Rikers Island, as well as an armored car guard for Wells Fargo Bank. That’s a dream deferred for your ass.

In 1996 an opportunity presented itself. Jones appeared on a recorded session, backing Lee Fields, a famous funk singer. This recording was the result of combined efforts by Gabriel Roth and Philip Lehman who established the Desco Records label. Some of the members of the in-house band from this recording later became the Dap Kings. They noted Sharon’s singing abilities and did not forget her when the label launched.  Although Desco Records did not survive due to creative differences, Roth established Daptone Records and officially signed Jones and raised her talent from unknown to present day Queen of Funk.

Jones has stayed true to her record; label opting for a perfectly calm, rewarding existence, minus the bright lights and the unwanted attention of superstardom. She admits that the major labels probably wouldn’t have found a place for her, but she does not mind, she is living her dream.

Sharon Jones’ music  is incredibly real. Her appeal is made of hard times and patience and the experiences of both her own life and those of whom she once was charged to “correct.” Like James Brown, the beauty in her music doesn’t derive from the precision of notes but from the fire of passion and the attention-grabbing force of her personality.

But more than that, she is incredibly humble; something that can’t always be said about many celebs, even those who rose to fame from nothing. Jones always gives credit to her band. In every stage performance and interview she shares the credit for success with the very men who stood by her for years and as a result they have created a powerful and tightly interdependent, loyal and dedicated family.

Recent years have brought Sharon Jones the chance to live out her life’s goal. She got the chance to do some awesome collaboration with respectable artists. She made some small appearances in film, maintains a non-stop touring schedule and celebrates the simple joy of performance art done old-school style. The band records their music organically; keeping it analog and devoid of digital and synthetic manipulation. They are simple but great, much like their leading lady. Sharon Jones’ story is an inspirational tale of a woman whose success was not wasted on her youth, but is deeply rooted in her ability to persevere.

[pro-player width=’425′ height=’344′ type=’video’]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKZdzxX3qFc[/pro-player]

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