Phoebe Snow (born Phoebe Ann Laub; July 17, 1950 – April 26, 2011) was an American roots music singer-songwriter and guitarist, known for her hit 1974 and 1975 songs " San Francisco Bay Blues", " Poetry Man", "Harpo's Blues", and her credited guest vocals backing Paul Simon on " Gone at Last". She recorded " San Francisco Bay Blues" also. She was described by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' as a "

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typical ...

grounded in a bluesy growl and capable of sweeping over four

octave In music, an octave ( la, octavus: eighth) or perfect octave (sometimes called the diapason) is the interval between one musical pitch and another with double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been refer ...

s." Snow also sang numerous commercial

jingle A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...

s for many U.S. products during the 1980s and 1990s, including General Foods International Coffees, Salon Selectives, and

Stouffer's Stouffer's is a brand of frozen prepared foods currently owned by Nestlé. Its products are available in the United States and Canada. Stouffer's is known for such popular fare as lasagna, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, ravioli, and salisbury ...

. Snow experienced success in Australia in the late 1970s and early 1980s with five top 100 albums in that territory. In 1995 she recorded a gospel album with Sisters of Glory.

Early life, family and education

Phoebe Ann Laub was born in New York City in 1950, and raised in a musical household in which

Delta blues Delta blues is one of the earliest-known styles of blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta, and is regarded as a regional variant of country blues. Guitar and harmonica are its dominant instruments; slide guitar is a hallmark of t ...

, Broadway show tunes, Dixieland jazz, classical music, and

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

recordings were played around the clock. Her father, Merrill Laub, an

exterminator Exterminator may refer to: *A practitioner in pest control Competition *Exterminator (horse) (1915–1945), racehorse, the winner of the 1918 Kentucky Derby *X-Terminator, a competitor in '' Robot Wars'' Fiction * Exterminator!, a 1973 short s ...

by trade, had an encyclopedic knowledge of American film and theater and was also an avid collector and restorer of antiques. Her mother, Lili Laub, was a dance teacher who had performed with the Martha Graham group. She was Jewish. Snow was raised in

Teaneck, New Jersey Teaneck () is a township in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is a bedroom community in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 39,776, reflecting an increase of 516 (+1.3%) fr ...

, and graduated from Teaneck High School in 1968. She subsequently attended

Shimer College Shimer Great Books School (pronounced ) is a Great Books college that is part of North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. Prior to 2017, Shimer was an independent, accredited college on the south side of Chicago, with a history of bein ...

Mount Carroll, Illinois Mount Carroll is a city in Carroll County, Illinois, United States. It is the Carroll County seat. The population was 1479 at the 2020 census. Due to its elevation and northwesterly location, Mount Carroll is subject to unusually cold winter wea ...

, but did not graduate. As a student, she carried her prized

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Aus ...

000-18 acoustic guitar from club to club in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

, playing and singing on amateur nights. Her stage name came from an early 1900s fictional

character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to The ...

featured in Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad ads. In painted and later photographic print images, the young woman 'Phoebe Snow' was dressed all in white to emphasize the cleanliness of the line's

passenger train A passenger train is a train used to transport people along a railroad line. These trains may consist of unpowered passenger railroad cars (also known as coaches or carriages) hauled by one or more locomotives, or may be self-propelled; self p ...

s. (Lackawanna's locomotives at the time burned

anthracite Anthracite, also known as hard coal, and black coal, is a hard, compact variety of coal that has a submetallic luster. It has the highest carbon content, the fewest impurities, and the highest energy density of all types of coal and is the hig ...

coal which created less soot than

bituminous coal Bituminous coal, or black coal, is a type of coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen or asphalt. Its coloration can be black or sometimes dark brown; often there are well-defined bands of bright and dull material within the coal seam, ...

Career

It was at The Bitter End club in 1972 that

Denny Cordell Dennis Cordell-Lavarack (1 August 1943 – 18 February 1995), known as Denny Cordell, was an English record producer. He is notable for his mid-1960s and early 1970s productions of hit singles for The Moody Blues, Leon Russell, The Move, Pr ...

, co-owner (with

Leon Russell Leon Russell (born Claude Russell Bridges; April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) was an American musician and songwriter who was involved with numerous bestselling records during his 60-year career that spanned multiple genres, including rock and ...

) of Shelter Records, was so taken by the singer that he signed her to the label and produced her first recording, recording at The Church Studio. She released an

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

ous album, '' Phoebe Snow'', including " San Francisco Bay Blues" and " Poetry Man", in 1974, featuring guest performances by The Persuasions,

Zoot Sims John Haley "Zoot" Sims (October 29, 1925 – March 23, 1985) was an American jazz saxophonist, playing mainly tenor but also alto (and, later, soprano) saxophone. He first gained attention in the "Four Brothers" sax section of Woody Herman's big ...

Teddy Wilson Theodore Shaw Wilson (November 24, 1912 – July 31, 1986) was an American jazz pianist. Described by critic Scott Yanow as "the definitive swing pianist", Wilson had a sophisticated, elegant style. His work was featured on the records of many ...

, David Bromberg, and Dave Mason. WMMS Presents Jackson Browne - 1975 print ad

The album spawned a top five 1975 single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 with "Poetry Man" and was itself a top-five album in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'', for which she received a nomination for the

Grammy Award for Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

. The cover of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...

'' magazine followed, while she performed as the opening act for tours by Jackson Browne and Paul Simon. (She provided credited guest vocals backing Simon on the gospel-tinged hit single "Gone at Last" later in 1975—#23 on the Hot 100.) The same year, 1975, also brought the first of several appearances as a musical guest on ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serve ...

'', on which Snow performed both solo and in duets with Simon and

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...

. During the 1975 appearance, she was seven months pregnant with her daughter, Valerie. Her backup vocal is heard on Simon's hit song "

50 Ways to Leave Your Lover "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Paul Simon. It was the second single from his fourth studio album, '' Still Crazy After All These Years'' (1975), released on Columbia Records. Backing vocals on the sing ...

," along with Valerie Simpson and

Patti Austin Patti Austin (born August 10, 1950) is an American R&B, pop, and jazz singer and songwriter. Music career Austin was born in Harlem, New York, to Gordon Austin, a jazz trombonist. She was raised in Bay Shore, New York on Long Island. Quincy ...

, from 1975. Both "Gone at Last" and "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" appear on Simon's Grammy-winning 1975 album ''

Still Crazy After All These Years ''Still Crazy After All These Years'' is the fourth solo studio album by Paul Simon. Recorded and released in 1975, the album produced four U.S. Top 40 hits: "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (No. 1), " Gone at Last" (No. 23), " My Little Town" (No. ...

.'' Legal battles took place between Snow and Shelter Records. Snow ended up signed to

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

. Her second album, ''

Second Childhood ''Second Childhood'' is the second album by the singer and songwriter Phoebe Snow, released in 1976. ''Second Childhood'' was certified gold by the RIAA on July 9, 1976. Reception In a retrospective review for AllMusic, critic William Ruhlmann ...

'', appeared in 1976, produced by

Phil Ramone Philip Ramone (né Rabinowitz, January 5, 1934March 30, 2013) was a South African-born American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, who in 1958 co-founded A & R Recording, Inc., a recording studio with business part ...

. It was jazzier and more introspective, and was a

RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...

Certified Gold Album for Snow, with the Gold Album awarded on July 9, 1976. She moved to a more rock-oriented sound for ''

It Looks Like Snow ''It Looks Like Snow'' is the third album by singer–songwriter Phoebe Snow (musician), Phoebe Snow, released in 1976. Reception In a retrospective review for Allmusic, critic Joe Viglione called the album "an overpowering collection of pop-jazz ...

'', released later in 1976 with David Rubinson producing. 1977 saw '' Never Letting Go'', again with Ramone, while 1978's '' Against the Grain'' was helmed by

Barry Beckett Barry Edward Beckett (February 4, 1943 – June 10, 2009) was an American keyboardist, session musician, record producer, and studio founder. He is best known for his work with David Hood, Jimmy Johnson, and Roger Hawkins, his bandmates in the ...

. After that, Snow parted ways with Columbia; she would later say that the stress of her parental obligations compromised her ability to make music effectively. In 1979, she toured extensively throughout the US and Canada with noted guitarist Arlen Roth as her lead guitarist and musical director. Her January 1979 cover of the

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. On ...

song " Every Night" reached No. 37 in the UK. In 1981, Snow, then signed with Mirage Records, released the album '' Rock Away'', but the album disappointed music critic Geoffrey Himes. The 1983 ''

Rolling Stone Record Guide ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'', previously known as ''The Rolling Stone Record Guide'', is a book that contains professional music reviews written and edited by staff members from ''Rolling Stone'' magazine. Its first edition was published in 1 ...

'' summed up Snow's career to that point by saying: "One of the most gifted voices of her generation, Phoebe Snow can do just about anything stylistically as well as technically. … The question that's still unanswered is how best to channel such talent." Snow spent long periods away from recording, often singing commercial

jingles A jingle is a short song or tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. Jingles are a form of sound branding. A jingle contains one or more hooks and meaning that explicitly promote the product or service being advertised, usually ...

for

AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile tel ...

, General Foods International Coffees, Salon Selectives,

, Hampton Bay Ceiling Fans, and others to support herself and her daughter. Snow recorded the theme song for the first season of the TV series '' 9 to 5''. (Dolly Parton's vocals were used for the rest of the show's run.) Snow also sang the theme song for

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...

's ''

A Different World ''A Different World'' is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of ''The Cosby Show'') television series that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable (Lisa Bonet) and ...

'' during the show's first season (1987–88). In 1988, a duet with Dave Mason, called "Dreams I Dream," reached No. 11 on the US adult contemporary charts. Snow returned to recording with '' Something Real'' in 1989 and gathered a few more hits on the Adult Contemporary charts. Also, Snow composed WDIV-TV (Detroit)'s "Go 4 It!" campaign in 1980. She sang "Ancient Places, Sacred Lands", composed by Steve Horelick, on ''

Reading Rainbow ''Reading Rainbow'' is an American educational children's television series that originally aired on PBS and afterwards PBS Kids and PBS Kids Go! from July 11, 1983 to November 10, 2006, with reruns continuing to air until August 28, 2009. 155 ...

s tenth episode, ''The Gift of the Sacred Dog''. The episode was based on the book of the same name by Paul Goble and was narrated by actor

Michael Ansara Michael George Ansara (April 15, 1922 – July 31, 2013) was an American actor. He portrayed Cochise in the television series '' Broken Arrow'', Kane in the 1979–1981 series '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', Commander Kang in '' Star Tre ...

. It was shot in

Crow Agency, Montana Crow Agency ( cro, awaasúuchia) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Big Horn County, Montana, United States and is near the actual location for the Little Bighorn National Monument and re-enactment produced by the Real Bird family known as B ...

, in 1983. Snow performed in 1989 on stage at

Avery Fisher Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall in New York City's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, designe ...

in New York City, as part of ''

Our Common Future __NOTOC__ ''Our Common Future'', also known as the Brundtland Report, was published on October 1987 by the United Nations through the Oxford University Press. This publication was in recognition of Gro Harlem Brundtland's, former Norwegian Prime ...

'': a five-hour live television broadcast originating from several countries. In 1990, she contributed a cover version of the

Delaney & Bonnie Delaney & Bonnie were an American duo of singer-songwriters Delaney Bramlett and Bonnie Bramlett. In 1969 and 1970, they fronted a rock/soul ensemble, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, whose members at different times included Duane Allman, Gregg A ...

song "Get Ourselves Together" to the Elektra compilation Rubáiyát, which included

Earth Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million ...

guitarist Dick Smith. In 1992, she toured with

Donald Fagen Donald Jay Fagen (born January 10, 1948) is an American musician best known as the co-founder, lead singer, co-songwriter, and keyboardist of the band Steely Dan, formed in the early 1970s with musical partner Walter Becker. In addition to his ...

New York Rock and Soul Revue The New York Rock and Soul Revue was a musical project which evolved from a series of concerts and musical shows produced by Libby Titus (future wife of Donald Fagen) that lasted from 1989 to 1992. The project was led by Donald Fagen (soloist and c ...

and was featured on the group's album recorded live at the Beacon Theater in New York City. Throughout the 1990s, she made numerous appearances on the

Howard Stern Howard Allan Stern (born January 12, 1954) is an American radio and television personality, comedian, and author. He is best known for his radio show, ''The Howard Stern Show'', which gained popularity when it was nationally syndicated on terre ...

radio show. She sang live for specials and birthday shows. In 1997, she sang the '' Roseanne'' theme song ''a cappella'' during the closing moments of the final episode. In 1995, Snow participated in '' The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True'' at the Lincoln Center in New York City, singing a distinctive medley of "If I Only Had a Brain; a Heart; the Nerve". In addition, the concert featured performances by Jewel, Joel Grey,

Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey (born 1 March 1944) is an English singer, musician and actor. He is a co-founder and the lead singer of the Rock music, rock band The Who. Daltrey's hit songs with The Who include "My Generation", "Pinball Wizard", "Won't Ge ...

, and Jackson Browne, among others. An album of the concert was released on compact disc on

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...

as catalog number R2 72405. Snow joined with the pop group

Zap Mama Zap Mama is the music act of Belgian artist Marie Daulne. Zap Mama sings polyphonic and afro-pop music, a harmonic music with a mixture of infused African vocal techniques, urban, hip hop with emphasis on voice. The worldwide success of Zap Mama ...

, who recorded its own version of Snow's "Poetry Man" in an impromptu duet on the PBS series ''Sessions at West 54th''. Hawaiian girl group Nā Leo Pilimehana also had a hit on the

Adult Contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet ...

chart in 1999 with its cover version of "Poetry Man". In May 1998, Snow received the Cultural Achievement Award from

New York City Mayor The mayor of New York City, officially Mayor of the City of New York, is head of the executive branch of the government of New York City and the chief executive of New York City. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property ...

Rudolph Giuliani Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...

. Snow performed for US President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (Birth name, né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 ...

, First Lady

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senat ...

, and his cabinet at

Camp David Camp David is the country retreat for the president of the United States of America. It is located in the wooded hills of Catoctin Mountain Park, in Frederick County, Maryland, near the towns of Thurmont and Emmitsburg, about north-northwes ...

in 1999. In 2003, Snow released her album ''Natural Wonder'' on

Eagle Records Eagle Records is a British record label, a division of Eagle Rock Entertainment, itself a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. In the United Kingdom, the label's managing director is Lindsay Brown, former manager of Van Halen, while in th ...

, containing 10 original tracks, her first original material in 14 years. Snow performed at

's wedding in 2008, and made a special appearance in the film '' Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom'' as herself. Some of her music was also featured on the soundtrack of the film. Her ''Live'' album (2008) featured many of her hits as well as a cover of "

Piece of My Heart "Piece of My Heart" is a romantic soul love song written by Jerry Ragovoy and Bert Berns, originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967. Franklin's single peaked in December 1967 at number 10 on the ''Billboard'' Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles char ...

Personal life and death

Between 1975 and 1978 Snow was married to Phil Kearns (who later

came out as gay Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

). She had a daughter, Valerie Rose, who was born with severe brain damage. Snow resolved not to institutionalize Valerie, and cared for her at home until Valerie died on March 19, 2007, at the age of 31. Snow's efforts to care for Valerie nearly ended her career. She continued to take voice lessons, and she studied opera informally. Snow resided in Bergen County, New Jersey, and in her later years she embraced

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

. Phoebe Snow suffered a

cerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as cerebral bleed, intraparenchymal bleed, and hemorrhagic stroke, or haemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into the tissues of the brain, into its ventricles, or into both. It is one kind of bleed ...

on January 19, 2010, and slipped into a coma, enduring bouts of

blood clots A thrombus (plural thrombi), colloquially called a blood clot, is the final product of the blood coagulation step in hemostasis. There are two components to a thrombus: aggregated platelets and red blood cells that form a plug, and a mesh of cr ...

pneumonia Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severi ...

and

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

. She died on April 26, 2011, at age 60 in

Edison, New Jersey Edison is a township located in Middlesex County,in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated in Central New Jersey within the core of the state's Raritan Valley region, Edison is a commercial hub, home to Menlo Park Mall and Little India. It ...

Discography

Albums

Compilations

* 1981: ''The Best of Phoebe Snow'' * 1995: ''P.S.'' * 2001: ''The Very Best of Phoebe Snow'' * 2012: ''Playlist: The Very Best of Phoebe Snow''

Singles

With other artists

* 1975: "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover" (''

'' album) – with Paul Simon (only background vocals) * 1975: "Gone at Last" (''

'' album) – with Paul Simon * 1975: "Hymn" ('' Aftertones'' album) — with

Janis Ian Janis Ian (born Janis Eddy Fink; April 7, 1951) is an American singer-songwriter who was most commercially successful in the 1960s and 1970s. Her signature songs are the 1966/67 hit " Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)" and the 1975 Top T ...

* 1976: "Smile" (''

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophone, alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental Pop music, pop and R&B. He released his first solo ...

'' album) – with

* 1977: "Everybody Has a Dream" ('' The Stranger'' album) – with Billy Joel (only background vocals) * 1978: "Reelin'" (''One-Eyed Jack'' album) with

Garland Jeffreys Garland Jeffreys (born June 29, 1943) is an American singer and songwriter in rock and roll, reggae, blues, and soul music. Career Jeffreys is from Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, of African American and Puerto Rican heritage. He majored in art his ...

* 1980: "Sometimes Love Forgets" (''Hot Spot'' album) — with

Steve Goodman Steven Benjamin Goodman (July 25, 1948 – September 20, 1984) was an American folk and country singer-songwriter from Chicago. He wrote the song " City of New Orleans", which was recorded by Arlo Guthrie and many others including John Denve ...

* 1982: "You Really Got a Hold on Me" (''

Bobby McFerrin Robert Keith McFerrin Jr. (born March 11, 1950) is an American folk and jazz singer. He is known for his vocal techniques, such as singing fluidly but with quick and considerable jumps in pitch—for example, sustaining a melody while also ra ...

'' album) — with

* 1982: "Hammer & Nails" (''Experiment in White'' album) – with Janis Siegel * 1982: "Whether or Not the World Gets Better" ('' Roll It'' album) – with

Jimmy Salvemini Luther Ronzoni Vandross Jr. (April 20, 1951 – July 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his sweet and soulful vocals, Vandross has sold over 40 million records worldwide. He achieved eleven consecutive P ...

* 1984: "Gravity's Angel" (''

Mister Heartbreak ''Mister Heartbreak'' is the second studio album by avant-garde artist, singer and composer Laurie Anderson, released on February 14, 1984. Like its predecessor, it contains reworked elements of Anderson's ''United States'' ("Langue d'Amour", "Ko ...

'' album) – with

Laurie Anderson Laurel Philips Anderson (born June 5, 1947), known as Laurie Anderson, is an American avant-garde artist, composer, musician, and film director whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and ...

(only background vocals) * 1984: "Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Moe" ('' You're Gettin' Even While I'm Gettin' Odd'' album) – with The J. Geils Band (only background vocals) * 1987: "The One" ('' Unchain My Heart'' album) – with

Joe Cocker John Robert "Joe" Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances that featured expressive body movements. Most of his best known singles were recordings of son ...

* 1987: "Dreams I Dream" ('' Two Hearts'' album) – with Dave Mason * 1984: "Thankful N'Thoughtful" ('' Night Lines'' album) — with

Dave Grusin Robert David "Dave" Grusin (born June 26, 1934) is an American composer, arranger, producer, jazz pianist, and band leader. He has composed many scores for feature films and television, and has won numerous awards for his soundtrack and record w ...

* 1984: "Between Old and New York" (''Night Lines'' album) — with

* 1990: "Don't Piss Me Off" (''Funk of Ages'' album) – with

Bernie Worrell George Bernard Worrell, Jr. (April 19, 1944 – June 24, 2016) was an American keyboardist and record producer best known as a founding member of Parliament-Funkadelic and for his work with Talking Heads. He is a member of the Rock and Rol ...

* 1980: "Club Soul City" (''Scene of the Crime'' album) – with Killer Joe * 1991: "Tossin' and Turnin'" (''Johnnie Be Back'' album) — with Johnnie Johnson * 1991: "Don't Like the Way You Look at My Love" (''Russ Irwin'' album) – with Russ Irwin (only background vocals) * 1992: "Knock on Wood" (''The New York Rock and Soul Revue'' album) — with Michael McDonald * 1993: "A Lover's Question" (''Portrait of the Blues'' album) — with

Lou Rawls Louis Allen Rawls (December 1, 1933 – January 6, 2006) was an American record producer, singer, composer and actor. Rawls released more than 60 albums, sold more than 40 million records, and had numerous charting singles, most notably his s ...

* 1994: "The Feeling" ('' Robotix'' album) – with

Program 2 Polskie Radio Program II, also known as PR2 or Dwójka, is a radio channel produced by the Polish public broadcaster, Polskie Radio. It is dedicated to classical music, culture, and the arts. Thanks to its extensive cooperation with other public ...

* 1993: "Inner City Blues" (''

The World's Most Dangerous Party ''The World's Most Dangerous Party'' was Paul Shaffer's second album, released as a double CD in July 1993. Assembled as if Paul and his band were playing live at a house party, the album features the voices -- but not necessarily singing -- of ...

'' album) – with

Paul Shaffer Paul Allen Wood Shaffer (born November 28, 1949) is a Canadian singer, composer, actor, author, comedian, and multi-instrumentalist who served as David Letterman's musical director, band leader, and sidekick on the entire run of both ''Late Ni ...

& the Party Boys of Rock 'N' Roll * 1993: "My Emotion" (''"Yuri" Original Soundtrack'' album) – with

Hiroshi Fujiwara (born 1964) is a Japanese musician, producer, and designer. Life Fujiwara was born in Ise, Mie. He moved to Tokyo at eighteen and became a standout in the Harajuku street fashion scene. During a trip to New York City in the early 1980s he was in ...

* 1996: "Baby I'm Yours" (''Naked City'' album) — with Avenue Blue feat. Jeff Golub * 1996: "Three Little Birds" (''One World!'' album) — with Gregory Abbott * 1997: "People Get Ready" (''Ladysmith Black Mambazo & Friends'' album) — with

Ladysmith Black Mambazo Ladysmith Black Mambazo are a South African male choral group singing in the local vocal styles of '' isicathamiya'' and '' mbube''. They became known internationally after singing with Paul Simon on his 1986 album ''Graceland'', and have won ...

* 1999: "Fugitive of Love" (''The Importance of Being'' album) – with Ernest Kohl * 1999: "The Best Thing" (''In My Head'' album) — with

Robert Lamm Robert William Lamm (born October 13, 1944) is an American keyboardist, guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a founding member of the rock band Chicago. He wrote many of the band's biggest hits, including " Questions 67 & 68", " Does ...

* 1999: "Swept Away" (''In My Head'' album) — with

* 1999: "One Too Many Mornings" ('' Portraits of Bob Dylan'' album) — with Steve Howe * 1999: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (Harmony album) – with Will & Rainbow * 2003: "For the Love of You" (Harmony album) – with Will & Rainbow * 2003: "Trouble in Mind" (Harmony album) – with Will & Rainbow * 2004: "B-itch/Dumb A-ss" (''

Back In 20 ''Back in 20'' is a rock album released by Gary U.S. Bonds in 2004 on the M.C. Records label. The album features guest appearances by Bruce Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Dickey Betts, and Phoebe Snow. The title of the album is a reference to Bon ...

'' album) – with

Gary U.S. Bonds Gary U.S. Bonds (born Gary Levone Anderson, June 6, 1939) is an American rhythm and blues and rock and roll singer, known for his classic hits "New Orleans" and " Quarter to Three". Career Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Bonds lived in Norfolk, ...

* 2008: "Pray for the USA" (''

Yes We Can! Yes We Can! is a Mediacorp Channel 8 Chinese New Year drama. It stars Romeo Tan, Rebecca Lim, Xu Bin, Sora Ma, Chen Liping, Chen Hanwei, Eelyn Kok and Yao Wenlong as the main casts of the series. The show aired at 9pm on weekdays and had a rep ...

'' album) – with

Maria Muldaur Maria Muldaur (born Maria Grazia Rosa Domenica D'Amato; September 12, 1942) is an American folk and blues singer who was part of the American folk music revival in the early 1960s. She recorded the 1973 hit song " Midnight at the Oasis" and has ...

, Women's Voices For Peace Choir * 2009: "Monkey Around" (Etruscan Soul album) — with

Rob Paparozzi Robert Steven "Rob" Paparozzi (born October 14, 1952) is an American Grammy-nominated harmonica player and vocalist from New Jersey. In the early 1970s, Paparozzi fronted the Psychotic Blues Band, a blues rock group which played extensively in t ...

* 2018: "Oh Happy Day" (''Christmas at the Vatican'' singles) – with

CeCe Peniston Cecilia Veronica "CeCe" Peniston (; born September 6, 1969) is an American singer and former beauty queen. In the early 1990s, she scored five number one hits on the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Music/Club Play. Her signature song " Finally" r ...

Thelma Houston Thelma Houston ( Jackson; born May 7, 1946) Retrieved . is an American singer. Beginning her recording career in the late 1960s, Houston scored a number-one hit record in 1977 with her recording of " Don't Leave Me This Way", which won the Gramm ...

, Recorded Live at The Aula Paolo VI, Vatican City, probably on December 16, 1994.

Various-artists compilations

* 1982: "9 to 5" ('' 9 to 5'' TV programs theme song (1982–1983, 1986–1988) First Season Opening Theme) –

Dolly Parton Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album d ...

cover * 1989: "Darling Be Home Soon" ('' ude Awakening'' Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album) — The Lovin' Spoonful cover * 1990: "Get Ourselves Together" (''Rubáiyát: Elektra's 40th Anniversary'' album) — Delaney, Bonnie & Friends cover * 1995: "Merry Christmas Baby" (''Winter Fire & Snow'' album) — Johnny Moore's Three Blazers cover * 1997: "Time and Love" (''Time and Love – The Music of Laura Nyro'' album) —

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums '' Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (196 ...

cover * 2002: "Single Again" (Sincerely -Mariya Takeuchi Songbook- album) —

Mariya Takeuchi is a Japanese singer and songwriter. Regarded as an influential figure in the city pop genre, she is one of the best-selling music artists in Japan, having sold over 16 million records, and has received several accolades. Her husband is Tat ...

cover * 2002: "Always Here for You" (Once in a Lifetime -Mayo Okamoto Songbook- album) —

Mayo Okamoto is a Japanese pop singer and songwriter. Her 1995 debut single "Tomorrow" peaked at number 1 on the Oricon weekly single charts. She released her greatest hits album ''Rise 1'' in 2000. The album topped the Oricon weekly album charts. Expo 2 ...

cover, Original song title "Dear..." * 2003: "Beams of Heaven" (''Shout, Sister, Shout! – a Tribute to Sister Rosetta Tharpe'' album) —

Sister Rosetta Tharpe Sister Rosetta Tharpe (born Rosetta Nubin, March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973) was an American singer and guitarist. She gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics a ...

cover * 2012: "In My Girlish Days" (''....First Came Memphis Minnie'' album) —

Memphis Minnie Lizzie Douglas (June 3, 1897 – August 6, 1973), better known as Memphis Minnie, was a blues guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter whose recording career lasted for over three decades. She recorded around 200 songs, some of the best known being "W ...

cover

References

External links

Unofficial fan site

''Soul Covers'' by Michael Awkward featuring research on Phoebe Snow

Phoebe's tribute to Valerie
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Snow, Phoebe 1950 births 2011 deaths 20th-century American singers American contraltos American women singer-songwriters American blues singer-songwriters American blues singers American folk singers American folk guitarists American blues guitarists American acoustic guitarists Jewish American musicians Shimer College alumni Singers from New York City Singer-songwriters from New Jersey Singers with a four-octave vocal range Teaneck High School alumni American Buddhists Jewish folk singers 20th-century American guitarists Guitarists from New Jersey Guitarists from New York City 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American women guitarists 21st-century American Jews Singer-songwriters from New York (state) 21st-century American women The New York Rock and Soul Revue members Mirage Records artists

Early life, family and education

Career

Personal life and death

Discography

Albums

Compilations

Singles

With other artists

Various-artists compilations

See also

References

External links