Sandra Reaves-Phillips (born December 23, 1944) is an American actress, writer and singer. Reaves-Phillips was born in

Mullins, South Carolina Mullins is a city in Marion County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,663. Incorporated on March 4, 1872, Mullins was named after Col. William S. Mullins, who served as a representative for Marion Co ...

and made her Broadway debut as Mama Younger in the 1973 musical ''

Raisin A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the d ...

''. She later performed in many stage productions, including ''

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom ''Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' is a 1982 play – one of the ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle by August Wilson, and the only one not set in Pittsburgh – that chronicles the 20th-century African-American experience. The play is set in a recording stud ...

'', ''

Black and Blue ''Black and Blue'' is the 13th British and 15th American studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones, released on 23 April 1976 by Rolling Stones Records. This album was the first recorded after former guitarist Mick Taylor qui ...

'', '' Blues in the Night'', ''

Harmony In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. Howev ...

'', ''American Dreams'', ''

Before It Hits Home ''Before It Hits Home'' is a play by Cheryl West. Background The show was originally workshopped by the Seattle Group Theatre at the Multicultural Playwrights Festival in 1989, then later was given a reading at the Circle Repertory Company in 199 ...

'', and ''The Late Great Ladies of Blues and Jazz''. She received

Joseph Jefferson award The Joseph Jefferson Award, more commonly known informally as the Jeff Award, is given for theatre arts produced in the Chicago area. Founded in 1968, the awards are named in tribute to actor Joseph Jefferson, a 19th-century American theater star ...

nomination for ''Low Down Dirty Blues'' in 2010. She also received two nominations for an

Helen Hayes Award The Helen Hayes Awards are theater awards recognizing excellence in professional theater in the Washington, D.C. area since 1983. The awards are named in tribute of Helen Hayes, who is also known as the "First Lady of American Theatre." They ar ...

and received a

Drama League Award The Drama League Awards, created in 1922, honor distinguished productions and performances both on Broadway and Off-Broadway, in addition to recognizing exemplary career achievements in theatre, musical theatre, and directing. Each May, the awards ...

for Outstanding Performer for ''Rollin' on the T.O.B.A.'' on Broadway. Reaves-Phillips also appeared in a number of movies, include ''

The Happy Hooker ''The Happy Hooker: My Own Story'' is a best-selling memoir by Xaviera Hollander, a call girl, published in 1971. It sold over 20 million copies. Robin Moore, who took Hollander's dictations of the book's contents, came up with the title, while ...

'' (1975), '' Round Midnight'' (1986) for which she received

NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, '' Lean on Me'' (1989), and '' For Love or Money'' (1993). On television, she appeared in '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' and ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering o ...

''.

References

External links

* Living people 1944 births Actresses from South Carolina African-American actresses American film actresses American stage actresses American women singers 20th-century African-American women singers 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women {{US-tv-actor-1940s-stub