Ceybil Jefferies, also known by the

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

Sweet Sable, was an American

house A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air c ...

and R&B

vocalist Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define singi ...

best known for her work during the 1990s, including the 1996

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

house single, " It's Gonna Be Alright" with Deep Zone, which hit No. 20 on the ''

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 ...

Dance Club Songs The Dance Club Songs (also known as National Disco Action, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance Club Play) was a chart published weekly between 1976 and 2020 by ''Billboard'' magazine. It used club disc jockeys set lists to determine the mos ...

chart. Her other best known singles include "Love So Special" and "Open Your Heart", both of which reached the top 20 of the ''Billboard'' Dance Club Songs chart in 1991. Jefferies, who sometimes went by the stage name Sweet Sable beginning in 1994, often changed the spelling of her name or reinvented it, depending on the release. Variations of her name included Ceybil, Sable Jefferies, her birthname Sybil Jefferies, and Ceybil Jeffries.

Biography

Born Sybil Jefferies, she was a native of

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

. She initially signed with

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over the course of its first two decades, starting from the release of its first recor ...

, which released her debut album, ''Let Music Take Control'' in 1991. Two singles from the album, "Love So Special" and "Open Your Heart," were both top 20 hits on the ''

chart that same year. Prior to the release of her sophomore album, ''Open Your Heart'', Jefferies left Atlantic Records to sign with

Scotti Brothers Records Scotti Brothers Records (typically spelled Scotti Bros. Records) was a California-based record label founded by Tony and Ben Scotti in 1974. Their first success was releasing singles and albums from teen pop star Leif Garrett. They later helpe ...

under the new artist name "Sable Jefferies". The first single from the album, "Friends (For Old Time Sake)," was more heavily influenced by the

new jack swing New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley, Bernard Belle, Jimmy Jam and Te ...

genre, rather than her earlier

house music House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...

work. "Friends (For Old Time Sake)" proved successful by reaching No. 15 on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart and No. 2 on the ''Billboard''

Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...

chart. Shortened to "Old Time's Sake," her song was included on the ''

Above the Rim ''Above the Rim'' is a 1994 American sports drama film co-written and directed by Jeff Pollack in his directorial debut. The screenplay was written by Barry Michael Cooper, adapted from a story by Benny Medina. The film stars Duane Martin, ...

'' film soundtrack in 1994 under her moniker Sweet Sable. The album also spawned two other singles, "Tonight" and "Love Thang," which both landed on the ''Billboard'' R&B chart. "Love Thang" reached No. 1 on the former ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Breakdowns chart in 1995, beating out Usher's " Think of You", which peaked at No. 2 behind Jefferies' song. In 1996, she collaborated with

house group Deep Zone to provide vocals for the single, " It's Gonna Be Alright" under her original name Ceybil Jefferies. "It's Gonna Be Alright" peaked at No. 20 on the

chart. In a review at the time,

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the musi ...

from ''

'' described the song as "a joyfully optimistic romp merging edgy house beats with keyboards that are, by turns, jazzy and retro-disco. Life in the urban lane has done wonders for Jefferies' voice, which is now far more assured and smooth." Jefferies continued to record and release music into the 2000s. However, she was diagnosed with

neurosarcoidosis Neurosarcoidosis (sometimes shortened to neurosarcoid) refers to a type of sarcoidosis, a condition of unknown cause featuring granulomas in various tissues, in this type involving the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Neurosarcoidosi ...

, an inflammatory type of

sarcoidosis Sarcoidosis (; also known as Besnier–Boeck–Schaumann disease) is a disease involving abnormal collections of White blood cell, inflammatory cells that form lumps known as granulomata. The disease usually begins in the lungs, skin, or lymph n ...

that severely affected her

lungs The lungs are the primary organs of the respiratory system in many animals, including humans. In mammals and most other tetrapods, two lungs are located near the backbone on either side of the heart. Their function in the respiratory syste ...

and breathing capacity. Her diagnosis effectively ended her singing career. Additionally, Jefferies lost much of her

vision Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain und ...

due to the illness. Jefferies died from

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

in April 2020. Her death was announced and confirmed by music industry colleagues on April 10, 2020, including record producer

Salaam Remi Salaam Remi Gibbs (born May 14, 1972) is an American record producer. He is most known for producing material for close associates Nas, Amy Winehouse, and Jazmine Sullivan, but has also produced for other mainstream acts including Alicia Key ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jefferies, Ceybil Date of birth unknown 1962 births 2020 deaths 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American women singers American house musicians American contemporary R&B singers Scotti Brothers Records artists Singers from Brooklyn People with sarcoidosis Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in New York (state) Atlantic Records artists