Jason A. Michael, whose book “Strength of a Woman: The Phyllis Hyman Story,” has just been published, said Hyman’s life piqued his interest after her passing in 1995. At the time, Michael was working for singer Betty Wright, who was close friends with Hyman. Wright, like others, was not surprised upon hearing that Hyman had taken her own life.

Born in Philadelphia, Phyllis Hyman had a string of hits from 1977 to the time of her passing, including “Betcha By Golly Wow,” “Somewhere in My Lifetime,” “Living All Alone,” “Don’t Wanna Change the World,” “Living in Confusion” and a duet with Michael Henderson, “Can’t We Fall in Love Again?”

Her jazzy, sultry voice and style made her different than most other singers at the time, and has been an influence on others, including Toni Braxton.

“Shortly after she died, the idea came to me,” said Michael. “I was working in Miami for Betty Wright when Phyllis died. I saw she was devastated but not surprised. My journalistic instincts kicked in and I said there must be a story here.”

However, Michael did not complete the book until this year. He tried three times.

“I started researching but I was still in college and I did not get very far,” Michael said. “When I moved back to Michigan in 1997, I began for a second time to work on the project and again I did not get very far. But the dream had never left me.”

While writing the book, Michael was unsuccessful in finding publishing companies that were interested in printing her story.

Michael said he learned some fascinating things about Hyman.

“Her desperate need to be in control oftentimes only caused her to spiral further out of it. I say that there is a little bit of Phyllis Hyman in everyone.”
He added that during his research, he was touched and, in a way, inspired by her battle with manic depressive/bipolar disorder. The author admits to having many of the same issues.

Michael believes that Hyman never received the recognition he believes she deserved because her music was not as commercially viable.

“Phyllis never reached that superstar status,” Michael said. “She never had hits across the board. Phyllis had and still has an large, devoted fan base, but because she’s not a household name like Whitney Houston, the publishing industry did not feel there was a market for her story. That was part of why it took me so long to get the book out there.”

Jason A. Michael is a Detroit-based entertainment writer. After discussions with dozens of reputable publishing houses, he learned that few remembered Phyllis Hyman and that publishing executives felt there would be little or no interest in a biography about her. Consequently, he formed his own company, JAM Books.

Michael earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Wayne State University before joining the staff of “Between the Lines,” a Detroit-based news and arts weekly that caters to a particular audiences. He has written for this publication for eight years. His work has also appeared in the anthologies “Journeys Across the Rainbow: Inspirational Stories for the Human Race” (Rainbow Pride Press, 2000), and “America Now” (Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, 1998).

For more information on “Strength of a Woman: The Phyllis Hyman Story,” contact phyllishymanstory@yahoo.com or visit www.phyllishymanstory.com.

Fortunately, much of Phyllis Hyman’s music is still available, in stores and at amazon.com.