Photo: Atlantic Records / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Esther Phillips is one of those voices that haunts you. Born in Galveston, Texas, she was a teenage phenomenon as Little Esther before reinventing herself across blues, jazz, soul, and even country with Release Me. What moves me is not just her technique but the lived-in ache in her tone; she sang pain as though it were truth rather than performance. Losing her at forty-eight feels like a genuine loss to American music. Singers since have chased that raw, weathered honesty, and few have caught it. For me she is a reason to put a record on and simply listen.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Esther Phillips
- Name (Japanese)
- エスター・フィリップス
- Reading
- えすたー・ふぃりっぷす
- Born
- December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Boar
- Origin
- Galveston, Texas, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer / jazz musician / soul musician / musician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther%20Phillips
Frequently asked questions
When was Esther Phillips born?
December 23, 1935 – August 7, 1984.
Where is Esther Phillips from?
Esther Phillips is from Galveston, Texas, United States.
What does Esther Phillips do?
Esther Phillips works as singer, jazz musician, soul musician, musician.
Singer — see all → · Jazz musician — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-23
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.