Sarah
Dash
    Sarah was born on August 18, 1945 in Trenton New Jersey. Her early years led to singing and treasured friendships with two other powerful divas, Patti LaBelle and Nona Hendryx. The well documented rise of Patti LaBelle and the Bluebelles, and later LaBelle, focuses on Sarah's early years. Here we pay homage to Sarah's solo career.
     LaBelle's final breakup came in February 1978. By then Patti had started a solo career and Nona was firmly established as a writer poised for her own solo career. Sarah was shaken and cautious about stepping out front and center.
     "Those first few post-split months were tough" revealed Sarah. She was beseeched by Epic Records, LaBelle's label, to do a demo recording and consider an album deal. "That experience taught me never to do anything ever again professionally that I don't feel ready for" vowed Dash. Lacking specific feelings about where her ultimate career goal was, althought somehow the top always seemed the place to go for, Sarah managed to take the plunge with a nightclub gig at a Greenwich Village boite for a week. An acting appearance on a children's show, her first, followed, then another week in the local club.
     Enter old friend Don Kirschner with a piece of advice: "Girl, why sit around and wait? Do it now, make a record and get out there and establish yourself!." The result was her debut self-titled album for Kirschner's own label. The first single was the now legendary "Sinner Man" which raced up the club charts in the fall of 1978. The song brought her instant solo success and Sarah was seen nationally on "Dinah," "Merv" and Kirschner's own "Rock Concert" wailing away. She toured the disco scene with appearances from New York through Detroit, Chicago and eventually Los Angeles. The girl was disco dynamite!. The second single was as good but did not receive the hoopla that "Sinner Man" did. "(Come And Take This Candy) From Your Baby" is highly sought after possibly due to it's limited release? Still her debut solo outing established Sarah as a star in her own right and made her a "disco legend."
     After a year and a half of touring, stage and television appearances and radio interviews supporting her first album, Sarah returned home to New York to record her follow up release.
     "I had a better idea of what I wanted this time" she said. "I went after songs that were more varied, but with all strong melody lines. Don't ask me to explain but this album seems more European to me, more continental than the first one." Producers Wally Gold and Jay Siegel created a diverse musical backdrop on 1980's "Oo-La-La." The ballads, "One Kiss At A Time" and "Let's Put Our Things Together" showcase her astounding 4 1/2 octave range. "Ooh You Don't Get It" reminds you of the New Orleans-styled "Lady Marmalade," while the title track is lifted from a Sasson jeans ad with surprising lyrics added. The uptempo danceable tracks, "I Feel Good Being Me," a song Sarah penned in 1970 and a latin-flavored remake of the Archies hit "Sugar Sugar" could have both benefitted from remixes, still the overall quality of the album rates a solid 8.
     For her third and final album for Kirschner's label she once again chose a variety of material to showcase her diverse vocal abilities. Perhaps it was timing, perhaps she was viewed as a "disco diva" or perhaps the promotion department just dropped the ball. 1981's "Close Enough" came and went with a whimper. With no distinct hit the album seemed to seal her fate as a solo artist. The album listened to, does hold it's own with tracks like: "P.S. I Love You," "City Boy," "Paradise" and my favorite "Only You Can Fill The Need." Producer David Wolfert brought in Ulllanda McCullough and Yvonne Lewis (from her previous album) to round out the vocal sound. While keyboardist Jai Winding and guitarist Steve Lukather also add to the star studded line-up. The album pressed in limited quantities has since become a sought-after collector's item.
     Without a label contract Sarah returned to session work in 1981 with an appearance on The Marshall Tucker Band's "Tuckerized" album. Sarah had done session singing throughout the years beginning with her appearance on Alice Cooper's 1973 release "Muscle Of Love." She also took to the road traveling the globe and gaining international fame.
     By 1982 Sarah had become somewhat forgotten...no major label contract....no group afilliation.....no acting gigs, (she had a minor role in the 1978 turkey "Sgt. Pepper's Lonley Heart's Club Band" 'nuff said!). All that changed when she was approached by the late Patrick Cowley. Cowley, already diagnosed with A.I.D.S., was determined to keep recording and producing when he met Dash. Sarah in need of a career transfusion was receptive to Cowley and his lure of a recording session. The union produced her first hits since "Sinner Man." Unfortunately due to Cowley's failing health they were only able to record two tracks. The first release was 1983's "Low Down Dirty Rhythm." An early morning sleaze dance classic that was initially a West coast smash before gaining nationwide success. The follow-up was the high energy track "Lucky Tonight," a song that brought Dash back to the international spotlight. "Lucky Tonight" featured stunning vocal back-ups by Sarah and the late Sylvester. One can only imagine, had Patrick lived, what the album would have been like. Sadly as the world lost Cowley, Sarah lost her label and producer/disco mentor. Hence there was no further material and no album released.
     Sarah, not one to be taken down lightly, returned to studio session work and touring, mainly the club circuit. Her club appearances during this phase of her career brought Dash to a whole new generation of fans that did not know of her previous participation in LaBelle. And as with most American artists she gained much more popularity abroad than in her native land.
     In 1985 she linked with High Fidelity 3 for an appearance on their Cutting Records 12" single "Satisfaction." The single, albeit good, was not an international smash and H.F. 3 and Dash did not find themselves in demand for further product.
     The next several years Sarah spent getting closer to her religion and ingraining herself in her local New York church.  By 1988 Sarah had come under the management of Charles Huggins. At the time Huggins was married to disco/broadway star Melba Moore. "Peachy" Melba had helped Charlie start Hush Productions as a way to keep him busy and to expand her resources. One of the first artists they signed was friend Dash. Mainly through Melba's Capitol Records connection they were able to secure an album deal for Sarah via EMI-Manhattan records. The resulting album is rich with strong material sung to perfection. Truely a labor of love, the album contains duets with Ray, Goodman and Brown and Patti LaBelle. The Patti/Sarah duet of "You're All I Need (To Get By)" is priceless and evokes memories of early LaBelle recordings. Even with a 12" single released to clubs of "Feel Good" the album failed to catapult Sarah back to the top of the charts, as a matter of fact it failed to even garner her a club hit. Still the album is a highly sought-after collector's item and commands large sums of money on internet auctions.
     After the dismal sales of her 1988 album and it's early 1989 12" release Sarah was released from her contract with EMI-Manhattan Records. By 1990, Sarah still in fine voice, was recruited by ex-Madonna boytoy and Funhouse D.J. John "Jellybean" Benitez for some tracks he was toying with. The resulting collaboration was released on an RCA Records 12" single in October of 1990. "When You Talk To Me" returned Sarah to a down tempo R&B groove that harkened back to the funk of LaBelle, while the b-side track, "Manhandled" was a direct shuffle beat hit. Both songs were mediocre club hits but failed to ignite an intense interest in Dash or a recording contract.
     After 1990 Sarah seems to have disappeared from the musical radar. Perhaps after years of touring, recording and belting out songs Sarah choose to persue a quiet personal life? We do know that she has remained a fixture in the church choir and has done the occasional interview. Let's not count her out just yet.....anyday now you could hear her sweet voice piping out of a radio or in a club, either way you'll know it's SARAH!
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