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From: Tjmama5
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  • I so miss Phyllis' masterful vocals. She truly had her very own brand of interpretation and strength to reach into a lyric and make it SOAR

  • Phyllis just makes pretty sounds but Melbs sings from her soul.

  • @MrApollo45 I think the contrary. Melba tries too hard this time...

  • I've watched this video at least six times and I'm just now spotting Nancy Wilson down in the left corner @ the 0:06 mark. Look at her facial expression. She was so excited and we all know who for.

  • @AleekahTV OMG. I notice everything but you're sicker than I am. Yes, that has to be Nancy and she adored Phyllis. She thought Sarah Vaughn & Phyllis "had the greatest pipes, the best instruments".

  • @BiPolarBS LOL I've always been an observant person. But, Nancy certainly has the right idea. And she should include herself within that description as well Chaka Khan. Both are formidable vocalists IMO.

  • Three years later and this arguing is still going on!? Phyllis' eyes at 2:13 speak volumes about this stage sharing crap while striking back with force afterward.

    She called me on the day this was recorded saying she was "going to be on the Essence Awards tonight". I asked her what she was wearing. "All black, and it's sharp" she responded.

  • @BiPolarBS Well she certainly was sharp! Like a dagger in Melba's side, and I love it. Melba knows she is being outsung here.

  • @BiPolarBS Hi :) I would like to ask you a question . who was the make up artist of Phyllis. I so love her make up style.

  • @Lanoelle I saw Phyllis backstage at least 8-10 times. I only saw make-up being put on about 3-4 times, by herself.

  • @BiPolarBS I read a news article online recently that stated that Phyllis was a cosmetician for some time before becoming a professional singer. Since you knew her, can you confirm how true that is?

  • @AleekahTV Don't know anything about being a cosmetician. I don' t think so though. I think she was a spokeswoman for Max Factor and a hand model also. I do know she was a legal secretary before venturing into becoming a professional singer.

  • @BiPolarBS Thank you :)

  • Point blank. Phyllis owned this. She predominately used her lower register for this tribute and still killed it. You can't find a voice as rich as that today.

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  • Yes! it's the FIERCENESS!

  • melba.........is brilliant,,,,,,,,,plus she rocked that short hair for years. Both ladies have their own style

  • Phyllis's voice is like silk. Dang!!!! I could listen to her all day.

  • Wrecked it! Thank you Karyn White for making this popular and then passing the torch to wonderful legends!

  • Phyllis sounds awesome. She does this song justice. I wish she had recoded her rendition of this song!

  • Man this song remind me of how much pipe I used to lay back in the day...Im still laying more pipe than a plumber but boy do this bring back some good mems of the bitches i did fucke.

  • @betomas .......YOU AREA COMPLETE FOOL, DAWG!!!!! LOVIN' THIS COMMENT! LMAO!!!!!!!

  • @craziboiful  I know right? LOL!! But that's just how I do!!!

  • @betomas I ain't mad at you, ma dude......I got dat good wood, bruh..REAL TALK!! HOE'S CAN'T GET ENUF!! WBU??

  • They both are amazing.

  • Melba Moore could have just gone and gotten off the stage..as it is so very clear who the real super woman is..yes! Miss Phyllis Linda Hyman she was on Point! in every way. I love you Phyllis..may God rest your soul baby girl.

  • Not gonna compair they both are really good singers they both went through some trials with the men in their life .

  • Melba, Phyllis still outsung you on this song.

  • You are in denial like the rest of the world. War = Peace,, Slavery = Freedom, Doing Good = Doing Bad.

  • Melba Moore has NO LIMITS to her range...she has highs...and lows...she is just a very unique singer...quite unconventional. Some of you must not know much about Melba Moore's singing style, which while it is not the same as Phyllis Hyman's, it is every bit as remarkable!

  • The audience applauded when MELBA let loose.Watch it again. Even Gladys was cheeing her on!!

  • @MrApollo45

    wouldn't you applaud someone that did not do so well either on National T.V. Michael Jackson's funeral Mariah Carey did horrible but everyone told her how good she did even though she had the jitters/. Gladys was saying she Melba Moore definitely is not a superwoman, if she were she would have hit some notes right! lol

  • @trayday35 Melba's notes are usually on point. Her singing style didn't match with Phyllis.

  • Two different women, two different styles. They are both magnificent, not to be compared with each other ... or anyone else.

  • i just wanted Phyllis to sing a whole song all by herself

  • @TekkaDon1414 yeah..I wanted her to do the whole show all by herself too! 

  • Could it be Melba was intimidated by Phyllis?

  • i love PHYLLIS.. always. And i'm not mad at Melba Moore. She has a wonderful voice and is a great talent. In reality, there are TWO tragic stories here. Melba was forced into poverty by her thieving management. Like others have said, this was just a bad matchup and she tried to overcompensate. Melba didn't have the vocal range and depth of Phyllis. A better match would be Stephanie Mills. There's a LOT of power in that short body. Enough to match Phyllis one on one. RIP Lady. You are Missed.

  • @pulze627 Melba has a quite expansive range and far more range than Stephanie Mills(who is amazing). Melba and Stephanie would have been a good match because their singing styles are similar. There is nothing Stephanie can do vocally that Melba couldn't.

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  • I think it was just a bad match up. Such a smooth sultry voice next to a high voice would like screaming. But Phyllis did "own this" though

  • Phyllis' phrasing was amazing. I agree Melba was such a poor addition. I loved how she sang the lyrics "you like to think that I'm just cra-a-z-eeeeee" fabulous.

  • just think about a duet such as phyllis and patti that would be imerce power style power and range

  • Phyllis is sooooo damn smoothe it ain't even funny! I love Melba too, but everytime Phyllis opened her mouth, it gave me the chills...

  • yeah Melba bless her...trying to do out do Phylis..no way !!!!and God Bless Ms Hyman..Amen x

  • @stevenlx1 Don't be so trivial. These are two artists with DISTINCT sounds. The same thing was said about Patti and Diana when Patti was simply being Patti.

  • Everybody dissing Melba. Every Singer is entitled to a bad night.

  • what year was this?

  • OMG. Sorry to hear that. God bless her too.

  • Phyllis Hyman is on always on point!

  • [0:47] and [0:48] she's (PH) singing WITH shoes!

  • love you girl RIP

  • Phyllis Hyman was the most stylish woman of her time...and that Suductive Voice!! Toni Braxton aint have nothin on the original! lol

  • melba has had some good songs but why did they include her in this song.

  • What year was this recorded? These are two of my most favorite vocalist.

  • Rihanna and Beyonce dnt have shit on theses true artice they dnt sound like this no more.

  • two of Broadway's LEGENDS...

  • I HAVE ONE THING TO SAY... WHO THE HELL WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR AGAIN ATTEMPTING TO INSULT AND HUMILIATE OUR QUEEN PHYLLIS BY HAVING HER TAKE THE STAGE WITH SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOAT BEING FUCKED IN THE ASS? THIS IS TERRIBLE JUST ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE... BAAAH BAAAH BAAAH!

  • @soymiguelalejandro23 mi gente...OMG...stop it...she was just a little zealous...now she is Broadway royalty...:-)

  • @TheSanctifiedSoldier Lmao! Hola Papi ! LOL. U sneaked up on me next time i'll try and censor my comments a bit more... lol :O)

  • @soymiguelalejandro23 Nope hun .. keep calling like it T-I-IS!! I AGREE with your comments whole-heartedly!! This song was NOT for Melba!! Every singer can not sing everything & this was just not her night. Phyllis took it "Home." Gurlfriend was FIERCE!!

  • @soymiguelalejandro23 you know you can't do NO wrong by me mi gente...no need for censorship...te amo bro...;-)

  • @TheSanctifiedSoldier I love you too papa - sorry this comment is over a year late - ha ha ha hope you are okay papi! LOL

  • @soymiguelalejandro23 2:07-2:09 no phyllis did not that phrasing impecciable!

  • Could they have picked a better song to honor Gladys with. This is a song that Gladys remade herself and was not that big of a hit. I mean great talent but could've picked something else.

  • To all the youngin's.....this is what you call "sangin'"...not singing...sangin'. These women put it down!!  now the clothes may look funny to some but this is how the sophisticated black woman dressed....from the hat down to the shoes!

  • Two vocal legends. I loved Melba's strong soprano and Phyllis' suave style and smooth alto.

    Now about their outfits. Boy was that a different time where people were a whole lot more colorful and creative in their expression.

    Miss Phyllis! R.I.P. Mercy I wish she was hear today! And I miss hearing Melba's voice. Think I'm gonna load up my ipod with some of both today.

  • Phyllis was great! I like melba but what the hell is she wearing..and I hated her hair short like that`

  • phyllis did a great job as usual..but melba, melba..that was painful to watch >_<

  • I would have loved to meet Phyllis, but she has her own demons, and it became too much for her. R.I.P.

  • It's one thing to say Melba had an off night, it's quite another to say she screeches and can't sing . Melba and Phyllis had different singing styles and are( and were in Phyllis's case) superb vocalists. Melba is a great singer as was Phyllis and neither could ever have outsung the other. Watch Melba's video for Precious Lord and you will see the range this superb vocalist has. R.I.P. Phyllis

  • @DaxShaw Iagree with you they are/were excellent vocalists in their own right,with different styles....not competing just doing their thing for Gladys.

  • @DaxShaw I agree Melba is a great talent. She still has it in her 60s. I saw her singing when they did her story on Unsung about a year or so ago.

  • Great song well written and true SOUL Music !!!!!

  • Why some people being NASTY towards Melba Moore? This was a wonderful performance. Two distinct styles and sounds working harmoniously together. The incomparable Phyllis is no longer with us BUT the superb Melba Moore is, let's show some appreciation!

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  • I am listening to Phyllis smooth voice, really into it, then the squeal and pink attire distracts me. I still enjoyed the video and no disrespect to Melba. Wish you were here Phyllis RIP

  • Aw man, how could I have forgotten this performance! I the only thing I remember from The 1992 Essence Awards is Denzel Washington and the fabulous En Vogue. But Phyllis Hyman killed it! I wish I could appreciated this back in 1992, but I was only six, and this was old folks music. lol

  • @dadevi IT'S OK I'M 33 AND AS A CHILD LOVED CLASSY MUSIC LIKE THIS

  • I LOVE PHYLLIS HYMAN!!!! R.I.P

  • what Phyllis does at 2:16 is Super Human - miss you Lady P.

  • @Damali5610 I KNOW

  • Amen. Love the fashion and the singing work it Ladies

  • Both ladies can BLOW and to try and compare them would like trying to compare a Sapphire to an Emerald ..Both shine ~!

  • Sorry but this is a Karen White song!! Gladys has enough songs of her own that could have been honored!! Phyllis is remarkable..but Melba will tear the roof off of any stage she sings on!!!

  • @reyrey031068 I completely agree! Both are wonderful singers, but Melba is the complete package! There is no doubt that she should have been more recognized that she was AND still is.

  • They both were great. They have two different singing styles. I love them both. And if you don't think melba has soul listen to her songs "Lean on me" and "Over the Rainbow" Phyllis R.I.P. You put out some good hits. The radios ought to be still playing them instead of the junk they are playing now.

  • I just love Phyllis' smile at the end!

  • You both rock !! RIP Phyllis......Melba congrats on your new cd. You have had many hits. Saw you on Monique and you look GREAT! You both sang for Gladys another great voice. Thanks....

  • @maury0808 Speaking of Gladys She was great in I Can Do Bad By Myself.

  • both ladies sound great

  • phyllis feels the lyrics & melba is belting them...sorry, but i calls 'em as i, in this case, hears 'em....

  • Phyllis dont need no help. Melba is jacking up the tune. The Mighty Phyllis commands the song!

  • @Thorsmith I agree with your comments

  • I'm disturbed by some of the comments about Melba Moore. Miss Moore is just as much a LEGEND as Phyllis Hyman (RIP). In fact Melba was MUCH MORE commercially successful than Phyllis ever was. But BOTH women are excellent singers with very different approaches to music.. This just wasn't Melba's night. It's obvious that she was intimidated by Phyllis' vocal prowess & attempted to out-sing her. Even then it isn't that she sounds completely bad, it's just that Phyllis sounds SO GOOD here.

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  • @ThorSmith you hit the nail on the head

  • @ThorSmith Just because someone was more commercially successful then someone, doesn't necessarily mean they have a better voice.

  • @dutico , I never suggested that. My point is that Miss Moore is an excellent singer, was very popular in her time & deserves some respect! I'm a huge Phyllis Hyman fan as well, but a lot of her current followers didn't jump on board until after she met her tragic demise in the 90's. As good as Miss Hyman was the public just wasn't there for her in the numbers they should've been back in the 70's, 80's & early 90's. Let's respect our Soul Legends while they're still living & creating!

  • @ThorSmith heh Melba gets enough respect. She always had a horrible attitude, and acted like a complete diva!However, she is still a good singer but she was outshined that night.

  • @dutico, what do you base your statements about Melba's "horrible attitude" & "diva shenanigans" on? The two people I know that worked with Miss Moore told me that she was very cooperative & gracious.

  • @ThorSmith Look up the Unsung documentary with Melba Moore, then you will see what i'am refering too.

  • This song is obviously better suited for Phyllis' jazzy-r&b vocals than Melba's Broadway belting. It isn't that Melba can't be soulful & subtle, it's just she attempted to compete with Phyllis here instead of harmonizing with her. This tribute to Miss Knight would've been better had these 2 great vocalists performed a medley of Gladys' actual hits instead of singing Karyn White's hit song together.

  • Phyllis is FEELING the words, melba is plain Yelling them.

  • two tragic singers performing together...phyllis hyman sadly committed suicide in 1995 and in 1990 or 1991 Melba Moore's ex-husband coldly destroyed her career by divorcing her with a forged signature of her's on the divorce papers without her acknowledgment, took all of her money which is in his joint account, and decided to be on welfare to take care of herself and has a hard time finding a job during those hard times and that's sad for the both of them :(

  • R.I.P Phyllis Hyman. I love you and you did a great job singing this song wth Melba Moore

  • can't stand Melba Moore..love Phyllis tho

  • I agree. Her screeching hurts my ears, interrupts Phyllis' smooth vocals.

  • I dunno Idunno first off where is Melba going wit that dress looking like a pink flamingo and she yells to much for me, i really don't hear any singing, now as for Phyllis no words can explain!!!! R.I.P I know your singing in HEAVEN!!!!

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  • Whew!  They both sounded good to me. Great video. Thanx for posting!

  • Melba had a hard time after this. She even had to go on welfare and collect food stamps. Does anyone know when was Phyllis' last live performance and is it on youtube????

  • I think it was virtually impossible for Phyllis to perform bad no matter the obstacle (Melba).

  • Melba shouldn't have been there with Phyllis that was a total mistake Phyllis Hyman's talent couldn't be matched and if she were to have done a duet it would have and was with a male because no female comes close and never will God Rest Her Soul if she only knew how much she was really loved and looked up to!

  • DAMN I wonder how Karyn felt two of the best singing her joint.

  • phyllis styled her ass off on this song! that line she sang "You don't love me the same" did you here how she did that? Melba - my darling this song does not require the contribution of a screech owl! somebody please call the clown in from the apollo - the one with the hooked cane and get this woman off the stage. Damn!

  • i couldn't agree with u more on that...i think 2:30-2:35 constitues a nightmare but ph sang her butt off with such ease its breathtaking

  • ROFLMBAO!!! You ain't neva lied!! Phyllis should have been allowed to blow with this song by herself!! Melba Moore's day has come and passed a looooooong time ago. The voice she "used" to have is gone, leaving only sceeching in it's place Just another "former" dynamite voice destroyed by drug use..

  • @San47di

    Melba-God Bless her- is still goin strong after all her hardship. Where is Miss Phyllis???

  • @MrApollo45 Phyllis killed herself in 1995

  • @San47di Melba never had a drug problem,Phyllis did however.

  • @DaxShaw heh melba had a huge drug problem. She was addicted to crack, this is common knowledge. She even admitted it herself on unsung.

  • @dutico Melba said her ex spread rumors about her being on crack and her voice is not destroyed. If you google Melba Moore on crack or Melba Moore on drugs, etc there is no evidence of a drug problem and if it was common knowledge then there would be lot's of results about it. I'm not bashing Phyllis(may she R.I.P) at all or judging her. Melba can still sing her hits live and not miss a beat

  • @DaxShaw Heh you didn't read what I wrote. Look up the documentary Unsung with Melba Moore. There she talks about her past substance abuse addiction.

  • @dutico I did read what you wrote and Unsung must be the only time she discussed any addiction. Her voice is also not destroyed considering she can still sing her hits and any addiction she may have had is not well known and isn't the reason for her career falling apart.

  • @DaxShaw Never said her voice was destroyed, just that her voice is not as good as Phyllis's. You don't analyze what people post that well, do you?

  • @dutico you said another dynamite voice destroyed by drug use. You need to reread your own post(no disrespect intended). I like Phyllis's voice better myself but Melba's is hardly destroyed.

  • @dutico sorry, I mixed your post up with someone else's. My bad and I apologize

  • @DaxShaw np :)

  • totally agree with you soy.. I keep replaying Lady P singing that line - tears me up every time

  • yes she sang it so powerfully and Phyllis had total of control of her voice even when she went into her upper register. when Melba goes up there she doesn't have that same quality of control and it comes across as the screaming and screeching of a wounded wildebeast in heat. very awful offensive and damned unnecessary.

  • Melba sounded great too. She has a soaring soprano voice.

  • @deep71483 well...okay... if u say so....?

  • @soymiguelalejandro23 MR. SANDMAN

  • @soymiguelalejandro23 I'm sittin' in from of my computer bout to laugh myself into a coma @ your take of this performance cuz YOU-AIN'T-NEVA-LIED! LMAO! Phyllis should have carried this all by her lonesome! Bless lil Melba's heart- sidin' w/ Phyllis?? The absolute WRONG thing for her to attempt! I LUV how nice & gratious Lady Phyllis was about the whole thing. Knowin' Phyllis as we all used to, I can imagine the thoughts going thru her mind w/ every off-keyed screech Melba made!! LOL

  • @soymiguelalejandro23 Melba was doing Patti's part. LOL

  • @soymiguelalejandro23 lol. Absolutely outragous! Melba Moore is a legend. 

  • @ThrowbackSoul thank you,Melba is every bit the legend Phyllis was and is,they just had different vocal styles but both were incredible

  • @soymiguelalejandro23 Well said

  • Drooling over my keyboard at Denzel, L0L! And Melba always had poor fashion taste! Phyllis was marvelous as usual and she working that outfit, too!

  • wow!!! phyllis aint need nobody with her on that stage. she woulda been just fine by herself. melba sounded like she was screaming

  • melba was awful just awful why t.f. did they bring her out there to ruin such a beautiful song and dare attempt to stand in Phyllis most magnificent light? poor taste personified!

  • Damn Denzel was sexy!

  • my ears! @melba

  • Both Phyllis and Melba did good, I prefer this over Rihanna and Beyonce any day of the week. You can look at Phyllis Hyman and tell she had a background in Theatre and movies i could see all of that in her performance here. Melba is a force to be reckoned with also.

  • Yeah, they're all good. I always loved P. Hymen. BUT!!!! U gotta hand it to her, Ms. Knight is PHENOMENAL! Total class act. A real lady in every respect of the word. Vocally I liked Phyllis better, but ooooohwe! Gladys has that deep smokey quality to her voice. AMEN Y'ALL!

  • @TheReformed1 I think that if Brandy continues to sing that they way that her voice has matured to a that deep rich tone that it will mellow out to be of a similar quality of Ms. Gladys' voice. Gladys as far as I can think of right now is the only singer from that era that moves me beyond words and I am mesmerized when she sings and she still sounds the same. MY top5 Female vocal favs are Brandy Bey Anita Gladys and of course the Legendary Phyllis! After that Tweet, Vivian Green & Selena!

  • Listen to how Phyllis styles this song!! You like to think that i'm just craaazy, that run is awesome!! that's a song stylist!, not just a singer, but a stylist!

  • that is true; although patti is my top dollar phyliss can not be touched when it comes to styling a tune. she is incredible. melba is better than i expected also.

  • Fantastic - But did Melba Moore turn up to sing Opera in that dress? lol

  • Phyllis Hyman was smooth as silk, but that Melba Moore sounded as dreadful as she looked. OMG! No wonder she never had a career.

  • Smooth as silk is right.

  • @MynameisNicholasToo Excuse you, Melba has had quite a career on the stage and in music. She had more hits than Phyllis and is a respected Broadway performer, as was Phyllis. This is not to diss Phyllis who was exceptional but please don't flatter Phyllis at the expense of Melba. Both are (and were in Phyllis's case) divas who are heads and tails above Beyonce and her group

  • @DaxShaw I completely agree! Finally someone has the sense enough to realize it! Thank you!

  • I advice people to see both Melba Moore's and Phyllis Hyman Segment of :Unsung, the Story of...

    Both of there life stories are on youtube,

    You'll see that even though they have distinct voices and styles, they life story is pretty sad and tragic, the program

    Made me admire them more as the artist they are, on a personal level phyllis is a legend and melba is a great artist.

  • distinctive voices.....not the same ole cookie cutter sound we heard today

  • MELBA NO MORE!! OUCH GO PHYLLIS

  • It was so smooth and easy until Melba started to sing...UGH why was she trying so hard?!?!?

  • Gladys seemed to like it...it was her tribute, so who cares what we think.

  • Wonderful Medlony!!!!!!

  • plz, just credit two great talents, and stop comparing.

  • Two really great talents that complimented each other in this song. I love the soul !! Thanks Melba and Phyllis, you two came together for one GREAT cause Gladys !!! R.I.P. Phyllis !!

  • soulbrotha#63 that comment about Phyllis was smooth..my man!

  • Melba Moore is a Broadway actress and singer....so she had to be able to project strongly as a singer......Phylis Hyman's voice reminds me of the female version of Luther Vandross....velvety smooth but can get down if need to be.......these woman are phenomenal!

  • Phyllis also was a Broadway singer and artist and was nominated for a Tony Award herself Melba may have won a Tony but her day was well over at the point they did this song at the Esence Music Awards in 92' as for the "Luther" comment I agree totally people can't put Phyllis up against other female artists or even male ones as far as I'm concerned she is the "Bea Arthur" of entertainment a true natural talent!

  • *Was the "Bea Arthur" sorry its so hard to type/write about Phyllis the past ense thats how shocking her death was and is to me I still 14 years later can't believe she is gone it hasn't set in and never will!