Rebecca Parris
Rebecca Parris (born Ruth Blair MacCloskey; December 28, 1951 – June 17, 2018) was an American jazz singer. During her career she appeared with Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Burton, and Dizzy Gillespie. She performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Oslo Jazz Festival, and the International Floating Jazz Festival.
Rebecca Parris
- Name
- Rebecca Parris
- Birth Name
- Ruth Blair MacCloskey
- Born
- 28 December 1951
- Birthplace
- Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Died
- 17 June 2018
- Place of death
- South Yarmouth, Massachusetts
- Occupation
- Singer
- Nationality
- United States
- Fields
- jazz
- Honours
- Boston Music Awards
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Documentary summary
Rebecca Parris (born Ruth Blair MacCloskey; December 28, 1951 – June 17, 2018) was an American jazz singer. During her career she appeared with Count Basie, Buddy Rich, Wynton Marsalis, Gary Burton, and Dizzy Gillespie. She performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, Oslo Jazz Festival, and the International Floating Jazz Festival.
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Rebecca Parris (1951–2018) was an American musician and singer. The musician was born in Newton.
Genres include jazz. Rebecca Parris received Boston Music Awards.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 27 September 2026
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In this article
Biography
Biography
She won the Boston Music Awards nine times.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Rebecca Parris • Birth Name — Ruth Blair MacCloskey • Born — 28 December 1951 • Birthplace — Newton, Massachusetts, U.S. • Died — 17 June 2018 • Place of death — South Yarmouth, Massachusetts • Genre — Jazz • Occupation — Singer • Years Active — 1985–2018 • Website — rebeccaparris.com
Early life
Early life
Born Ruth Blair MacCloskey in Newton, Massachusetts, Parris was the youngest of three daughters born to musicians Edmund M. MacCloskey and Shirley Robinson, and the niece of vocal coach Blair McCloskey. She derived her stage names, respectively, from her own nickname, Becky (acquired early in life owing to her perceived resemblance to the title character of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm), and from the Cole Porter song "I Love Paris".
Death
Death
On June 17, 2018, Parris died at the age of 66.
Critical reception
"I hear a little Carmen McRae when I listen to Rebecca", said Ron DellaChiesa, the jazz disk jockey at WGBH in Boston. "And a little Sarah Vaughan. I think she's on that level". "Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McRae were my friends while they were alive, and it was a huge blessing to know them," said Parris. "And being accepted as one of them was huge".
Discography
• Year — Title — Label • 1984 — A Passionate Fling — Shira • 1990 — Love Comes and Goes — Entertainment Exclusives • 1993 — Spring — Musicmasters • 1994 — A Beautiful Friendship — Altenburgh • 1994 — It's Another Day with Gary Burton — GRP • 1998 — Live at Chan's — Shira • 1999 — Double Rainbow — Shira • 2001 — My Foolish Heart — Koch • 2002 — The Secret of Christmas — Shira • 2007 — You Don't Know Me — Saying It with Jazz
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Montminy, Judith (May 14, 1989). "Rebecca Parris' Career Reaches High Note". The Boston Globe. p. . Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- 2.McKenna, Kathleen (May 14, 2006). "'It's been a drag,' but it's spring, again, for Parris; Parris back on stage again". The Boston Globe. Sec. South, pg. 11
- 3.Chow, Andrew R. Rebecca Parris, Jazz Singer, Is Dead at 66. The New York Times. June 22, 2018.
- 4.Rebecca Parris, 66, jazz singer of uncommon range and emotional depth. Msn.com.
- 5."Obituaries: Shirley MacCloskey; Was organist at Newton church". The Boston Globe. December 8, 1991. p. 111. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
- 6.All About Jazz. 10 January 2007.
- 7.Taylor, Denise. Noted jazz singer revisits home turf at Newton South. The Boston Globe. 8 September 2005.
- 8.Clark, Emily. Local jazz icon Rebecca Parris dies at 66. Duxbury.wickedlocal.com.
References
Citations
References
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Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 19 August 2026.
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