Sandra Reaves-Phillips

Sandra Reaves-Phillips (December 23, 1944 – December 29, 2023) was an American actress, writer, and singer.

Reaves-Phillips was born in Mullins, South Carolina, and made her Broadway debut as Mama Younger in the 1973 musical ''Raisin''. She later performed in many stage productions, including ''Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'', ''Black and Blue'', ''Blues in the Night'', ''Harmony'', ''American Dreams'', ''Before It Hits Home'', and ''The Late Great Ladies of Blues and Jazz''. She received Joseph Jefferson award nomination for ''Low Down Dirty Blues'' in 2010. She also received two nominations for an Helen Hayes Award and received a Drama League Award for Outstanding Performer for ''Rollin' on the T.O.B.A.'' on Broadway.

Reaves-Phillips also appeared in a number of movies, include ''The Happy Hooker'' (1975), ''Round Midnight'' (1986) for which she received NAACP Image Awards nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, ''Lean on Me'' (1989), and ''For Love or Money'' (1993). On television, she appeared in ''Homicide: Life on the Street'' and ''Law & Order''.

Reaves-Phillips died on December 29, 2023, six days after her 79th birthday. Provided by Wikipedia