She was called both “Sassy” and “The Divine One.” Sassy because she was mischievous and playful. And The Divine One because her voice seemed to have come from the Gods. She was the opera star of jazz, transforming songs into arias. For nearly 50 years, Sarah Vaughan was one of the dominant voices of American popular music.

As part of the Peabody Award-winning documentary series “Jazz Profiles,” this episode about Sarah Vaughan was produced in 1999 by Joan Merrill and narrated by the show host Nancy Wilson. 

The “Jazz Profiles” shows – nearly 200 of them – are part of the Tim Owens Jazz & Broadcast Collection at the University of North Texas Music Library. In a partnership with Tim and UNTML, we’ve picked a handful of noteworthy shows to share with you. You can find more “Jazz Profiles” shows at the UNT Music Library’s Jazz Syndicate (www.library.unt.edu/jazzsyndicate), and learn more about 32 Bar Blues' clothing collection and commitment to the arts at 32barblues.com