Marian Anderson
by A. S.
I was born on February 27, 1897
in South Philadelphia. My parents were warm and
hardworking. My father, John Anderson, sold ice and
coal. My mom used to be a teacher. In 1912, my dad suffered a
head wound at work and died soon after. My mom, sisters, and I moved in
with my dad’s parents, and my mom found work cleaning, laundering and
scrubbing floors.
At first, I started playing the violin, but then I switched to singing. I began singing for my church choir when I was only 6 years old. I was nick named the ‘baby contralto’. I had my first formal voice lesson when I was 15 years old and took regular lessons to develop my voice thanks to my church. The Union Baptist Church had started a fund for me to collect the money needed so that I could receive formal training. I became a popular singer by performing with the church choir and the Philadelphia Choral Society. I began getting invitations to sing, sometimes several performances a night. Soon, the invitations were more like tours. I started charging for the performances, and after a while I was earning $100 per concert.
I was a contralto singer. I mostly sang opera. My first real performance was on August 26, 1925 at the New York Philharmonic. Three years later, I performed at Carnegie Hall for the first time.
In 1939, when I felt I was ready to sing at Constitutional Hall in Washington, D.C., my manager tried to book it for me. The director told him that the Hall was not available. A rival director was told that the same date was open to sing at the Hall, and my manager found out. The director then yelled at us and said that no blacks could appear in the Hall. This is an example of the obstacles I had to try to overcome as a black singer.
In 1955, I broke the color barrier by becoming the first African-American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera. I was best remembered for the time I performed on Easter Sunday, 1939 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Since, I broke the color barrier for singing, other singers could sing in special places now, too. Also, I was a goodwill ambassador for the United States for many years before being named an official representative to the United Nations in 1958. I then was awarded the UN Peace Prize in 1972. I retired from singing in 1965. I died in 1993 while at my nephew's house in Portland, Oregon when I was 96. Who am I?
At first, I started playing the violin, but then I switched to singing. I began singing for my church choir when I was only 6 years old. I was nick named the ‘baby contralto’. I had my first formal voice lesson when I was 15 years old and took regular lessons to develop my voice thanks to my church. The Union Baptist Church had started a fund for me to collect the money needed so that I could receive formal training. I became a popular singer by performing with the church choir and the Philadelphia Choral Society. I began getting invitations to sing, sometimes several performances a night. Soon, the invitations were more like tours. I started charging for the performances, and after a while I was earning $100 per concert.
I was a contralto singer. I mostly sang opera. My first real performance was on August 26, 1925 at the New York Philharmonic. Three years later, I performed at Carnegie Hall for the first time.
In 1939, when I felt I was ready to sing at Constitutional Hall in Washington, D.C., my manager tried to book it for me. The director told him that the Hall was not available. A rival director was told that the same date was open to sing at the Hall, and my manager found out. The director then yelled at us and said that no blacks could appear in the Hall. This is an example of the obstacles I had to try to overcome as a black singer.
In 1955, I broke the color barrier by becoming the first African-American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera. I was best remembered for the time I performed on Easter Sunday, 1939 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
Since, I broke the color barrier for singing, other singers could sing in special places now, too. Also, I was a goodwill ambassador for the United States for many years before being named an official representative to the United Nations in 1958. I then was awarded the UN Peace Prize in 1972. I retired from singing in 1965. I died in 1993 while at my nephew's house in Portland, Oregon when I was 96. Who am I?