Doing research on Mary Anderson was quite interesting and exciting for me. Marian Anderson was a very unique person and singer as well. Being though she was born through some racial prejudice time she had some things she had to go through. What I can say she didn't give up at what she was doing. What made me want to research her was because she seem to be a very strong and determine person through her pictures. I said to myself I would like to learn more about her. To me, it seem to be a good learning experience. In this passage I will be discussing her background briefly, beginning of life, education, career time in Europe , middle of life time and end of life time, awards and legacy.
Marian Anderson was born on February 27, 1897 in Philadelphia Pa, and died in Portland Oregon on April 8, 1993. She was a singer with a gifted voice that was deep and vibrant. she one of the most recognized singers from the 20th century. Her voice had a quality of beauty. Between 1925-1965 Marian performed throughout the United States and Europe in concerts & recital major venues and orchestras. Anderson had become an important figure because of the struggle to overcome the racism in the united States in the mid 20th century. 1939 she was refused the permission to sing to an integrated crowd in Constitutional Hall by Daughter of the American Revolution. The racial refusal put her in the spotlight of the international community on level usually found by high profile celebrities and politicians. Also in 1939 with the help of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt, Anderson performed on Easter Sunday on the steps of Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. to over 75,000 people and radio listeners audience was millions. Anderson continued to break the barriers for black singes and artist in the United States. 1960 during the Civil Rights Movement she became a important figure of beauty and grace. 1963 she sung at the march on Washington for Work& Freedom. Briefly letting you know what going on I will talk about the beginning of her life.
The oldest daughter of three born to John Berkly Anderson who was a truck loader and his own little liquor business and Annie Delilah Rucker who was a school teacher in Virginia. Her two sister Alice (1899-1965) and Ethel (1902-1990) were singers as well. Her sister Ethel had a son who is noted conductor James DePreist. Her parents were devoted Christians and went to the Union Baptist Church in South Philadelphia. That is where she was convince by her dad sister to join the junior choir at the age of 6. She had the opportunity to sing duets and solos. When she go in her teens she was paid four and five dollars for her singing which in her time considered to be a lot of money. She stared singing at a young age she was an educated individual to.
She attended Stanton grammar school and graduated in 1912. Her family couldn't afford to send her to high school, so she learned from who ever was willing to teach her. She also continued to perform while trying to learn. She joined Campfire Girls and Baptist Young People Union which provided her some musical opportunities. The pastor at the church she was attending and others from the community got together to raise money for her to get singing lessons with Mary S. Patterson and to attend South Philly High and she graduated in 1921. After high school she tried to apply for a all white music school and she was refused by a lady that said we don't accept people of color. Her principle was an help and introduced her to a talented music teacher Giuseppe Boghetti. She did an excellent performance for him that brought him to tears. She received private lessons from Giuseppe and Agnes Reifsynder with the support of her community. 1925 Anderson got the chance to perform and won a singing competition. As winner she got a chance to perform with an orchestra on August 27, 1925 a performance that scored immediate success. She remained in New York to pursue more studies with Frank LaForge and Arthur Judson who became her manger. Over the years she performed in a number of concerts but racism slowed her career from gaining. So she eventually went to Europe spent some months studying with Mme Charles Cahier. She also started a little career while over in Europe.
1930 she made her Europe debut concert in Wighor Hall in London where she did good she didn't have to worry about racist encounters. She met a pianist in Scandinavia while traveling name Kosti Vehanen who became her vocal coach. While in Europe she met and later had professionally partnered up with a guy name Jean Sibelius. They got to know one another and had become good friends. He liked and her singing and thought that it was very touching. They became partners and he wrote song for her to perform. 1934 she met a man name Sol Hurok who had offered her a better contract than the one she currently had with Arthur Judson. She took he opportunity and he became her manager for the rest of the time she was performing in Europe. Eventually he persuaded her to go back to America to perform. 1935 she performed in New York at Town Hall and received highly compliments from music critics. The next four years she continued touring in the US and Europe. Anderson and Vehanen traveled together and tour and the mid 1930's. She visited eastern Europe capitals and Russia and then returned back to Scandinavia where it was Marian fever because her singing traveled through out the small towns. She became a favorite to conduction of European orchestras and drew very large crowds.
During her mid life in World War 2 and the Korean war Anderson entertained the troops at bases and hospitals. July 17, 1943 in Bethel Connecticut Anderson became the second wife to architect Orpheus H. Fisher (1990-1986) also known as King she became step mom to his son James Fisher and they brought 100 acre farm in Danbury. January 7, 1955 she became the first African American to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. 1957 she performed for president Dwight Eisenhower intro to office and toured in India and Far East as a goodwill ti the US State Department and America National Theater and Academy. She traveled over 30,000 miles in 12 weeks performed 24 concerts. 1961 she sang for John F. Kennedy intro to office and in 1962 she performed for President John F. Kennedy and other important people in the east Room of the whit house and toured Australia. 1965 she retired from singing and still appeared in the public. Anderson achievements were very well recognized and she received many of awards like the UN Peace Prize in 1972, University of Penn Glee Club in 1973, Congressional Gold Medal in 1977, Kennedy Center Honor in 1978, George Peabody in 1981, National Medal of Arts in 1984, and Grammy Award for Lifetime achievement in 1991. !986 Anderson husband died after 43 years of marriage. She remained at their farm called Marianna until 1992, one year before her death. The property sold to developers but the city of Danbury fought to protect her studio and the effort was good and Danbury Museum & Historical society received a grant from the state of Connecticut and relocated and was restructed and opened for the public in 2004. 1993 Marian Anderson died at the age of 96 from a heart attack a moth after she had a stroke at the home she shared with her nephew James Depreist.The life of Marian Anderson has inspired many artist and writers who took the time to write plays and documentaries. She was listed as one of 100 Greatest African American by scholar Molefi Kete Asante.
In conclusion Marian Anderson made some of what history today. She had some task to achieve and she did it. She did not let anybody hold her back and tell what she couldn't do. She was a very determine individual. She showed people that she would come out on top even with the struggle she had. I admire her for that because there were many people who believed and still do believe that African Americans couldn't amount to anything and she one of the many African Americans that showed black people can do things also.
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