Jessye Norman was born in Augusta, Georgia in 1945, and her singing started in her local church choir. She studied at Howard University and the Peabody Institute, and after winning the International Music Competition in Munich in 1968, her career began in earnest.
Her voice moved through a wide range of material, from Wagner to spirituals like 'Ride On, King Jesus' and 'Oh, What a Beautiful City.' She recorded over 100 albums, working with conductors like Herbert von Karajan and James Levine.
As an African-American woman in opera, she spoke openly about the lack of diversity in the field. Her outspoken nature sometimes drew criticism, but she kept using her platform to address social issues alongside her music.
Keep it compact: a lyric you come back to, a live memory, or the part of the catalog you would point someone toward first.
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