Joe Carter, 57, singer and actor
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BY PRATIK JOSHI
Pioneer Press
Internationally acclaimed singer and actor Joe Carter, a powerful
presence for years in Penumbra Theater Company's annual "Black
Nativity," died of leukemia Monday. He was 57.
He became known globally for his solo show, "A Song in the Night,"
which portrayed the life of slaves in the 1800s and music's role in
helping them face adversity. Carter shared their stories with audiences
in more than 300 cities on five continents.
To him, music was a way of serving God, said his sister Joy King of
Lowell, Mass. For years, he performed in Penumbra's popular "Black
Nativity," which used Negro spirituals and gospel music to tell the
Christmas story. A native of Massachusetts, Carter made his home in St.
Paul in the late 1980s but managed to find worldwide opportunities to
perform.
With a full-throated voice like Paul Robeson, he was a dynamic presence
onstage, said Lou Bellamy, founder and artistic director of Penumbra.
Carter's performance was imbued with a spiritual quality that resonated
with audiences, said Twin Cities actor and vocalist T. Mychael Rambo,
who performed locally with Carter.
Friends say his spiritual journey began at 19 as a Pentecostal minister
in Haiti, where he discovered a world more divided than he expected.
Whether speaking in public or singing from a podium, he sought to heal
wounds and promote harmony, they said.
His signature line was: "I am a member of one race: the human race,"
said his friend Larry Reynolds, minister of worship at St. Stephen's
Episcopal Church in Edina.
He spoke widely at colleges, churches and gatherings in the United
States and abroad. In 1997, he was invited by Rajmohan Gandhi, grandson
of Mahatma Gandhi, to speak during 50th anniversary events marking
India's independence.
Reynolds said Carter was a goodwill ambassador who sang from his soul.
"He couldn't read a note of music" but served as a teaching artist at
VocalEssence, a choral music program in Minneapolis, Reynolds said.
Until his cancer was diagnosed in January 2005, he regularly
participated in concerts and shows.
He drew attention for his role in the Minnesota Opera's 1989 production
of "Show Boat." Over the years, he also played lead roles in "Big
River," "Amahl and the Night Visitors," "Lost in the Stars" and
"Playboy of the West Indies."
In December 2002, he produced and performed "A Gospel Holiday With Joe
Carter and Friends" for Minnesota Public Radio. Last year, he performed
in the North Star Opera Company's "Treemonisha" at Concordia
University.
Friends say Carter also volunteered his time to help a group of addicts
in Anoka County kick their drug habits.
In addition to his sister, Carter is survived by brothers Henry and
Robert Carter of Cambridge, Mass.
Funeral arrangements are pending.