Robert McFerrin Has Died
LJO
Robert McFerrin Sr., 85, Operatic Baritone at Met, Dies
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 27 (AP) - Robert McFerrin Sr., the first black man to sing
at the Metropolitan Opera and the father of the Grammy-winning
conductor-vocalist Bobby McFerrin, died on Friday in St. Louis. He was 85.
The cause was a heart attack, said the funeral home in charge.
In 1953, Mr. McFerrin, a baritone, won the Metropolitan Opera national
auditions. His 1955 debut with the Metropolitan Opera as Amonasro in "Aida"
made him the first black man in the company. He performed in 10 operas over
three seasons.
He appeared just three weeks after the contralto Marian Anderson made her
historic debut, on Jan. 7, 1955, as the first black to sing a principal role
at the Met.
Mr. McFerrin provided the vocals for Sidney Poitier in the 1959 movie "Porgy
and Bess." He also sang with both of his children, Bobby and Brenda
McFerrin.
Charles MacKay, general director of the Opera Theater of St. Louis,
described his voice this way: "beautiful, virile, strong and sensitive."
Mr. McFerrin's first marriage ended in divorce. He is survived by his wife
of 12 years, Athena McFerrin; his children; a sister; and three
grandchildren.
In 1993, father and son appeared with the St. Louis Symphony - the older man
as soloist, the younger as guest conductor. "His work influenced everything
I do musically," Bobby McFerrin told The Associated Press in 2003.
Robert McFerrin was born in Marianna, Ark., one of eight children of a
strict Baptist minister who forbade his son to sing anything but gospel
music. That changed when he moved to St. Louis in 1936 and a music teacher
discovered his talent and encouraged it.
In the late 1940s and early '50s, Mr. McFerrin sang on Broadway, performed
with the National Negro Opera Company and the New York City Opera Company.
He moved back to St. Louis in 1973. He suffered a stroke in 1989, but his
singing voice remained. In June 2003 he was honored by Opera America, the
national services organization.
-----------------------------------------------
Thanks to the Associated Press
Little Jimmy Olsen - Fair and Balanced
capa0...@aol.com
LJO wrote:
> November 28, 2006
>
> Robert McFerrin Sr., 85, Operatic Baritone at Met, Dies
>
> By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
>
> ST. LOUIS, Nov. 27 (AP) - Robert McFerrin Sr., the first black man to sing
> at the Metropolitan Opera and the father of the Grammy-winning
> conductor-vocalist Bobby McFerrin, died on Friday in St. Louis.
> Little Jimmy Olsen - Fair and Balanced
==================
One of The Fair Kathleen's favorite writers, Bebe Moore Campbell,
passed away in the last day or so as well. She was only fifty-six.
Pat
jimupde
abridged recording of Rigoletto in the mid 1950's. I believe his Gilda
was Laurel Hurley. I'm sure there are people with a better memory than
mine that can remember who sang the Duke.
The Metropolitan Opera Guild has released a three CD set of highlights
from some of these recordings. I have ordered it, but I have been told
that it is on backorder.
LJO
"jimupde" <jim...@adelphia.net> wrote
> McFerrin recorded the title role for the old Metropolitan Record Club's
> abridged recording of Rigoletto in the mid 1950's. I believe his Gilda
> was Laurel Hurley. I'm sure there are people with a better memory than
> mine that can remember who sang the Duke.
>
According to Mike Richter the tenor was Daniele Barioni.
http://www.mrichter.com/opera/files/morc.htm
Dan Tritter
course, to give us his memories of mr. mcferrin, but found it easier
(and more typical of his style) to steal from the associated press obit.
or was mcferrin another musician that he never met?
Dan Tritter
> McFerrin recorded the title role for the old Metropolitan Record Club's
> abridged recording of Rigoletto in the mid 1950's. I believe his Gilda
> was Laurel Hurley. I'm sure there are people with a better memory than
> mine that can remember who sang the Duke.
daniele barioni. the maddalena was sandra warfield.
>
jimupde
tenor roles in Butterfly and Tosca for the Metropolitan Opera Record
Club. I have the Tosca on LP and the Butterfly on casette. Warfield
did a commercial recording of Marcellina in Nozze (which includes her
aria that is normally cut) and also some scenes with her husband, the
late James McCracken.
LJO
"Dan Tritter" <dtri...@speakeasy.net> wrote
[Little Jimmy] meant, of course, to give us his memories of mr. mcferrin .
. .>
I don't have any memories of Mr McFerrin. I never met him, never saw him,
never heard his recordings.
It's too bad you coudn't resist injecting your bile into this thread.
Dan Tritter
EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)
EvelynVogtGamble(Divamanque)
LJO wrote:
Never mind him, just consider the source! My ex actually
studied voice with McFerrin in Los Angeles. Can't say much
for his skill as a teacher, but he certainly was a fine
singer! (When he was sober - poor man had a serious alcohol
problem, which was, IIRC, the reason his Met career was so
brief.)
LT
LJO wrote:
> "Dan Tritter" <dtri...@speakeasy.net> wrote
>
>
> [Little Jimmy] meant, of course, to give us his memories of mr. mcferrin .
> . .>
>
> I don't have any memories of Mr McFerrin. I never met him, never saw him,
> never heard his recordings.
It's too bad you "coudn't" resist injecting YOUR own bile into EVERY
thread, Stinky.