Florence Price
Florence Price was born in Arkansas in 1887. Her mother was a music teacher, and Price graduated with honors from the New England Conservatory of Music. In 1910, she was given a position at Clark Atlanta University in Georgia as the head of the music department. Even after moving to different locations, Price continued to focus on music and released four piano compositions in 1928.
Price submitted her piece, “Symphony in E Minor,” to the Wanamaker Foundation Awards in 1932, where she received first place. She became the first black woman to have a composition played by a well-known symphony orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, in 1933. Price later wrote a vocal piece, “My Soul Has Been Anchored in the Lord,” which became very popular. When an Easter Sunday concert took place at the Lincoln Memorial, this song was selected to be performed at the end of the show, being heard by people all over the United States through the radio.
Etta James
Etta James was born Jamesetta Hawkins on Jan. 25, 1938, in Los Angeles. James started out singing earlier in her life, joining her church choir as young as five, and could also be heard on the radio. As James got older, she created a band with friends, The Peaches, a name that was also used for James. They met bandleader Johnny Otis who worked with the group and directed them to a record label. It was in the ‘60s that James began to work on her own.
James’ career brought her minimal pay at first, but reached the charts after she signed with Leonard Chess and released songs such as “All I Could do was Cry,” “At Last,” and “I’d Rather Go Blind.” Her career slowed for some time in the ‘70s, but James picked back up again as her album, “Seven Year Itch,” was released in the late ‘80s. James was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. She also received a Grammy for the album, “Mystery Lady: Songs of Billie Holiday.” She would go on to win more Grammy Awards after this.
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters consisted of three members, LaVerne, Maxene and Patty. All three were born in Minnesota and spent much time singing as children. They first started their career as they toured with Larry Rich’s 55-member troupe and later traveled to various locations to perform on their own. It took six years of hard work before their song, “Bei Mir” topped Billboard’s chart. From here, the Andrews Sisters’ career skyrocketed.
As World War II ensued, the Andrews Sisters were called, “America’s Wartime Sweethearts,” as they showed great support for troops – going on a tour to perform just for them. The group eventually became what is considered the most popular female band of that time period. They released hits such as “Hold Tight” and “Beer Barrel Polka.” They also starred and gave musical performances in films like “Swingtime Johnny.”
Ella Fitzgerald
Born on April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Virginia, Ella Fitzgerald spent much time singing and dancing during her childhood and also enjoyed performances at the Apollo Theater. She faced struggles in school and with the police, as she caused issues after her mother died in 1932. It got to the point where Fitzgerald had no money or anyone to support her. When given the opportunity to participate in the “Amateur Night” at Apollo Theater, Fitzgerald gave a singing performance, which was met excitedly by the crowd. This night led Fitzgerald to people who could make her a star.
Fitzgerald released her first song, “Love and Kisses” in 1935, but it was in 1938 where she saw real success with “A-Tisket, A-Tasket.” She had been working for some time with Chick Webb, and when he passed away the following year, Fitzgerald took over his orchestra, which was then called “Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Band.” Fitzgerald went on to work in the jazz and big band genres with many notable names including Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong and Irving Berlin. Over the course of her career, Fitzgerald had more than 200 albums, performed at Carnegie Hall 26 times and won 14 Grammys.
Aretha Franklin
Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, on March 25, 1942. She began to show musical talent when she was very young, as she exhibited great caliber in her vocals and piano. In her adolescence, she often sang at her father’s church and also recorded songs there. After getting a record deal with Columbia Records, Franklin released her first album, “Aretha.” This album included tracks that would make the charts.
Franklin released her cover of Otis Redding’s “Respect” in 1967, which topped the charts of the R&B and pop genres. She also won two Grammy Awards – the first of many. She went on to release many more hits, including “I Say a Little Prayer” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” Her success gave her the name, “Queen of Soul.” Franklin also performed at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., where she performed “Precious Lord.”
Clara Schumann
Clara Schumann was born in Germany on Sept. 13, 1819. She began learning how to play the piano at five-years-old and became very popular throughout Europe as early as 1835. She had a Piano Concerto when she was 14 and continued to succeed into her adulthood. She met composer Robert Schumann early on in 1830, and the two later married in 1840. It was after she was married that Schumann began to work on her own compositions. She also became a teacher at Leipzig Conservatory and went on concert tours. She did all this while running a household and raising eight children. Schumann proved to have the ability to improvise music and learned the pieces which she performed at her shows by heart. She wrote types of music including chamber, piano solo and that for orchestra. Her most well-known works include Op. 20 “Variations on a Theme of Robert Schumann” and “Six Songs,” Op. 23.
Rebekah Davidson
Intern