Grace Bumbry, opera singer of lustrous power, dies at 86

.” She “circumvented” the matter of race, she told The Washington Post in 2009, by using makeup to change her skin tone when necessary for a particular role.

She and her two brothers grew up with “the necessities of life but no luxuries,” Ms. Bumbry said. Her mother fashioned clothes from fabric remnants purchased for 25 cents a piece, ensuring that her children always had something new to wear. Confidence, her parents taught her, was everything. Following her graduation in 1954, Ms. Bumbry entered a local radio teen talent competition whose prize included a scholarship to attend the now-defunct St. Louis Institute of Music.Camilla Williams, an acclaimed soprano who broke racial bounds, dies at 92

Ms. Bumbry received scholarships to study at Boston University and Northwestern University, where she attended master classes taught by the German-born soprano Lotte Lehmann. She followed Lehmann to the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, Calif., where Ms. Bumbry remained for more than three years, immersing herself in the study of music, drama and languages including Italian, German and French.

Entertainment Entertainment Latest News, Entertainment Entertainment Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Oprah tells class of 2023 to follow 'still, small voice'Oprah Winfrey has given the commencement address at her alma mater, Tennessee State University. She told the class of 2023 on Saturday how she was a student there when she was recruited by a local television. At the time, she was working at her father's store, presenting the weekend news at a Black radio station, and attending classes. She said she turned down the offer before a professor changed her mind. Her career took off, but she fell one credit short of graduating. Years later, Winfrey was allowed to write a paper and finally get her degree. She counselled the graduates to listen to the “still, small voice” inside them to figure out what really matters.
Source: AP - 🏆 728. / 51 Read more »