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Black Diva of the Thirties - The Life of Ruby Elzy (Paperback)
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Black Diva of the Thirties - The Life of Ruby Elzy (Paperback)
Series: Willie Morris Books in Memoir and Biography
Expected to ship within 10 - 15 working days
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While undergoing routine surgery to remove a benign tumor, Ruby
Elzy died. She was only thirty-five. Had she lived, she would have
been one of the first black artists to appear in grand opera.
Although now in the shadows, she was a shining star in her day. She
entertained Eleanor Roosevelt in the White House. She was Paul
Robeson's leading lady in the movie version of The Emperor Jones.
She co-starred in Birth of the Blues opposite Bing Crosby and Mary
Martin. She sang at Harlem's Apollo Theater and in the Hollywood
Bowl. Her remarkable soprano voice was known to millions over the
radio. She was personally chosen by George Gershwin to create one
of the leading roles in his masterpiece, that of Serena in the
original production of Porgy and Bess. Her signature song was the
vocally demanding ""My Man's Gone Now."" From obscurity she had
risen to great heights. Ruby Pearl Elzy (1908-1943) was born in
abject poverty in Pontotoc, Mississippi. Her father abandoned the
family when she was five, leaving her mother, a strong, devout
woman, to raise four small children. Ruby first sang publicly at
the age of four and even in childhood dreamed of a career on the
stage. Good fortune struck when a visiting professor, overwhelmed
upon hearing her beautiful voice at Rust College in Mississippi,
arranged for her to study music at Ohio State University. Later, on
a Rosenwald Fellowship, she enrolled at the Juilliard School in New
York City. After more than 800 performances in Porgy and Bess, she
set her sights on a huge goal, to sing in grand opera. She was at
the peak of her form. While she was preparing for her debut in the
title role of Verdi's Aida, tragedy struck. During her brief
career, Ruby Elzy was in the top tier of American sopranos and a
precursor who paved a way for Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman,
Kathleen Battle, and other black divas of the operatic stage. This
biography acknowledges her exceptional talent, recognizes her
contribution to American music, and tells her tragic yet inspiring
story.
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