J. Rosamond Johnson and Singer Taylor Gordon
Undated photograph of Johnson and Gordon at piano. John Rosamond Johnson (August 11, 1873 - November 11, 1954), most often referred to as J. Rosamond Johnson, was an Bahamian-American composer and singer during the Harlem Renaissance. He was trained at the New England Conservatory and then studied in London. His career began as a public school teacher in Jacksonville, Florida. After moving to New York, he began his show business career along with his brother, the poet James Weldon Johnson, and Bob Cole. He is most notable as the composer of the hymn "Lift Every Voice and Sing" which has come to be known in the United States as the "Black National Anthem". With his own ensembles, The Harlem Rounders and The Inimitable Five, he toured, and performed in Negro spiritual concerts with Emmanuel Taylor Gordon. During the 1930s, Johnson also sang the role of Frazier in the original production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, taking roles in other dramas as well. He reprised his role as Frazier on the 1951 studio recording. He died in 1954 at the age of 81. Emmanuel Taylor Gordon (April 29, 1893 - May 5, 1971) was a singer and vaudeville performer associated with the Harlem Renaissance. He moved to New York City at the age of 17. His career faded after the 1920s, and in 1959 he retired to White Sulphur Springs, where he died in 1971. In addition to his singing career, Gordon is remembered today for his 1929 autobiography, Born to Be, which recounts his youth as an African-American in small town Montana, and his experiences in 1920s Harlem.
Size: 3330px × 2766px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: -, ., 20th, african-american, american, autobiographer, black, bw, century, composer, cultural, emmanuel, famous, figure, gordon, great, harlem, historic, historical, history, important, john, johnson, male, man, men, migration, movement, negro, notable, people, performer, person, personalities, personality, photo, photograph, renaissance, rosamond, singer, states, taylor, united, usa, vaudeville
