Roland Hayes
Videos
Roland Wiltse Hayes was an American lyric tenor and composer. Critics lauded his abilities and linguistic skills demonstrated with songs in French, German, and Italian. His predecessors as well-known
Hayes in 1954, photo by Carl Van Vechten
Roland Hayes
Hayes in 1962
Historical marker honoring Hayes on the campus of Calhoun High School
Marie Selika Williams
Videos
Marie Selika Williams was an American coloratura soprano. She was the first Black artist to perform in the White House.
Roland Hayes
…demonstrated with songs in French, German, and Italian. His predecessors as well-known African-American concert artists, including Sissieretta Jones and Marie Selika, were not recorded. Along with Marian Anderson and Paul Robeson, Hayes was one of the first to break this barrier in the classical repertoire when he…
Madame Selika as photographed by Maud Cuney Hare