Florence Cole Talbert

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Florence Cole Talbert in 1925
Florence Cole Talbert in 1925

Florence Cole Talbert-McCleave (born Florence Cole, June 17, 1890–April 3, 1961[1][2]) was a Detroit, Michigan, born African American soprano.[3] Her family moved to Los Angeles, California in 1910, where Talbert was the first African American to attend Los Angeles High School.[4][1] Afterward, she studied at the University of Southern California and in Chicago, Illinois at the Chicago Musical College in 1916. She began singing in New York City in 1918, and later married a pianist and director named William P. Talbert. In 1924, she traveled to Europe to play in Aïda, and returned to the United States three years later. She recorded and released three songs, including "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen".[1][5]

After retirement, Talbert became a singing teacher in Los Angeles,[4] and also composed the words to Delta Sigma Theta's official hymn.[6] She eventually moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and married Dr. Benjamin F. McCleave. She taught in historically black colleges and universities such as Fisk University, Tuskegee University and Rust College.[7] Talbert died in Memphis in 1961.[8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Brooks, Tim; Spottswood, Richard K (2005). Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1890-1919. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, pp. 486-488. ISBN 0252028503. OCLC 51511207. 
  2. ^ African American Art Song Alliance (2007). The African American Composers and Performers of Art Song. DarrylTaylor.com. Retrieved on 2007-12-24.
  3. ^ Smith, Eric Ledell (1995). Blacks in Opera: an Encyclopedia of People and Companies, 1873-1993. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, p. 180. ISBN 0899508138. OCLC 31076715. 
  4. ^ a b Parsons-Smith, Catherine; Murchison, Willard (2000). William Grant Still: A Study in Contradictions. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, p. 90. ISBN 0520215435. OCLC 42009448. 
  5. ^ Sutton, Allan (2007-08-29). Black Swan's Other Stars. Mainspring Press. Retrieved on 2007-12-24.
  6. ^ Giddings, Paula (1988). In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement. New York: Morrow, pp. 68-69. ISBN 0688135099. OCLC 17873327. 
  7. ^ Historic Black Memphians. MemphisMuseums.org. Retrieved on 2007-12-24.
  8. ^ Musical Calendar for April 3rd. NFO.net. Retrieved on 2007-12-24.