McHenry Boatwright

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American opera singer

title: "McHenry Boatwright" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1928-births", "1994-deaths", "deaths-from-cancer-in-new-york-(state)", "american-operatic-bass-baritones", "20th-century-african-american-male-singers", "20th-century-american-male-opera-singers", "african-american-male-opera-singers", "people-from-tennille,-georgia", "new-england-conservatory-alumni", "burials-at-woodlawn-cemetery-(bronx,-new-york)", "singers-from-georgia-(u.s.-state)"] description: "American opera singer" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McHenry_Boatwright" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American opera singer ::

John McHenry Boatwright (February 29, 1928November 5, 1994) was an American operatic bass-baritone and singing teacher.

Early life and education

He was born in Tennille, Georgia, in 1928, and studied piano and voice at the New England Conservatory, graduating in 1954.

Career

He made his debut at Tanglewood in 1953. He sang with the New England Opera Theater in Boston, where Leonard Bernstein heard him and invited him to sing with the New York Philharmonic.

In 1956, he created the title role in Clarence Cameron White's opera Ouanga, presented by the National Negro Opera Company at the Metropolitan Opera House. In 1958 he appeared in "Lost In The Stars" at the New York City Center Theatre. In 1961, 1962 &1966, he was a soloist with the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts, in the Naumburg Bandshell, Central Park, in the summer series. In 1967 he sang the lead role in Gunther Schuller's opera The Visitation at the Hamburg State Opera. In 1969, he took part in the premiere performance of Dave Brubeck's The Gates of Justice, with the composer also participating.

Recordings

Teaching

For many years he was a voice teacher at Ohio State University, a post he gained through a letter of recommendation from Marian Anderson. At his death he was a professor emeritus in the university's School of Music. He was the recipient of two Marian Anderson Awards.

Boatwright sang for several Presidents at the White House, including at Jimmy Carter's 1977 inauguration.

Death

McHenry Boatwright died of cancer on November 5, 1994. He is buried in the Ellington Lot at Woodlawn Cemetery in the Bronx, New York.

Personal life

In 1980 (or 1979) he became the second (or third) husband of Ruth Ellington (1915–2004), the sister and business manager of the late Duke Ellington. They had met when he sang at Duke Ellington's funeral in 1974. He produced the Duke Ellington Sacred Concerts performed in New York and London in 1982.

References

References

  1. Most sources give 1928 as his year of birth; a small number give 1920
  2. (8 November 1994). "McHenry Boatwright, 74, a Baritone". The New York Times.
  3. "Notable Events and Performers".
  4. "Brubeck makes music with a message".
  5. "Complete Collections - Munch Conducts Berlioz - Rca Victor Red Seal: 10353707 - Buy from ArkivMusic".
  6. (January 2018). "HB Direct".
  7. "Gershwin Porgy and Bess (live 1952) GHCD2313/14 [GF]: Classical CD Reviews - July 2008 MusicWeb-International". MusicWeb International.
  8. (13 September 1975). "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc..
  9. (1 December 1963). "Black World/Negro Digest". Johnson Publishing Company.
  10. (28 July 2009). "Chrysalis 2009".
  11. "OSU News Release".
  12. (November 2020). "Singer McHenry Boatwright, 74, victim of cancer, dies".
  13. "The Woodlawn Cemetery".
  14. (1 January 1983). "Ebony". Johnson Publishing Company.
  15. (24 January 1980). "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company.
  16. "US".

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1928-births1994-deathsdeaths-from-cancer-in-new-york-(state)american-operatic-bass-baritones20th-century-african-american-male-singers20th-century-american-male-opera-singersafrican-american-male-opera-singerspeople-from-tennille,-georgianew-england-conservatory-alumniburials-at-woodlawn-cemetery-(bronx,-new-york)singers-from-georgia-(u.s.-state)