Queen Esther Marrow
Queen Esther Marrow (born February 12, 1941 in Newport News , Virginia ) is an American gospel singer and lead singer of the Harlem Gospel Singers .
Life
The name refers to the Persian Queen Esther , an important figure in the Old Testament . Before Queen Esther Marrow with 19 years in the New York district of Harlem moved, she came with the Gospel, especially in the church of their native community Newport News in contact. She only became a professional musician after colleagues at the textile factory where she worked became aware of her talent as a singer. After auditioning with the famous jazz musician Duke Ellington , the musician engaged her as a singer for his Sacred Concerts , which took place in 1965 at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco saw their world premiere, and at the same time marked the beginning of their professional musician career.
This was followed by joint appearances with Ella Fitzgerald , Harry Belafonte , BB King , Ray Charles , Thelonious Monk , Chick Corea and Bob Dylan . Marrow gained popularity especially during the Civil Right Movement . She met Martin Luther King and sang " We Shall Overcome " with Mahalia Jackson .
During this time, Marrow was also active in musicals, jazz, film and television. She appeared on Broadway in The Wiz , Comin 'Uptown and It's So Nice to Be Civilized as well as in the US touring production of Sing Mahalia, Sing , directed by George Faison. She also took on a role in the Berry Gordy-produced film The Last Dragon . In 1990 a dream came true for Queen Esther with the creation of Truly Blessed : a musical about the life of Mahalia Jackson, which she wrote, produced and in which she played the leading role. The play was performed in San Francisco, Washington, DC and on Broadway in New York and received three Helen Hayes Awards.
In 1991 she founded the group The Harlem Gospel Singers , which to this day successfully gives concerts all over the world. In Europe alone, the group have now seen well over two million people.
Queen Esther Marrow now lives in Amityville .
Quotes
- "Your show shows that she has climbed the rough, high mountains and seen the promised land." ( Berliner Morgenpost )
Prices
- Lifetime Achievement Award 2006
Discography (selection)
- 1994: Queen Esther Marrow & the Harlem Gospel Singers
- 1999: Live in Paris
- 2000: Harlem Gospel Singers with Queen Esther Marrow
- 2002: God Cares
- 2011: Legend
literature
- Petra Pfeuffer (Ed.): Queen Esther Marrow: A Spiritual Journey in Music , Brenner, Mannheim 2002 ISBN 3-00-010527-1 .
Web links
- Literature by and about Queen Esther Marrow in the catalog of the German National Library
- Official website of The Harlem Gospel Singers
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Marrow, Queen Esther |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American gospel singer and lead singer for the Harlem Gospel Singers |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 12, 1941 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Newport News , Virginia |