Flora Batson (1864–1906) was a popular and well-known black concert singer, nicknamed "The Double-Voiced Queen of Song" because of her soprano-baritone range. She was also called "the colored

Jenny Lind Johanna Maria "Jenny" Lind (6 October 18202 November 1887) was a Swedish opera singer, often called the "Swedish Nightingale". One of the most highly regarded singers of the 19th century, she performed in soprano roles in opera in Sweden and a ...

" in the press.

Biography

Batson was born in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, on April 16, 1864. She began singing at a young age in her church choir. Batson sang professionally at the

Storer College Storer College was a historically black college in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, that operated from 1867 to 1955. A national icon for Black Americans, in the town where the 'end of American slavery began', as Frederick Douglass famously put i ...

Harpers Ferry West Virginia for two years before moving on at the age of thirteen. In 1885, she began touring with the Bergen Star Company and became internationally known. She was a more modern version of

Marie Selika Williams Marie Selika Williams (c. 1849 – May 19, 1937) was an American coloratura soprano. She was the first black artist to perform in the White House. Biography She was born Marie Smith in Natchez, Mississippi, around 1849. After she was born her fa ...

, Madam Flower "Bronze Melba", and

Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones (January 5, 1868 or 1869 – June 24, 1933) was an American soprano. She sometimes was called "The Black Patti" in reference to Italians, Italian opera singer Adelina Patti. Jones' repertoire included grand oper ...

. She performed with Jones in 1885 in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

and was sometimes considered her rival.

Marriage and family

Flora Batson and her mother moved to

when she was three years old. Her father died shortly before from war wounds. She married John Bergen on December 13, 1887. Their interracial marriage was fodder for tabloids. Bergen and Batson did not have children together, but she did become the stepmother to his son, Gary. After Bergen died, Batson remarried to Gerard Millar whom she performed with as well.

Death and burial

Batson died from

uremia Uremia is the term for high levels of urea in the blood. Urea is one of the primary components of urine. It can be defined as an excess of amino acid and protein metabolism end products, such as urea and creatinine, in the blood that would be nor ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

on December 1, 1906.Flora Batson Dead. 1906. ''Afro-American (1893-1988)'', Dec 08, 1906.

Career

Flora Batson's professional career officially began at the age of 13 years old. Batson sang for two years with

, Harper's Ferry. Following that, she spent three years singing in J.W. Hamilton's Lecture Bureau for the People's Church of Boston. Batson then sang for one year in Red Path's Lecture and Lyceum Bureau, followed by one year of temperance work. Then, in 1885, Mr. John Bergen became Flora Batson's manager, and she became a member of the Bergen Star Company. She joined the Company as a last-minute backup to soprano Nellie Brown, who had to cancel due to prior commitments. Bergen promoted Batson's career and rivalry with Jones, even dubbing Batson "The Real Patti" in response to Jones' promotion as "The Black Patti." Supported by Bergen's management and touring company, with a reputation as the only double voiced soloist of color in the United States, she performed all over the world. She sang before royalty and religious leaders such as Queen Victoria of England, Pope Leo the Eighth,

Queen Emma of Hawaii Emma Kalanikaumakaʻamano Kaleleonālani Naʻea Rooke (January 2, 1836 – April 25, 1885) was queen of Hawaii as the wife of King Kamehameha IV from 1856 to his death in 1863. She was later a candidate for the throne but King Kalākaua was elect ...

and the Royal Family of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. After Bergen's death in 1896, she toured with a variety of singing companies. She sang duets with Gerard Millar in the South before the War Company. They also toured together in Australia in 1899 and 1900 with Orpheus McAdoo's Georgia Minstrels and Genuine Alabama Cake Walkers. In March 1889 she performed at the First Presbyterian Church of Vicksburg, now the Bethel AME Church, in

Vicksburg Vicksburg most commonly refers to: * Vicksburg, Mississippi, a city in western Mississippi, United States * The Vicksburg Campaign, an American Civil War campaign * The Siege of Vicksburg, an American Civil War battle Vicksburg is also the name of ...

, Mississippi. Advertisements for this event proclaimed that she would wear the crown with which she was hailed the "Queen of Song" by the citizens of

, and diamond necklace presented to her by the people of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and diamonds from the people of

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

. The successful event garnered so much attention, there had been talk of moving it to an

opera house An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...

, though it remained at the church. The cost of admission was 25 cents.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Batson, Flora 1864 births 1906 deaths 19th-century American women singers 20th-century African-American women singers Singers from Washington, D.C. Singers with a three-octave vocal range 19th-century African-American women singers 20th-century American women singers