I was honored to be a member of the Upshur County Civic Chorus, Gilmer, TX, just 25-30 miles south of Center Point, a rural community in Camp County. Our chorus was formed for the purpose of backing Ms. Conrad when she sang first in 1996 at the dedication of our new Civic Center, and then later when she sang while members of the Texas Historic Commission documented her life. We joined her for two spirituals and the Battle Hymn of the Republic in the second half of the program. By then she was reaching the end of her career. Even so, she was singing well and inspiring us to sing perhaps better than we ever had before. She was gracious, thoughtful, and fun to be around. A treasured memory.
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It will always be the legacy of Joe Chapmen and Jerry Sadler, Land Commissioner, that they were men of the Old Texas of the 1950's and never entered the modern era.
Many a time, listening to Ms. Conrad's beautiful voice lifted me spiritually and brought me nearer to my Maker. Listen to the "Calvary Medley." I'm saddened to learn of her passing but glad to know that her story is being told here for others to know of her graciousness and wit.
2
Wow. She is the best looking Amneris I have ever seen.
She was blessed with vocal, musical, dramatic and spiritual gifts, and her physical beauty was a gift to the world as well.
She was blessed with vocal, musical, dramatic and spiritual gifts, and her physical beauty was a gift to the world as well.
Had the pleasure of meeting, spending time with and lunching with Ms. Conrad ten years ago for an article, as well as speaking to Harry Belafonte, who testified as to her talent, stubborness and sense of humor. Lovely lady, "interesting and interested," loved jazz and people - students and friends dropped in and out of her Upper West Side apartment all day. She was obviously loved and cherished by many, which hopefully made up for the crappy way she was treated while at University. RIP To someone who really made a difference.
2
Ms. Conrad deserved this obituary for the scope and excellence of her opera and concert career, but it seems to mention that career almost peripherally, instead concentrating on a racial incident that occurred 60 years ago, when the singer was 19. A longstanding question for me is just what justifies a Times obit where opera singers are concerned, and would Ms. Conrad have received this one without that 60-year-old incident being involved. About 3 years back, Mario Sereni, an Italian baritone who sang over 500 Met Opera performances of leading roles there over 28 or 29 seasons (the most seasons of any Italian baritone ever in that house other than Antonio Scotti), died and received no Times obit. Last year, one of the two leading Italian sopranos to emerge in the past 30 years, Daniela Dessi, still very active at the age of 59, died and there was no obit. Also last year, the Met stalwart John Del Carlo died, while still very actively involved at the Met. No obit. There is an obit today of an actress who made two exceedingly minor movies about 20 years back and then disappeared, yet last month Lola Albright, the female star of the iconic PETER GUNN TV series, and a star of many films and TV shows from the late 1940s to the 1980s, and a recording artist of reasonable note for much of that period, died with no Times obit. Question: Is an important singing or acting career enough to assure a deceased artist of a Times obit, or does some kind of controversy have to be involved?
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That's a good question. It might be interesting for you to see the recently release documentary called Obit. But it seems that more than a credible and worthy career in one's profession - operatic or otherwise - is needed. An intersection with history (as in this case) makes a difference. Or a career that also involved a widely recognized public contribution like Beverly Sills or Isaac Stern or that broadened an audience like Pavarotti. Or a career remarkable for accomplishment and longevity on multiple fronts: Domingo, who is, happily, alive and well. Someone who led a
major cultural institution and left an important artistic legacy: James Levine (also, fortunately, still contributing. Or someone, to use an overused word, who is iconic like Roger Moore of James Bond fame.
major cultural institution and left an important artistic legacy: James Levine (also, fortunately, still contributing. Or someone, to use an overused word, who is iconic like Roger Moore of James Bond fame.
1
Sir-
If a person of great note expires, such as a President, major household-name celebrity or sports star, their obit has been "pre-written," sometimes years before they pass, and when their time comes, all that need be done is to fill in the current details.
For others, such as Ms. Conrad who was not as well-known, the family or other interested party pays for the obituary to be published, and whoever writes the article, with help from a usually under-the-gun editor, aims the article however way they wish.
I would say that Ms. Conrad's successful challenge to the white status quo made a bigger difference to the world than her singing, which of course was wonderful, but her courage alone, and her subsequent "win" is rightly focused on in this obituary.
If you wish to see an obit of your favorite talent in the NY Times, it comes with a price, and believe me, it ain't cheap. When my father, a WW2 combat vet and author of some note died ten years ago, my brothers and I were going to have an obit published. But we balked at the high price tag, instead settling for the Daily News, who of course got it backwards and said he was a photographer who wrote books on the side instead of the other way around. Sigh.
You get what you (don't) pay for, I guess.
If a person of great note expires, such as a President, major household-name celebrity or sports star, their obit has been "pre-written," sometimes years before they pass, and when their time comes, all that need be done is to fill in the current details.
For others, such as Ms. Conrad who was not as well-known, the family or other interested party pays for the obituary to be published, and whoever writes the article, with help from a usually under-the-gun editor, aims the article however way they wish.
I would say that Ms. Conrad's successful challenge to the white status quo made a bigger difference to the world than her singing, which of course was wonderful, but her courage alone, and her subsequent "win" is rightly focused on in this obituary.
If you wish to see an obit of your favorite talent in the NY Times, it comes with a price, and believe me, it ain't cheap. When my father, a WW2 combat vet and author of some note died ten years ago, my brothers and I were going to have an obit published. But we balked at the high price tag, instead settling for the Daily News, who of course got it backwards and said he was a photographer who wrote books on the side instead of the other way around. Sigh.
You get what you (don't) pay for, I guess.
True, but every artist you mention was a very famous one, and would have received an obit for his or her career alone, absent any other considerations. But the actress I mentioned with the two-film resume had no redeeming importance in any other way, so why is she here and Ms. Albright not here. There are still millions - repeat, MILLIONS - of people over a certain age who would remember Ms. Albright. As for the opera singers, Ms. Conrad was a fine artist with an excellent career, but at no time did her career approach the importance of Mr. Sereni's, and far more opera-loving Times readers (assuming there are still some subscribing, considering the Times's ever-decreasing coverage of classical music in general and opera in particular) would remember him than do remember her. That's not a value judgment of any kind. She was a fine artist and deserved the obit, but so was Mr. Sereni. Not one of the size allotted to Mr. Moore, simply a paragraph or two. Within the past year, the Times gave a HUGE obituary to a man who died close to 90, and whose sole notable achievement in life was having been lost in the woods for about a week (with associated headlines) when he was 10 years old - almost 80 years back. It was interesting, yes, but deserved? I hardly think so. Second-from-the-left guitarists in second- and third-rate rock bands that disbanded over 40 years ago are almost routinely honored with an obit in the Times. What is wrong with this picture?
1
Ms. Conrad's life speaks volumes about decency, goodness, and wisdom. I read this obituary after reading the story about Betsy Devos refusing to indicate whether or not she would refuse federal funding to schools that discriminate. Ms. Devos should give some thought to how she will be characterized in her own obituary!
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Look at Betsy Devos' bio on Wikipedia. Check out the schools she attended, from primary school through college. Look at their websites. Pretty much tells you all you need to know on why she's ambivalent about holding back federal funding from schools that discriminate.
6
Ms. Devos is an reflection of the demonized sense of entitlement and priviledge that most of this country has been founded upon. Her ignorance to the reality of de-facto discrimination shouldn't even be a topic of conversation given the level of human dignity and respect for others this operatic icon gave to her profession and the world at large.
In this time of “Making America Great Again” and emotional defense of retaining monuments to Confederate heroes and their battle flag, perhaps it is instructive and chastening to examine—HONESTLY—the experiences of Ms. Barbara Smith Conrad for a complete assessment of that “greatness” and “Southern Heritage.”
16
Amazing life story.
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Thank you for your courage and tenacity, Ms. Smith Conrad. It is often the lesser known individuals that help to make the most significant impacts on society.
11
It is a prime example, if the white race is wise, it has a lot to learn from the grace of those who are not white.
19
I guess Mr. Jensen is saying that no member of the what race is graceful and/or wise. That would seem to me to be the very definition of racism and bigotry!
@ Joe Pierce. It cowardice for the pot to call the kettle "black". Jessen is calling out white privileged and entitlement not bigotry and racism which everyone knows are both lies and constructs of humanity's fear of itself.
A life well lived...an example to us all. Godspeed Ms. Conrad
14
Why are the aggrieved always the ones who have to believe in forgiveness and reconciliation?
21
Because it's ultimately what makes us all human in a world filed with entitlement and privilege. Forgiving and reconciliation has no pulse on modulating rememberance and or recall as circumstance and situation requires.
Good question. It seems as if somehow - unconsciously, perhaps? - ego and vanity won't allow an admission of error, particularly in an instance such as this which involves nothing more than naked racism and ignorance on the part of the party which should have come forward asking/begging for forgiveness.
1
There's an inconsistency in this obit along with a factual error. Bettye Neal is identified as Ms. Conrad's niece, but later in the piece it says that Ms. Conrad had no immediate survivors.
In fact, Ms. Conrad has a surviving niece---her sister's daughter---who she isn't Ms. Neal.
In fact, Ms. Conrad has a surviving niece---her sister's daughter---who she isn't Ms. Neal.
2
“She believed in forgiveness and reconciliation,” Dr. Carleton said. “She wanted to be treated as someone who accomplished things. She did not regard being a victim as an accomplishment.”
Wow!! As the son of a mezzo-soprano, all I can say is if there is an afterlife, she and my mother would get along just fine. What a great human being!
Wow!! As the son of a mezzo-soprano, all I can say is if there is an afterlife, she and my mother would get along just fine. What a great human being!
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She was no victim. The only victims were those who thought that their sense of entitlement and privilege would stop her dream of being an accomplished artist and as history has proven: it didn't .
She received hate mail and was called the N-word repeatedly. If that's not being a victim, would you call it a series of great honors?
What a courageous and forgiving woman. Rest in peace.
42
I was a senior at the University when this happened. There wasn't a lot of reaction around campus at the time except from The Daily Texan edited by Willie Morris. When Ms Smith graduated she told Willie that she would call him the next time she got kicked out of an opera. A real class act.
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Pretty telling that there wasn't much reaction on campus. How big - in terms of the number of students - was the school at the time? What happened to the honorable Willie Morris?
3
I looked him up. Wikipedia says: "William Weaks "Willie" Morris (November 29, 1934 – August 2, 1999), was an American writer and editor born in Jackson, Mississippi, though his family later moved to Yazoo City, Mississippi, which he immortalized in his works of prose... In 1967 he became the youngest editor of Harper's Magazine. He wrote several works of fiction and non-fiction, including his seminal book North Toward Home, as well as My Dog Skip."
He went on to become an acclaimed writer, esp. about the South.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Morris
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Morris
1
A hero, illustrating our capacity to inspire, even as we pursue our individual dreams. I wish I, and we all, could be so courageous as we struggle with life. I daresay that any of us would look back with a sense of achievement to the extent we stood for the rights of all people to live and thrive and approach their potential.
30
What a classy woman! Wish I could have seen her.
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How benighted our country once was, and still is in many instances.
23
Grace and love trumps fear every time.
27
Another great human, a trailblazer and an excellent singer. I saw that farewell Amneris. That girl had chutzpah! I know there are young artists reading this, and we need them to stand up to the growing tide of fear in our country. Music hath charm, you know?
87
A trailblazer and a woman...not a girl.
22
Thank you.....BUT I would have preferred you used the phrase 'young woman'....instead of 'girl'. Kind of surprised and disappointed......
21
I stand corrected. Although neither of my critics wrote anything original. That's always the case with critics.
3