BLIGHT OF THE BUMBRYBEE
Opera star Grace Bumbry has died aged 86. The mezzo-soprano idolised Marian Anderson, and as a teen won a radio talent contest where first prize was a scholarship to a college that she couldn’t actually attend due to segregation. Undeterred, she performed on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts as a successful launchpad to the Met. She made the rounds in Paris, and broke ground as the first black singer to perform at the Bayreaux Festival. Bigots grumbled and Wagner writhed in Hell, but Bumbry braced herself knowing she pushed against racism to get where she did, and let her talent speak for itself. The audience rewarded her with a 30-minute applause, and she prospered henceforth in a mostly Europe-focused career that also included performances for the White House. The Kennedy Center Awards recipient was picked by both the relevant theme teams, as well as self-explanatory The Fat Lady’s singing…
Grace Bumbry
4 January 1937 – 7 May 2023, aged 86
3 TEAMS (💀💀💀💀💀💀 6 POINTS)