Live Breaking News & Updates on Marian Anderson Awards

John McHenry Boatwright.
 It was in the sanctuary of St. James A.M.E. Church in Tennille, Ga. that John McHenry Boatwright (1928–1994) developed a passion for music. He was seven years old at the time and a natural piano player. 
     Boatwright was the youngest son of Levi and Lillie Boatwright. His father was a switchman in Tennille’s rail yards. He found himself out of work when the Great Depression struck in 1929. Boatwright’s mother helped to support the family by working as a cook in a private home.
   The people around young Boatwright who’d experienced his gift knew that his talent would go unrecognized if he stayed in the South. So, his older sister invited him to live with her. By age 12, he’d abandoned familiar surroundings for opportunities in Boston. ....

New York , United States , White House , District Of Columbia , Metropolitan Opera House , Young Boatwright , Dave Brubeck , Jimmy Carter , Clarence Cameron White Ouanga , John Mchenry Boatwright , Lillie Boatwright , National Negro Opera Foundation , Ohio State University , National Federation Of Music Clubs , Jamesa Me Church , Great Depression , New England Conservatory , Clarence Cameron White , Metropolitan Opera , New England Opera Theater , New York Philharmonic , Gunther Schuller , Hamburg Opera , President Jimmy Carter , Marian Anderson Awards , National Federation ,