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Late Life (1965-1993): The Story
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MMarian Anderson with Franz Rupp
in her final concert at
Carnegie Hall, 1965. |
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Marian and Franz in
Carnegie Hall, 1958. |
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The farewell tour of Marian and Hurok's dreams would have included stops in every continent where Marian had performed (all but Antarctica.) But the actual tour was limited to the United States and Canada. It was an emotional time for Marian. Singing was her whole life, and it was hard to imagine what would come after retirement. Then, in January of 1964, Marian's mother passed away. Marian coped with this loss by throwing herself into her music while she still could. She recorded 26 heartfelt, emotional spirituals in the year leading up to her final concert.
Her farewell tour began in October of 1964 with a concert in Washington D.C.'s Constitution Hall. For the next six months, she performed in 50 cities across North America before thousands of faithful fans. The sold-out final concert of the tour was April 18, 1965 at New York's Carnegie Hall. In her 30-year professional career, she performed at Carnegie over 50 times!
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Marian and her nephew
James DePreist (left) often
appeared in concert together
following her retirement. |
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Although she retired as a singer, Marian stayed with Hurok's management company as part of their lecture bureau. She built a second, non-singing performance career, often narrating Aaron Copland's "A Lincoln Portrait." She performed this piece between 30 and 40 times. She also "snuck in" a few post-retirement concerts, including several with James "Jimmy" DePreist, her nephew (Ethel's son) conducting.
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Marian Anderson with Sol Hurok
following her final concert
at Carnegie Hall, 1965. |
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Marian Anderson with
(rear, from left) Jessye Norman,
James Levine, and Kathleen Battle. |
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Marian was shocked by Sol Hurok's death in 1974. Then, in 1975, King suffered a series of strokes. At nearly 80 years old, Marian actually retired to Marianna to enjoy life with her husband. They often could be found taking afternoon strolls together around their property. King died in 1986, at age 86.
Marian's musical accomplishments, pioneering career, and charitable work were not forgotten. She was appointed to the National Council on the Arts. Honors and awards for this period of her life include the UN Peace Prize, the Handel Medallion, the Congressional Medal of Honor, and the first ever Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award. She was also honored with "75th" and "80th" birthday celebrations at Carnegie Hall.
After King's death, Marian was often visited by other singers who had followed in her footsteps. Both Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle, world-famous African-American sopranos with careers at The Met, came to tell Marian about their operatic successes.
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Marian with President George
H. W. Bush and First Lady Barbara
Bush in the White House, 1992. |
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Marian's sister Ethel and nephew James DePreist were frequent visitors to Marianna. James taped their conversations to learn more about his aunt and his family history, and continued these sessions until Ethel died in 1990. James was also the only one able to convince Marian to help WETA (Washington public television and radio) to make a documentary on her long life and pioneering career. The documentary premiered at the 1991 Kennedy Center Honors, where Marian was a greeted personally by President George H. W. Bush.
Shortly afterwards, during a routine physical examination, Marian was diagnosed with bowel cancer. At age 94, she had no desire to undergo invasive surgery, painful radiation, or tiring chemotherapy. All she wanted was to enjoy the life she had left in comfort. For a while she remained at Marianna, but in 1992 her nephew James and his wife convinced her to join them in Portland, Oregon. She died there in 1993.
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Marian Anderson ca. 1936. |
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Marian Anderson. |
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In a career that spanned eight decades, Marian Anderson inspired millions with her music. She broke down racial barriers and helped others through philanthropy and political work. Marian was never deterred by obstacles that lay in her path, but worked to find the most effective way around them. She was never satisfied with being successful, and never dreamed of being a diva; her life was governed by her humility and honesty. This quiet dignity gave Marian the inner strength to lead a civil rights revolution by example. Above all else, she was a magnificent artist, whose influence is still felt throughout American culture and politics. In her own words:
Looking back, I see stretching out behind me year upon year of singing, traveling, packing, unpacking, rehearsing, and studying. Some periods have contracted and form small corners in my memory, while others have moved to the forefront. The edges of good times and bad have beome fuzzy. What once seemed a hard choice has become amusing in retrospect.... I have been fortunate in many, many ways. Best of all, I have lived in a time of change, and the end is not yet. It has been good to see these changes taking place in our America, good for all of us....There is hope for America.1
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