BlackPast.org: 'singer-actor Kenneth Spencer was one of the most prominent black artists of the early 20th Century'

[Kenneth Spencer (1913-1964)]

John Malveaux of www.MusicUNTOLD.com sends a link to this biographical profile of Kenneth Spencer:

BlackPast.org
Spencer, Kenneth (1913-1964)

Compared at the time to his more famous colleague, Paul Robeson, and heralded by major publicity outlets of his day as one of black America’s most exceptional baritone vocalists, singer-actor Kenneth Spencer was one of the most prominent black artists of the early 20th Century. Spencer was born in Los Angeles, California in 1913. He studied at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York where he earned a bachelor’s degree in music in 1938.

Early in his career, Spencer performed as a baritone singer on a variety of network radio stations while working odd jobs to supplement his income. Determined to advance his career, Spencer traveled and performed with the St. Louis Opera Company and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. Eventually he became a soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra.