Elizabeth Greenfield

Elizabeth Greenfield
Black-and-white photograph of a Black woman in mid 19th-century dress
Background information
Bornc. 1817
Natchez, Mississippi
DiedMarch 31, 1876(1876-03-31) (aged 58–59)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Instrumentvoice
Years active1845-1863

Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield (1817 – March 31, 1876), dubbed "The Black Swan" (a play on Jenny Lind's sobriquet, "The Swedish Nightingale" and Catherine Hayes's "The Irish Swan"),[1][2] was an American singer considered the best-known Black concert artist of her time. She was lauded by James M. Trotter for her "remarkably sweet tones and wide vocal compass". Trotter described her as the first African American concert singer, which has been repeated through many biographies.[3][4]

  1. ^ Gustafson, Adam. "The story of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, America's first Black pop star". The Conversation. Retrieved 2018-08-18.
  2. ^ Gardner, Eric (2013). "Greenfield, Elizabeth Taylor". Oxford African American Studies Center. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195301731.013.34419. ISBN 978-0-19-530173-1. Retrieved 2023-04-10.
  3. ^ Garrett, Charles Hiroshi, ed. (2013). The Grove dictionary of American music (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-531428-1.
  4. ^ Marshall, Caitlin (May 2023). "Ear Training for History: Listening to Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield's Double-Voiced Aesthetics". Theatre Survey. 64 (2): 150–176. doi:10.1017/S0040557423000133. ISSN 0040-5574.