He possessed perfect hearing and baritone of extraordinary beauty. The first solo concert of Paul Robson took place in 1925 and brought the singer tremendous success. Enthusiastic listeners were captivated by sincerity, the fullness of the feelings conveyed by them and the unique manner of performance.
From the biography of Paul Robson
Singer and film actor, lawyer and athlete, advocate for the rights of black Americans Paul Robson was born on April 9, 1898 in Princeton, New Jersey, USA. His father was a priest, his mother taught at school. The family tried to give the boy a good education. After graduation, Paul quickly gained popularity at Rutgers College, where he became the third black student in the history of the institution. He was one of the best students and played excellent football.
In 1923, Robson successfully graduated from the prestigious Columbia University Law School. Work in the law firm where Paul entered, however, was of little interest to him. Robson dreamed of a career as a theater actor. He was attracted to creativity.
Paul Robson: on the way to the top of his career
The first fame came to Paul after playing the main role in the production of "Othello" in 1930.
Paul Robson loved to sing black folk songs. He possessed absolute pitch and incomparable baritone bass. The first solo concert of a Negro performer took place in 1925. The simplicity of the performing manner struck the public. He was predicted great success in the future. Over time, Robson’s repertoire became very extensive: he performed songs in five languages and was able to convey the shades of the national color of each composition.
Robson also tried himself as a movie actor. In the 30s and 40s, he starred in the films “Emperor Jones”, “Mines of King Solomon”, “Song of Freedom”, “Tales of Manhattan”, “Proud Valley”. In 1931, Robson met in New York with the Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein. In 1934, an American singer and actor visited the Soviet Union.
Robson as a public figure
Two years later, Paul sets off for concerts in Spain. Here he realized that the fight against the fascist plague should be the main thing for the peoples of the world. Upon his return to the United States, Paul gives lectures in which he talks about his trips to the Soviet Union and Spain in colors. His concert activity is filled with journalistic content.
With the outbreak of World War II, Robson was actively involved in organizing assistance to the Soviet people in the fight against Nazism. Paul was among those who called on his government to immediately open a second front. For his active social activities, Robson was awarded the Abraham Lincoln Medal and the American Academy of Arts and Literature.
In 1949, Robson, being a supporter of friendship and cooperation between the USSR and the USA, once again visited the Soviet Union. A year later, when the fire of McCarthyism began to flare up in the singer’s homeland, the commission investigating anti-American activities prohibited Robson from touring outside the United States. He was considered a propagandist of the ideas of communism. At the same time, Paul was awarded the Peace Prize for "Songs of the Year".
In 1953, the American performer became the winner of the Stalin Prize. Thus, his contribution to the strengthening of peace and friendship between peoples was appreciated. In 1958, Robson became an honorary professor at the Moscow Conservatory.
