Bonham Musicians Back Future Opera Star

Roberta’s talents. What critics Singing in five described as Roberta’s “clear languages, the cartwheel While Europeans tones,” pierced the existing turning teenager returned to crowded opera houses across boundaries of segregation of Bonham in 1928 as the continent to hear the lovely East Texas in the 1900’s. Not sophisticated contralto soprano black singer from Texas, only did the Bonham women for a performance in First Roberta supplemented her hear and enjoy Roberta’s voice, Methodist Church. Roberta’s income working in the Paris they banded together, with family, her benefactors and the Public Library. She was there other community leaders, to townspeople came to hear the when World War II broke out. send the girl from Tank Town little gal from Tank Town all She joined the Red Cross and to Wiley College in Marshall, grown up. Roberta’s family sang in churches and canteens the first step in her formal and her friends from the black for American soldiers. Some education. community sat in the balcony say she was imprisoned in a Bonham while white patrons filled the concentration camp during the Next came Fisk downstairs, all in accordance German occupation of France. Musicians University in Washington, D. with the segregation practices Others say that’s not so. C., and then the University of of the 1920’s. Back Future Chicago where she studied What is known is that under Madame Herman Devries She entertained them Roberta Dodd Crawford and received glowing reviews with an evening of songs in four returned to Bonham, Texas Opera Star from the Chicago critics: languages—French, German, three years after World War II. Spanish and English. In the “ poor in spirit and in “This young colored Twenties, few opera stars sang health...unable to perform.” A young girl who soprano is gifted with a voice of in Spanish, but Roberta had would break into song at any individual quality and great studied under a Spanish opera Roberta Dodd minute while she waited tables beauty...it is the purest at its singer while at Fisk. “She sings Crawford died in Dallas in 1954 at the Curtis Boarding House in glistening top...Mrs. Crawford these songs with beautiful and was buried in Bonham, Bonham, or spin a few (Roberta) has a control in her diction and in excellent Spanish young by today’s standards, cartwheels on the lawn where upper register that is marvelous style,” wrote a Bonham perhaps worn down by war and she cleaned house, caught the and the pianissimo quality is reviewer after Roberta’s the vagabond nature of making ear of Bonham musicians. exquisite.” homecoming performance. a living with her bell-like voice. Roberta Dodd waited tables at the Curtis Boarding House in In Chicago, Roberta The standing room If a woman in your 1914. Born in 1897 in Tank had met a World War I officer, only concert in First Methodist family or community has Town, the black community, Captain Crawford. She married Church would be her last one at pioneered in Texas, please Roberta sang while she worked. him between her studies with home before making her drop a note to Texas Dames™, voice teacher Madame Devries European operatic debut in P. O. Box 70841, Fort Worth, A music rich and concerts in the opera halls Paris, France. On this, her TX 76147 OR, community, Bonham enjoyed of major American cities. last night home for the next [email protected] the cultural benefits of a college twenty years, Roberta sang not town, sustaining two opera “ Her French is only arias, but also Negro houses through the first quarter beautifully pure and her diction spirituals and “a primitive th of the 20 Century and in all languages is good,” wrote African melody.” attracting voice and piano a Chicago music critic. professors and instructors. It did Before her first note not take long for these women “She is most gracious rang out in Paris, though, —professors, in-home teachers, to meet with a silvery and a Roberta’s husband was killed. church choral directors--to book softly melodious speaking voice Yet, she opened at the Salle Roberta Dodd into their and a well-born courtesy and Gateau, singing in five churches, their social functions earnestness,” wrote another. languages. and introduce her to the Most called her voice, “bell like Alexander Hotel where she in quality.” She had a “...facile Europe stages and became a hit. mastery of vocal technique, concert halls became her home ample musicianship and a for the next twenty years, First Christian Church delightful artistry of especially Paris. In 1932 she with its “magnificent pipe presentation.” met and married a man from organ” for accompaniment and French West Africa, but he First Methodist Church vied for lived only a few years.