Opera singer George Shirley was born on April 18, 1934 in Indianapolis, Indiana. He later moved with his parents, Irving and Daisy Shirley, to Detroit, Michigan. Shirley earned a scholarship to Wayne State University, where he graduated in 1955 with his B.S. degree in music education. In 1955, Shirley became the first African American music teacher in the City of Detroit. After being drafted into the Army in 1956, he became the first African American to sing with the U.S. Army Chorus. In 1959, Shirley performed in his first staged production, Die Fledermaus. Two years later, he became the first African American tenor to earn a contract with the Metropolitan Opera. In 1980, Shirley joined the staff of the University of Maryland as a professor of voice. In 1987, he returned to the Detroit area as professor of voice at the University of Michigan.
Alternative title
History Makers video oral history with George Shirley