Black Diva of the Thirties: The Life of Ruby Elzy

Although now in the shadows, Ruby Elzy was a shining star in her day. From poverty and obscurity in Pontotoc, Mississippi, she had risen to great heights. She entertained Eleanor Roosevelt in the White House. She was Paul Robeson's leading lady in the movie version of The Emperor Jones. She co-starred in Birth of the Blues opposite Bing Crosby and Mary Martin. She sang at Harlem's Apollo Theater and at the Hollywood Bowl. Her remarkable soprano voice was known to millions over the radio. She was personally chosen by George Gershwin to create one of the leading roles in his masterpiece, that of Serena in the original production of Porgy and Bess. In that production, her signature song became the vocally demanding "My Man's Gone Now." After more than 800 performances in Porgy and Bess, she set her sights on a huge goal, to sing in grand opera. While she was preparing for her debut in the title role of Verdi's Aida, tragedy struck.

While undergoing surgery to remove a benign tumor, a routine operation, Ruby Elzy died. She was only thirty-five. Ruby Pearl Elzy (1908-1943) was born in abject poverty in Pontotoc, Mississippi. Her father abandoned the family when she was five, leaving her mother, a strong, devout woman, to raise four small children. Ruby first sang publicly at the age of four and even in childhood dreamed of a career on the stage. Good fortune arrived when a visiting professor, overwhelmed upon hearing her beautiful voice at Rust College in Mississippi, arranged for her to study music at Ohio State University. Later, on a Rosenwald Fellowship, she enrolled at the Julliard School in New York City. During her brief career, Elzy was in the top tier of American sopranos and a precursor who paved a way for Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman, Kathleen Battle, and other black divas of the operatic stage. This biography acknowledges her exceptional talent, recognizes her contribution to American music, and tells her tragic yet inspiring story.