February 01, 2024
A Trailblazing Prima Donna - Highest Paid Black woman of her time
Girl! Did you know that Sisseretta Jones was the highest-paid African-American performer of her time and the first black person to perform at Carnegie Hall?
Born Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones in 1868 in Portsmouth, Virginia, she was an African American soprano and opera singer, praised for her sweet, sympathetic, and clear voice.
Her father, Jeremiah Malachi Joyner, was a formerly enslaved African Methodist Episcopal minister, and her mother, Henrietta Beale, was a singer in the church choir and a washerwoman. She was the oldest of three children, although her siblings died when they were young.
Moving to Providence, Rhode Island, at the age of 6, she showcased her talents early, singing in the church choir. Her community recognized her potential and pooled funds to enroll her in the Providence School of Music, where she received training. She later gained acceptance to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston in the late 1880s.
In 1883, when she was 14 years old, she married David Richard Jones, a news dealer, and hotel bellman. He was her first manager, and they had one child who passed away.
Madame Jones, also known as "The Black Patti" (which she hated), would go on to tour all over the East Coast. Notably, she caught the eye of Adelina Patti's manager, who recommended her to tour the Caribbean with the Fisk Jubilee Singers in 1888. Her husband would go on to orchestrate another successful tour run by black performers in 1892.
In 1892, she achieved a historic milestone as the first African American to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York. Her international fame grew as she toured South America, Australia, India, southern Africa, and Europe, receiving acclaim from audiences and critics.
Performing at the White House for four consecutive presidents and the British royal family, Jones was an international superstar.
In 1892, she captivated a crowd of 75,000 at the Grand Negro Jubilee in Madison Square Garden and received a record-breaking fee of $2,000 for a week-long appearance at the Pittsburgh Exposition. This was the highest fee ever paid to a black person at the time.
In 1898, she divorced her husband, citing his drunkenness and lack of support. She said he had a gambling problem and was spending all her money.
In 1896, Madame Jones returned to Providence to care for her mother, who had become ill. Jones found that access to most American classical concert halls was limited by her race. So, in true black women form, she made a way for herself, founded the Black Patti Troubadours. The troupe consisted of 50 black men and women who performed as jugglers, dancers, comedians, acrobats, and musicians, and Madame Jones sang opera selections and spirituals at the end of the show, rather than closing with the typical cakewalk. The group traveled in their own train car as a way to get around the Jim Crow laws of the time and helped to challenge stereotypes of the time, launching the careers of many black performers. However, as black musical comedies began to be viewed negatively, after almost 20 years, the troupe's tours dwindled, concluding with a final performance at New York City's Lafayette Theater in 1915. Madame Jones would retire and move back to Providence, Rhode Island.
In the latter part of her life, she dedicated herself to her church and the care of her mother. Additionally, she extended her compassion by taking in homeless children and looking after her two adopted children. Although she initially lived off her assets, financial struggles led her to sell most of her property, including medals, jewels, and three of her four houses. During her final years, the local NAACP chapter president assisted with her taxes, water bill, and provided essential resources like coal and wood for her family. Unfortunately, she passed away in poverty on June 24, 1933, due to cancer at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. Lacking funds for a gravestone, she was buried in Grace Church Cemetery in her hometown. In 2018, funds were raised to finally place a headstone on her grave.
Sisseretta Jones was posthumously inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
She may not have made it to an American opera stage, but Sissieretta Jones's journey as a pioneering prima donna left an indelible mark on the history of music, breaking barriers and paving the way for countless Black artists who would follow in her footsteps in the world of classical music, including Marian Anderson, Leontyne Price, Jessie Norman, and J'nai Bridges. Her legacy serves as a testament to the enduring power of talent and determination of black women. Thank you for your life, Madame Jones. We love you.
Born Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones in 1868 in Portsmouth, Virginia, she was an African American soprano and opera singer, praised for her sweet, sympathetic, and clear voice.
Her father, Jeremiah Malachi Joyner, was a formerly enslaved African Methodist Episcopal minister, and her mother, Henrietta Beale, was a singer in the church choir and a washerwoman. She was the oldest of three children, although her siblings died when they were young.
Moving to Providence, Rhode Island, at the age of 6, she showcased her talents early, singing in the church choir. Her community recognized her potential and pooled funds to enroll her in the Providence School of Music, where she received training. She later gained acceptance to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston in the late 1880s.
In 1883, when she was 14 years old, she married David Richard Jones, a news dealer, and hotel bellman. He was her first manager, and they had one child who passed away.
Madame Jones, also known as "The Black Patti" (which she hated), would go on to tour all over the East Coast. Notably, she caught the eye of Adelina Patti's manager, who recommended her to tour the Caribbean with the Fisk Jubilee Singers in 1888. Her husband would go on to orchestrate another successful tour run by black performers in 1892.
In 1892, she achieved a historic milestone as the first African American to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York. Her international fame grew as she toured South America, Australia, India, southern Africa, and Europe, receiving acclaim from audiences and critics.
Performing at the White House for four consecutive presidents and the British royal family, Jones was an international superstar.
In 1892, she captivated a crowd of 75,000 at the Grand Negro Jubilee in Madison Square Garden and received a record-breaking fee of $2,000 for a week-long appearance at the Pittsburgh Exposition. This was the highest fee ever paid to a black person at the time.
In 1898, she divorced her husband, citing his drunkenness and lack of support. She said he had a gambling problem and was spending all her money.
In 1896, Madame Jones returned to Providence to care for her mother, who had become ill. Jones found that access to most American classical concert halls was limited by her race. So, in true black women form, she made a way for herself, founded the Black Patti Troubadours. The troupe consisted of 50 black men and women who performed as jugglers, dancers, comedians, acrobats, and musicians, and Madame Jones sang opera selections and spirituals at the end of the show, rather than closing with the typical cakewalk. The group traveled in their own train car as a way to get around the Jim Crow laws of the time and helped to challenge stereotypes of the time, launching the careers of many black performers. However, as black musical comedies began to be viewed negatively, after almost 20 years, the troupe's tours dwindled, concluding with a final performance at New York City's Lafayette Theater in 1915. Madame Jones would retire and move back to Providence, Rhode Island.
In the latter part of her life, she dedicated herself to her church and the care of her mother. Additionally, she extended her compassion by taking in homeless children and looking after her two adopted children. Although she initially lived off her assets, financial struggles led her to sell most of her property, including medals, jewels, and three of her four houses. During her final years, the local NAACP chapter president assisted with her taxes, water bill, and provided essential resources like coal and wood for her family. Unfortunately, she passed away in poverty on June 24, 1933, due to cancer at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. Lacking funds for a gravestone, she was buried in Grace Church Cemetery in her hometown. In 2018, funds were raised to finally place a headstone on her grave.
Sisseretta Jones was posthumously inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2013.
She may not have made it to an American opera stage, but Sissieretta Jones's journey as a pioneering prima donna left an indelible mark on the history of music, breaking barriers and paving the way for countless Black artists who would follow in her footsteps in the world of classical music, including Marian Anderson, Leontyne Price, Jessie Norman, and J'nai Bridges. Her legacy serves as a testament to the enduring power of talent and determination of black women. Thank you for your life, Madame Jones. We love you.