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 life, sin, and prophesy, <mask>' assertion that the commandments have a function that can be understood, and <mask>' description of a 3-tiered cosmic order whereby God's will is implemented through a system of angels. According to this, he employed rationalism to defend Judaism rather than limit inquiry of Sod only to rationalism.His rationalism, if not taken as an opposition, also assisted the Kabbalists, purifying their transmitted teaching from mistaken corporeal interpretations that could have been made from Hekhalot literature, though Kabbalists held that their theosophy alone allowed human access to Divine mysteries. The Oath of Maimonides
The Oath of Maimonides is a document about the medical calling and recited as a substitute for the Hippocratic Oath. It is not to be confused with a more lengthy Prayer of Maimonides. These documents may not have been written by Maimonides, but later. The Prayer appeared first in print in 1793 and has been attributed to Markus Herz, a German physician, pupil of Immanuel Kant. Views on circumcision
In The Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides proposes that two important purposes of circumcision (brit milah) are to temper sexual desire and to join in an affirmation of faith and the covenant of Abraham:

Influence

<mask>' Mishneh Torah is considered by Jews even today as one of the chief authoritative codifications of Jewish law and ethics. It is exceptional for its logical construction, concise and clear expression and extraordinary learning, so that it became a standard against which other later codifications were often measured.It is still closely studied in rabbinic yeshivot (seminaries). The first to compile a comprehensive lexicon containing an alphabetically-arranged list of difficult words found in <mask>' Mishne Torah was Tanḥum ha-Yerushalmi (1220–1291). A popular medieval saying that also served as his epitaph states, From Mosheh (of the Torah) to Mosheh (Maimonides) there was none like Mosheh. It chiefly referred to his rabbinic writings. But <mask> was also one of the most influential figures in medieval Jewish philosophy. His brilliant adaptation of Aristotelian thought to Biblical faith deeply impressed later Jewish thinkers, and had an unexpected immediate historical impact. Some more acculturated Jews in the century that followed his death, particularly in Spain, sought to apply <mask>'s Aristotelianism in ways that undercut traditionalist belief and observance, giving rise to an intellectual controversy in Spanish and southern French Jewish circles.The intensity of debate spurred Catholic Church interventions against "heresy" and a general confiscation of rabbinic texts. In reaction, the more radical interpretations of Maimonides were defeated. At least amongst Ashkenazi Jews, there was a tendency to ignore his specifically philosophical writings and to stress instead the rabbinic and halakhic writings. These writings often included considerable philosophical chapters or discussions in support of halakhic observance; David Hartman observes that <mask> clearly expressed "the traditional support for a philosophical understanding of God both in the Aggadah of Talmud and in the behavior of the hasid [the pious Jew]." Maimonidean thought continues to influence traditionally observant Jews. The most rigorous medieval critique of <mask> is Hasdai Crescas's Or Adonai. Crescas bucked the eclectic trend, by demolishing the certainty of the Aristotelian world-view, not only in religious matters but also in the most basic areas of medieval science (such as physics and geometry).Crescas's critique provoked a number of 15th-century scholars to write defenses of Maimonides. A partial translation of Crescas was produced by Harry Austryn Wolfson of Harvard University in 1929. Because of his path-finding synthesis of Aristotle and Biblical faith, <mask> had an influence on the great Christian theologian Saint Thomas Aquinas who refers to Maimonides in several of his works, including the Commentary on the Sentences. <mask>'s combined abilities in the fields of theology, philosophy and medicine make his work attractive today as a source during discussions of evolving norms in these fields, particularly medicine. An example is the modern citation of his method of determining death of the body in the controversy regarding declaration of death to permit organ donation for transplantation. <mask> and the Modernists
<mask> remains one of the most widely debated Jewish thinkers among modern scholars. He has been adopted as a symbol and an intellectual hero by almost all major movements in modern Judaism, and has proven important to philosophers such as Leo Strauss; and his views on the importance of humility have been taken up by modern humanist philosophers.In academia, particularly within the area of Jewish Studies, the teaching of <mask> has been dominated by traditional scholars, generally Orthodox, who place a very strong emphasis on Maimonides as a rationalist; one result is that certain sides of <mask>'s thought, including his opposition to anthropocentrism, have been obviated. There are movements in some postmodern circles to claim Maimonides for other purposes, as within the discourse of ecotheology. <mask>'s reconciliation of the philosophical and the traditional has given his legacy an extremely diverse and dynamic quality. Tributes and memorials

<mask> has been memorialized in numerous ways. For example, one of the Learning Communities at the Tufts University School of Medicine bears his name. There is also Maimonides School in Brookline, Massachusetts, Maimonides Academy School in Los Angeles, California, Lycée Maïmonide in Casablanca, the Brauser Maimonides Academy in Hollywood, Florida, and Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. Beit Harambam Congregation, a Sephardi synagogue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is named after him.Issued from May 8, 1986 to 1985, the Series A of the Israeli New Shekel featured an illustration of <mask> on the obverse and the place of his burial in Tiberias on the reverse on its 1-shekel bill. In 2004, conferences were held at Yale, Florida International University, Penn State, and the Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Israel, which is named after him. To commemorate the 800th anniversary of his death, Harvard University issued a memorial volume. In 1953, the Israel Postal Authority issued a postage stamp of Maimonides, pictured. In March 2008, during the Euromed Conference of Ministers of Tourism, The Tourism Ministries of Israel, Morocco and Spain agreed to work together on a joint project that will trace the footsteps of the Rambam and thus boost religious tourism in the cities of Córdoba, Fes and Tiberias. Between December 2018 and January 2019 the Israel Museum held a special exhibit dedicated to the writings of Maimonides. Works and bibliography

Judaic and philosophical works

Maimonides composed works of Jewish scholarship, rabbinic law, philosophy, and medical texts.Most of <mask>'s works were written in Judeo-Arabic. However, the Mishneh Torah was written in Hebrew. His Jewish texts were:
 Commentary on the Mishna (Arabic Kitab al-Siraj, translated into Hebrew as Pirush Hamishnayot), written in Classical Arabic using the Hebrew alphabet. This was the first full commentary ever written on the entire Mishnah, which took <mask> seven years to complete, and it enjoyed great popularity both in its Arabic original and its medieval Hebrew translation. The commentary includes three philosophical introductions which were also highly influential:
 The Introduction to the Mishnah deals with the nature of the oral law, the distinction between the prophet and the sage, and the organizational structure of the Mishnah. The Introduction to Mishnah Sanhedrin, chapter ten (Perek Helek), is an eschatological essay that concludes with <mask>'s famous creed ("the thirteen principles of faith"). The Introduction to Tractate Avot (popularly called The Eight Chapters) is an ethical treatise.Sefer Hamitzvot (trans. The Book of Commandments). In this work, <mask> lists all the 613 mitzvot traditionally contained in the Torah (Pentateuch). He describes fourteen shorashim (roots or principles) to guide his selection. Sefer Ha'shamad (letter of Martydom)
 Mishneh Torah, a comprehensive code of Jewish law. It is also known as Yad ha-Chazaka or simply Yad/"יד" which has the numerical value 14, representing the 14 books of the work. The Guide for the Perplexed, a philosophical work harmonising and differentiating Aristotle's philosophy and Jewish theology.Written in Judeo-Arabic, and completed between 1186 and 1190. The first translation of this work into Hebrew was done by Samuel ibn Tibbon in 1204. Teshuvot, collected correspondence and responsa, including a number of public letters (on resurrection and the afterlife, on conversion to other faiths, and Iggereth Teiman – addressed to the oppressed Jewry of Yemen). Hilkhot ha-Yerushalmi, a fragment of a commentary on the Jerusalem Talmud, identified and published by Saul Lieberman in 1947. Medical works
Maimonides' achievements in the medical field are well known, and are cited by many medieval authors. One of his more important medical works is his Guide to Good Health (Regimen Sanitis) which he composed in Arabic for the Sultan al-Afdal, son of Saladin, who suffered from depression. The work was translated into Latin, and published in Florence in 1477, becoming the first medical book to appear in print there.While his prescriptions may have become obsolete, "his ideas about preventive medicine, public hygiene, approach to the suffering patient, and the preservation of the health of the soul have not become obsolete." <mask> wrote ten known medical works in Arabic that have been translated by the Jewish medical ethicist Fred Rosner into contemporary English. Lectures, conferences and research on Maimonides, even recently in the 21st century, have been done at medical universities in Morocco. Regimen Sanitatis, Suessmann Muntner (ed. ), Mossad Harav Kook: Jerusalem 1963 (translated into Hebrew by Moshe Ibn Tibbon) ()
 The Art of Cure – Extracts from Galen (Barzel, 1992, Vol. 5) is essentially an extract of Galen's extensive writings. Commentary on the Aphorisms of Hippocrates (Rosner, 1987, Vol.2; Hebrew: פירוש לפרקי אבוקראט) is interspersed with his own views. Medical Aphorisms of Moses (Rosner, 1989, Vol. 3) titled Fusul Musa in Arabic ("Chapters of Moses," Hebrew: פרקי משה) contains 1500 aphorisms and many medical conditions are described. Treatise on Hemorrhoids (in Rosner, 1984, Vol. 1; Hebrew: ברפואת הטחורים) discusses also digestion and food. Treatise on Cohabitation (in Rosner, 1984, Vol. 1) contains recipes as aphrodisiacs and anti-aphrodisiacs.Treatise on Asthma (Rosner, 1994, Vol. 6) discusses climates and diets and their effect on asthma and emphasizes the need for clean air. Treatise on Poisons and Their Antidotes (in Rosner, 1984, Vol. 1) is an early toxicology textbook that remained popular for centuries. Regimen of Health (in Rosner, 1990, Vol. 4; Hebrew: הנהגת הבריאות) is a discourse on healthy living and the mind-body connection. Discourse on the Explanation of Fits advocates healthy living and the avoidance of overabundance.Glossary of Drug Names (Rosner, 1992, Vol. 7) represents a pharmacopeia with 405 paragraphs with the names of drugs in Arabic, Greek, Syrian, Persian, Berber, and Spanish. Treatise on logic
The Treatise on Logic (Arabic: Maqala Fi-Sinat Al-Mantiq) has been printed 17 times, including editions in Latin (1527), German (1805, 1822, 1833, 1828), French (1935), and English (1938), and in an abridged Hebrew form. The work illustrates the essentials of Aristotelian logic to be found in the teachings of the great Islamic philosophers such as Avicenna and, above all, Al-Farabi, "the Second Master," the "First Master" being Aristotle. In his work devoted to the Treatise, Rémi Brague stresses the fact that Al-Farabi is the only philosopher mentioned therein. This indicates a line of conduct for the reader, who must read the text keeping in mind Al-Farabi's works on logic. In the Hebrew versions, the Treatise is called The words of Logic which describes the bulk of the work.The author explains the technical meaning of the words used by logicians. The Treatise duly inventories the terms used by the logician and indicates what they refer to. The work proceeds rationally through a lexicon of philosophical terms to a summary of higher philosophical topics, in 14 chapters corresponding to <mask>'s birthdate of 14 Nissan. The number 14 recurs in many of <mask>'s works. Each chapter offers a cluster of associated notions. The meaning of the words is explained and illustrated with examples. At the end of each chapter, the author carefully draws up the list of words studied.Until very recently, it was accepted that <mask> wrote the Treatise on Logic in his twenties or even in his teen years. Herbert Davidson has raised questions about <mask>'s authorship of this short work (and of other short works traditionally attributed to <mask>). He maintains that <mask> was not the author at all, based on a report of two Arabic-language manuscripts, unavailable to Western investigators in Asia Minor. Rabbi Yosef Kafih maintained that it is by <mask> and newly translated it to Hebrew (as Beiur M'lekhet HaHiggayon) from the Judeo-Arabic. See also
 Averroes
 Iggeret Teman (Epistle to Yemen)
 Maimonides Foundation
 Mimouna

Notes

References

See also

Bibliography

  Originally published by the Jewish Publication of America, Philadelphia. See especially chapters 10 through 15. (Volume 5 translated by Uriel Barzel; foreword by Fred Rosner.)Jewish National and University Library
 Facsimile edition of Moreh Nevukhim/The Guide for the Perplexed (illuminated Hebrew manuscript, Barcelona, 1347–48). The Royal Library, Copenhagen
 University of Cambridge Library collection of Judeo-Arabic letters and manuscripts written by or to Maimonides. It includes the last letter his brother David sent him before drowning at sea. A. Ashur, A newly discovered medical recipe written by Maimonides
 M.A Friedman and A. Ashur, A newly-discovered autograph responsum of Maimonides

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<mask> "<mask>" <mask> (17 October 1936 – 20 August 2013) was a South African vocalist and composer, based for nearly 45 years in New York City. Early life
She was born <mask> in Claremont, Cape Town, South Africa; her father, <mask>, was from the island of St. Helena off the coast of West Africa, and her mother, Evelyn Henry, had roots in Mauritius and the Philippines. As an adolescent, she first performed popular music in talent contests at the local cinema (bioscope) during the intermission. By the 1950s she was singing at various nightclubs, community dances and social events, performing with notable Cape Town pianists Tony Schilder and Henry February, among others. She built her repertoire watching British and American movies and transcribing lyrics from songs heard on the radio, where she discovered Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald. These musicians would come to influence her singing style, notably in terms of light phrasing and clear diction. At the age of 21, she joined Arthur Klugman's travelling show Coloured Jazz and Variety on a tour of South Africa.When the production failed, she found herself stranded in Mozambique, where she met South African saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi. In 1959, she returned to Cape Town's now thriving jazz scene, where she met pianist Dollar Brand (later known as Abdullah Ibrahim), whom she would marry in 1965. In that same year she recorded what would have been the first jazz LP in South Africa's history. Entitled My Songs for You, with accompaniment by Ibrahim's trio, the recording of mostly standards was never released. Sharpeville Massacre and Europe
In the aftermath of South Africa's Sharpeville Massacre of 1960, <mask> and Ibrahim left South Africa for Europe. The couple, along with Ibrahim's trio of bassist Johnny Gertze and drummer Makhaya Ntshoko, settled in Zurich, Switzerland, and worked throughout Germany and Scandinavia, meeting and occasionally working with American jazz players, including Don Byas, Dexter Gordon, Kenny Drew, Ben Webster, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, and Thelonious Monk. The artist who would have the greatest impact on <mask>'s life, however, was Duke Ellington.Duke Ellington
<mask> met Ellington while he was in Zurich in 1963. Standing in the wings during most of his band's performance, once the concert ended she insisted that Duke hear her husband's trio at the Club Africana, where Ibrahim's band had a standing engagement. Duke obliged, but insisted that <mask> sing for him. Following this encounter, Ellington arranged for the couple to fly to Paris and record separate albums for Frank Sinatra's Reprise label, for whom Ellington functioned as Artists and Repertoire representative. Ibrahim’s record, Duke Ellington Presents The Dollar Brand Trio, was released the following year and subsequently helped him build a following in Europe and the United States. <mask>’s recording, however, remained unreleased and was presumed to be lost until its release in 1996 by Enja Records, under the title A Morning in Paris. The session's engineer, Gerhard Lerner, had surreptitiously made a second copy.She maintained her musical relationship with Ellington. In 1965, he arranged to have her perform with his band in the U.S. at the Newport Jazz Festival (when she sang the Ellington ballad "Solitude"), and at one point asked her to join his band permanently. Due to her recent marriage to Ibrahim that same year, <mask> declined the offer. South Africa, America, and Ekapa
Throughout the 1960s, <mask> and Ibrahim moved back and forth between Europe and New York City, as Ibrahim worked to establish his career. <mask> spent much of the period as a manager and agent for her husband while raising their son, Tsakwe. The year 1976 marked a turning point for <mask>. She and Ibrahim returned to South Africa to live; she gave birth to her daughter, Tsidi (now the underground hip-hop artist Jean Grae); and recorded African Songbird, an album of original compositions, for South Africa's Gallo Records.Shortly after Tsidi's birth, the family relocated to New York city in 1977, to the famed Hotel Chelsea. In 1979, <mask> started the record label Ekapa to produce and distribute her and Ibrahim's music. Between 1979 and 2002, she released eight of her albums on Ekapa, including Sathima Sings Ellington, Dedications, Memories and Dreams, Windsong, Lovelight, Southern Touch, Cape Town Love, and Musical Echoes. Dedications was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1982. <mask>'s collaborators on these albums have included saxophonist Carlos Ward, pianists Stephen Scott, Kenny Barron, Larry Willis and Onaje Allan Gumbs, bassist Buster Williams and drummers Billy Higgins and Ben Riley. For the most part, <mask> has used American musicians for her U.S. recordings and South African musicians when in Cape Town. Her 2002 recording, Musical Echoes, featured American pianist Stephen Scott with two South Africans, bassist Basil Moses and drummer Lulu Gontsana.Later career
In 2000, Danish second-hand bookdealer and fan of South African jazz Lars Rasmussen published a collection of essays and a discography of <mask>'s music in Sathima Bea Benjamin: Embracing Jazz (Copenhagen, 2000). It contains two compact discs of Sathima's music: Cape Town Love and an Embracing Jazz compilation with photographs. In October 2004, South African president Thabo Mbeki gave her the Order of Ikhamanga Silver Award for "excellent contribution as a jazz artist" and for her contribution "to the struggle against apartheid." In March 2005, the art group Pen and Brush, Inc. presented her with a Certificate of Achievement for her work as a performer, musician, composer, and "activist in the struggle for human rights in South Africa". <mask> was profiled in the March 2006 issue of JazzTimes. Her album SongSpirit, was released on 17 October 2006 in celebration of her 70th birthday. A compilation record, it includes tracks from her earlier albums, plus a previously unreleased duet with Abdullah Ibrahim from 1973.In 2007, <mask> began reissuing her back catalogue for download. Cape Town Love, released 19 June, began the process, while A Morning in Paris was reissued in October 2007 to mark her 71st birthday. It was released for download on 16 October, and reissued on CD on 22 January 2008. In December 2008 she performed at the Apollo Theater at the closing of the concert Bricktop at the Apollo, hosted by film director Jordan Walker-Pearlman. She sang "Someone to Watch Over Me". In 2010, she was the subject of the documentary Sathima's Windsong, directed by author and professor Daniel Yon. In 2011 Duke University Press published Musical Echoes: South African Women Thinking in Jazz, which was written by <mask> and Carol Muller, a South African ethnomusicologist, over the course of twenty years.She returned to Cape Town in 2011, where she continued to work as a vocalist. She died on 20 August 2013 at the age of 76. Discography
 African Songbird with Dollar Brand (The Sun, 1976)
 Sathima Sings Ellington (Ekapa, 1979)
 Dedications (Ekapa, 1982)
 WindSong with Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Billy Higgins (Ekapa, 1985)
 Memories and Dreams (Ekapa, 1986)
 LoveLight (Ekapa, 1988)
 Southern Touch (Enja, 1989)
 A Morning in Paris (Enja, 1997)
 Musical Echoes (Ekapa, 2002)
 Cape Town Love (Ekapa, 2003)
 Song Spirit (Ekapa, 2006)

References

External links
 Official site
 Jeff Tamarkin, "South African Singer Sathima <mask> <mask> Dies at 76", JazzTimes, 21 August 2012. Percy Zvomuya, "Jazz singer Sathima <mask> <mask> dead at 76", Mail & Guardian, 21 August 2013. "Sathima Bea <mask>, Vocalist", Harlem Speaks, National Jazz Museum in Harlem. 1936 births
2013 deaths
South African jazz singers
Anti-apartheid activists
Jazz
Singers
People from Cape Town
Deaths in South Africa
Recipients of the Order of Ikhamanga

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Gertrude "<mask><mask> ( Pridgett; April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was an influential American blues singer and early blues recording artist. Dubbed the "Mother of the Blues", she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of southern blues, influencing a generation of blues singers. Gertrude Pridgett began performing as a teenager and became known as "<mask>" <mask> after her marriage to Will "Pa<mask> in 1904. They toured with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and later formed their own group, <mask> and <mask>, Assassinators of the Blues. Her first recording was made in 1923. In the following five years, she made over 100 recordings, including "Bo-Weevil Blues" (1923), "Moonshine Blues" (1923), "See See Rider Blues" (1924), "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" (1927), and "Soon This Morning" (1927). <mask> was known for her powerful vocal abilities, energetic disposition, majestic phrasing, and a "moaning" style of singing.Her qualities are present and most evident in her early recordings "Bo-Weevil Blues" and "Moonshine Blues". <mask> recorded with Thomas Dorsey, Tampa Red, and Louis Armstrong, and she toured and recorded with the Georgia Jazz Band. Touring until 1935, she then largely retired from performing and continued as a theater impresario in her hometown of Columbus, Georgia, until her death four years later. Early life
There is uncertainty about the birth date of Gertrude Pridgett. Some sources indicate that she was born in 1882, while most sources assert that she was born on April 26, 1886. Pridgett claimed to have been born on April 26, 1886 (beginning with the 1910 census, taken April 25, 1910), in Columbus, Georgia. However, the 1900 census indicates that she was born in September 1882 in Alabama, and researchers Bob Eagle and Eric LeBlanc suggest that her birthplace was in Russell County, Alabama.She was the second of five children of Thomas and Ella (née Allen) Pridgett, from Alabama. She had at least two brothers and a sister, <mask> Pridgett Nix. In February 1904, <mask> married William "Pa<mask>. She took on the stage name "<mask>", which was "a play on her husband’s nickname, 'Pa. Early career
Pridgett began her career as a performer at a talent show in Columbus, Georgia, when she was approximately 12 to 14 years old. A member of the First African Baptist Church, she began performing in black minstrel shows. She later claimed that she was first exposed to blues music around 1902.She formed the Alabama Fun Makers Company with her husband, <mask>, but in 1906 they both joined Pat Chappelle's much larger and more popular Rabbit's Foot Company, where they were billed together as "Black Face Song and Dance Comedians, Jubilee Singers [and] Cake Walkers". In 1910, she was described as "Mrs. <mask>, our coon shouter". She continued with the Rabbit's Foot Company after it was taken over by a new owner, F. S. Wolcott, in 1912. <mask> said she found "Blues Music" when she was in Missouri one night performing, and a girl introduced her to a sad song about a man leaving a woman. <mask> said she learned the lyrics of the song and added it to her performances. <mask> claimed she created the term "blues" when asked what kind of song she was singing. Beginning in 1914, the <mask>s were billed as <mask> and <mask>, Assassinators of the Blues.Wintering in New Orleans, she met numerous musicians, including Joe "King" Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet and Pops Foster. As the popularity of blues music increased, she became well known. Around this time, she met Bessie Smith, a young blues singer who was also making a name for herself. A story later developed that <mask> kidnapped Smith, forced her to join the Rabbit's Foot Minstrels, and taught her to sing the blues; the story was disputed by Smith's sister-in-law <mask>. Recording career

From the late 1910s, there was an increasing demand for recordings by black musicians. In 1920, <mask> Smith was the first black woman to be recorded. In 1923, <mask> was discovered by Paramount Records producer J<mask> Williams.She signed a recording contract with Paramount, and in December she made her first eight recordings in Chicago, including "Bad Luck Blues", "Bo-Weevil Blues" and "Moonshine Blues". She made more than 100 other recordings over the next five years, which brought her fame beyond the South. Paramount marketed her extensively, calling her the "Mother of the Blues", the "Songbird of the South", the "Gold-Neck Woman of the Blues" and the "Paramount Wildcat". In 1924, <mask> recorded with Louis Armstrong, including on "Jelly Bean Blues", "Countin' the Blues" and "See, See Rider". In the same year, she embarked on a tour of the Theater Owners Booking Association (TOBA) in the South and Midwest of the United States, singing for black and white audiences. She was accompanied by the bandleader and pianist Thomas Dorsey and the band he assembled, the Wildcats Jazz Band. They began their tour with an appearance in Chicago in April 1924 and continued, on and off, until 1928.Dorsey left the group in 1926 because of ill health and was replaced as pianist by Lillian Hardaway Henderson, the wife of <mask>'s cornetist Fuller Henderson, who became the band's leader. Although most of <mask>'s songs that mention sexuality refer to love affairs with men, some of her lyrics contain references to lesbianism or bisexuality, such as the 1928 song "Prove It on Me":

They said I do it, ain't nobody caught me. Sure got to prove it on me. Went out last night with a crowd of my friends. They must've been women, 'cause I don't like no men. It’s true I wear a collar and tie. Makes the wind blow all the while.According to the website queerculturalcenter.org, the lyrics refer to an incident in 1925 in which <mask> was "arrested for taking part in an orgy at [her] home involving women in her chorus". The political activist and scholar Angela Y. Davis noted that Prove It on Me' is a cultural precursor to the lesbian cultural movement of the 1970s, which began to crystallize around the performance and recording of lesbian-affirming songs." At the time, an ad for the song embraced the genderbending outlined in the lyrics and featured <mask> in a three-piece suit, mingling with women while a police officer lurks nearby. Unlike many blues singers of her day, <mask> wrote at least a third of the songs she sang including many of her most famous works such as "Moonshine Blues" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" which would become standards of the "classic blues" genre. Throughout the 1920s, <mask> had a reputation for being one of the most dynamic performers in the United States due in large part to her songwriting, showmanship and voice. She and her band could fetch earnings of $350 a week on tour with the Theater Owners’ Booking Association, which was double that of Bessie Brown and George Williams while a little over half what Bessie Smith would ultimately command. Toward the end of the 1920s, live vaudeville went into decline, being replaced by radio and recordings.<mask>'s career was not immediately affected; she continued recording for Paramount and earned enough money from touring to buy a bus with her name on it. In 1928, she worked with Dorsey again and recorded 20 songs, before Paramount terminated her contract. Her style of blues was no longer considered fashionable by the label. It is unclear if she maintained the royalties to her songs after she was fired from Paramount. Personal life and death
<mask> and <mask> adopted a son named Danny who later joined his parents' musical act. <mask> developed a relationship with Bessie Smith. They became so close that rumors circulated that their relationship was possibly also romantic in nature.It was also rumored that Smith once bailed <mask> out of jail. The <mask>s separated in 1916. In 1935, <mask> returned to her home town, Columbus, Georgia, and became the proprietress of three theatres, the Liberty in Columbus, and the Lyric and the Airdrome in Rome, Georgia, until her death. She died of a heart attack in 1939. Legacy and honors
<mask> created what is now known as "classic blues" while also portraying black life like never before. As a musical innovator she built on the minstrelsy and vaudeville performative traditions with comedic timing and a hybrid of American blues traditions she encountered in her vast tours across the country. She helped to pioneer a genre that appealed to North and South, rural and urban audiences.Her signature low and gravelly voice sung with <mask>'s gusto and authoritative style inspired imitators from Louis Armstrong, Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt among others. In her lyrics, <mask> portrayed the black female experience like few others of the time reflecting a wide range of emotions and experiences. In her 1999 book Blues Legacies and Black Feminism, Angela Davis wrote that <mask>'s songs are full of women who “explicitly celebrate their right to conduct themselves as expansively and even as undesirably as men". In her songs, she and other black women sleep around for revenge, drink and party all night and generally live lives that "transgressed these ideas of white middle class female respectability". The portrayals of black female sexuality, including those bucking heteronormative standards, fought ideas of what a woman should be and inspired Alice Walker in developing her characters for The Color Purple. Bragging about sexual escapades was popular in men's songs at the time but her use of these themes in her works established her as both fiercely independent and fearless and many have drawn connections between her use of these themes and their modern use in Hip-Hop. <mask> was also a fashion icon who pioneered flashy, expensive costuming in her performances, wearing ostrich plumes, satin gowns, sequins, gold necklaces, diamond tiaras, and gold teeth.<mask> was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. In 1994, the U.S. Post Office issued a 29-cent commemorative postage stamp honoring her. In 2004, "See See Rider Blues" (performed in 1924) was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was added to the National Recording Registry by the National Recording Preservation Board of the Library of Congress. There was also a small museum opened in Columbus in 2007 to honor <mask>'s legacy. It is in the very house that she had built for her mother and later lived in from 1935 until her death in 1939. The first annual Ma Rainey International Blues Festival was held in April 2016 in Columbus, Georgia, near the home that <mask> owned and lived in at the time of her death. In 2017, the Rainey-McCullers School of the Arts opened in Columbus, Georgia, named in honor of <mask> and author Carson McCullers.In popular culture
Sterling A. Brown wrote the poem "<mask>ey" in 1932, about how "When <mask>ey / comes to town" people everywhere would hear her sing. In 1981, Sandra Lieb wrote the first full-length book about <mask>, Mother of the Blues: A Study of <mask>ey. <mask>'s Black Bottom, a 1982 play by August Wilson, is a fictionalized account of a recording of her song of the same title set in 1927. Theresa Merritt and Whoopi Goldberg starred as <mask> in the Original and Revival Broadway productions, respectively. Viola Davis portrayed <mask> in the 2020 film adaptation of the play and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Mo'Nique played <mask> in the 2015 television film Bessie about the life of Bessie Smith, for which she earned a nomination for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie.Recordings
This sortable table presents all 94 titles recorded by <mask>. The recording dates are approximated. The classification, by Sandra Lieb, is almost entirely by form. Blues songs which are only partly of twelve-bar structure are classified as mixtures of blues and popular song forms. Songs without any twelve-bar or eight-bar structure are classified as non-blues. The JSP and DOCD columns refer to the two complete CD reissues. Click any label to sort.To return to chronological order, click #. Notes

References

Footnotes

Sources

Further reading
 <mask> and the Classic Blues Singers by Derrick Stewart-Baxter (Stein and Day, 1970)

External links
 Ma Rainey Blues Festival official website
 Gertrude “<mask>” <mask> at the New Georgia Encyclopedia

 <mask> (1886-1939) at Red Hot Jazz Archive

." Women in World History: A Biographical Encyclopedia. . Encyclopedia.com. 16 Oct. 2020 . (2020, November 22). Retrieved November 22, 2020, from <mask>, <mask> (1886–1939) | Encyclopedia.com

1880s births
1939 deaths
20th-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
Age controversies
American blues singers
American street performers
20th-century African-American women singers
Baptists from Georgia (U.S. state)
Bisexual musicians
Bisexual women
Classic female blues singers
LGBT African Americans
LGBT people from Georgia (U.S. state)
LGBT people from Alabama
Musicians from Columbus, Georgia
Paramount Records artists
People from Rome, Georgia
Vaudeville performers
LGBT singers from the United States
20th-century Baptists

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<mask> (born 17 August 1971, in Kiltealy, County Wexford, Ireland) is an internationally acclaimed tenor, record producer, and a member of The Irish Tenors. Early life
<mask> is one of six children in a musical family; as a result, his interest in music came at a very early age. Kearns began singing traditional Irish songs with his family and won many singing competitions in his youth, generally in the Sean-nós tradition. He played the button (double row black dot) accordion and various other instruments common in Traditional music. He attended F.C.J. Secondary School Bunclody, singing at Mass and school shows. After leaving school, Kearns studied catering and hotel management, while singing in local musical productions and placing in various singing competitions around the country.<mask> achieved success in 1993 after entering a national radio competition, "Ireland's Search for a Tenor" on the Gay Byrne program, a competition to celebrate the issuing of a new ten pound note (called a "tenner".) The only competitor with no formal training, <mask> won the competition at the finals, held on a city street in Dublin, singing "The Impossible Dream" and "Danny Boy". One of his prizes was an appearance on Gay Byrne's Late Late Show on RTÉ television. After winning the competition, he began training with the renowned Irish opera singer and vocal coach, Veronica Dunne, who had been a judge for the competition. <mask> then began pursuing a full-time career in music. After three years at the Leinster School of Music with Dr. Dunne, he studied at the College of Music in Cardiff [Wales]. Career

1998: The Irish Tenors
Kearns' career took a leap in 1998 when Irish producer Bill Hughes and PBS joined forces to begin The Irish Tenors.<mask>, an original member of The Irish Tenors, collaborated with tenors Ronan Tynan, John McDermott, and Finbar Wright to net Gold, Platinum, and Double Platinum CD recognitions. Their first PBS Special before a live U.S. audience, "Live from Ellis Island," was a tribute to U.S. immigrants. The Irish Tenors are among the top three highest-grossing acts for PBS, raising over $10 million over the course of their collaboration. They continue to tour and produce CDs—and are considered to be one of the most successful singing groups from Ireland in history. In 2006, the trio starred in a nine-part television series, Irish Tenors & Friends, on RTÉ TV. Special guests included Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, Paul Carrick, Finbar Furey, Shayne Ward, Sharon Shannon, Peter Grant, and others. 2006–2012: Broadway and television performances
<mask> teamed up with Bill Hughes again for a PBS project called Hallelujah Broadway, filmed in Prague in February 2010.Hallelujah Broadway has since been broadcast on Irish and U.S. television stations, and Hallelujah Broadway concerts have been presented in various cities in the U.S. as well. <mask> made his debut appearance on the Fox News Network as a solo artist on Huckabee on 24 April 2010, where he shared his "deep passion for music" with former Gov. Mike Huckabee, the program's host. The interview included <mask>' insights about his meteoric career and rise to fame, and a performance by <mask> of "Danny Boy", and "The Lord's Prayer". Said Huckabee after the interview, "When [<mask>] sang 'Danny Boy' and 'The Lord's Prayer' on my show, he had one of the most positive responses of any guest I've had to date." <mask> returned to the show in 2011 to sing "Ave Maria" which he dedicated to U.S. troops. <mask> performed with the Air Force Band at a special Veteran's Day 2012 broadcast "America's Veterans: A Musical Tribute", on Maryland Public Television (a PBS affiliate).2012–2014: Performances for world leaders
Kearns performed at a pre-inaugural brunch, as a guest of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, in tribute to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society on 20 January 2013. Kearns also sang as the guest of Governor Martin O'Malley at the Maryland Democratic Party's Inaugural Ball to celebrate the Inauguration of U.S. President Barack Obama's second term in office. In March 2012, Kearns sang at a benefit honoring Gov. O'Malley and another prominent Irish-American, Governor Bob McDonnell of Virginia. Kearns sang at Gov. McDonnell's Inaugural Gala in 2010 and his bipartisan Prayer Breakfast (with outgoing Governor Tim Kaine) the next day in Richmond, VA. On 19 March 2013, Kearns performed at the 2013 Friends of Ireland Luncheon at the U.S. Capitol as the guest of Speaker of the House John Boehner. Special guests included President Barack Obama and Taoiseach (Prime Minister of Ireland) Enda Kenny, Members of Congress, and foreign dignitaries from Ireland and the United Kingdom.On 27 May 2013, <mask> opened the 2013 National Memorial Day Parade Program in Washington, D.C. with a stirring rendition of "America, the Beautiful," with a 260-member chorus from across the country in front of an estimated crowd of 300,000 people to mark the anniversaries of World War II (70th), the Korean War (60th), and the Vietnam War (50th). On 18 June 2013, <mask> performed at the official U.S. ceremony commemorating the 50th Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's visit to Ireland on Arlington National Cemetery. This was the first time part of the Eternal Flame was allowed to be taken from the grave site. <mask> appeared on Huckabee to kick off the Christmas season on 1 December 2013, singing "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing." That same week, Kearns headlined the 94th Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade (the oldest in the nation) in Philadelphia, PA singing "We Three Kings" before approximately one million parade-goers and 12 million TV viewers. On 14 March 2014, <mask> headlined the 113th Annual St. Patrick's Day Banquet hosted by the Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago.Special guests included Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, John McDonough, President and CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks, and others. 2014: National Memorial Day Concert and 9/11 Tribute
In early May 2014, it was announced that Kearns would join a distinguished line-up as a soloist in the 2014 Memorial Day Concert on PBS—a national tradition over the past 25 years. Co-hosted by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise, the concert is a tribute to America's men and women in uniform, their families, and all those who have given their lives for our country. The event was broadcast live to 10 million viewers nationwide from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Sun., 25 May 2014. Before the concert, Jerry Colbert, executive producer and founder of Capital Concerts, said of Kearns, "We're pleased to have <mask> lend his powerful voice for what will be a historic and inspiring tribute to America's service men and women, their families, and all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country." On 12 June 2014, Kearns sang "God Bless America" during the 239th United States Army Birthday Gala held at the historic Union League Club in New York City. The event was emceed by Greg Kelly, co-host of Good Day New York (Fox 5 NY) and a former co-host of Fox and Friends, and featured General Raymond Odierno, U.S. Army Chief of Staff, as the Special Military Guest of Honor.On 9 September 2014, <mask> headlined the National 11 September Memorial & Museum in New York City—marking the first time that the museum was open to the public. <mask> sang "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears," by songwriter Brendan Graham which he and The Irish Tenors recorded in 2001 on Ellis Island. The song became a huge hit for <mask> and his Irish Tenor colleagues. <mask> sang before an audience of 1,200 including former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who hosted the event as chairman. The event paid homage to those who died in the attacks, the heroes, and survivors. It also commemorated the rebuilding and resilience of New York and its bond with the American people. Other event participants included singer Ricky Martin, sex therapist, talk show host, and author Dr. Ruth Westheimer, and former NBA player Dikembe Mutombo.In 2014, <mask> became an International National Ambassador for Wells of Life, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2008 to provide Ugandan communities with access to clean and safe drinking water by drilling water wells. <mask> headlined the 2014 Wells of Life Annual Gala and recorded two Public Service Announcements in support of the organization. <mask> recently announced that he would donate a well honoring those who lost their lives on 11 September 2001. The "<mask>ns 9/11 Memorial Well" became operational in March 2015. <mask> highlighted his work for Wells of Life and his 9/11 Memorial Well in several media interviews, including with NPR-affiliate WHYY Philadelphia. 2015: Performances in U.S. and Europe, including for Pope Francis
<mask> had several high-profile concerts and engagements in Europe and the U.S. in 2015, including singing the tenor role in "The Irish Ring Concert"—a trilogy of Irish operas that includes Maritana, The Bohemian Girl and The Lily of Killarney—at Ireland's National Concert Hall. In February 2015, <mask> headlined the "Second Annual Musical Celebration of the Irish Season and Military Tribute" at Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, VA.The gala was co-chaired by former Virginia First Lady Susan Allen and Martha-Ann Alito, both daughters of U.S. military fathers, with the support of Kirsten Fedewa & Associates, L.L.C. Larry Michael, ten-time Emmy winner and "Voice of the Washington Redskins" on NBC4, served as the evening's Master of Ceremonies. The event supported local charities, Our Military Kids and Final Salute, Inc. Other special guests included Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito; former Governor of Virginia George Allen; Congresswoman Barbara Comstock; VADM Tony Less USN (Ret. ), first official squadron commander of the legendary Blue Angels; Colonel James B. Hickey (U.S. Army, Ret. ), Senior Military Advisor to Senator John McCain; Shannon Bream, Fox News' Supreme Court reporter and anchor of America's News Headquarters; Virginia State Delegate Tom Russ; and Bruce Allen, president of The Washington Redskins. On 16 March 2015, Kearns sang at the American Ireland Fund's 23rd National Gala held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The event honored Thomas J. Donohue, President & Chief Executive Officer of the United States Chamber of Commerce, Senator Richard Durbin, and Congressman Thomas J. Rooney.Other guests in attendance included Honorary Chairs Irish Ambassador to the United States, Anne Anderson; U.S. Ambassador to Ireland, Kevin O'Malley; British Ambassador to the United States, Sir Peter Westmacott; Senators Patrick Leahy and Patrick Toomey; and Congressmen Peter King and Richard Neal. The evening's keynote speaker was the Taoiseach Enda Kenny, TD, Prime Minister of Ireland and the gala's Honorary Patron. In May, he also performed at a Memorial Day Tribute to Veterans and Veterans Serving in Congress with special guest Brigadier General Steve Ritchie, USAF, Ret., who is the only Air Force Pilot Ace since the Korean War. <mask>, a sports fan, also sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Citi Field in August 2015 before the New York Mets game versus the Boston Red Sox. Previously, Kearns sang during the "Notre Dame: A Welcome Home Celebration" vs Navy Football game in Dublin, Ireland in 2012. He also sang during the Military Tribute at the 137th Preakness, and he performed "The Star Spangled Banner" as the guest of The Washington Redskins when they played against the Atlanta Falcons at FedExField in Landover, MD in October 2012.Most recently, <mask> performing "God Bless America" on Jim McKay Maryland Million Day on Saturday, 17 October 2015 at Laurel Park. During Pope Francis' first historic visit to the United States in September 2015, <mask> was the final performer during the pre-Mass concert at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, PA. <mask> during a CNN interview with Don Lemon before the performance, "I feel very privileged to be a part of such an historic event in honor of His Holiness' visit to the United States. It will be an unforgettable experience." Kearns was accompanied by David George of Louisville, Kentucky. Said Kirsten Fedewa, Kearns' public relations consultant, "This is an exceptional honor for Mr. Kearns, and an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share his inspiring voice with those convening in Philadelphia and around the world." In September 2015, Kearns sang a 9/11 Tribute at a benefit hosted by Tobias Harris of the Orlando Magic, in memory of the 9/11 victims and American military forces who defend liberty around the world. 2016: Ireland 100 at The Kennedy Center and other engagements

Kearns began 2016 with a performance at the launch of the commemorations of the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising by members of the Irish and American governments in New York City.This was one of more than two hundred cultural events taking place across the United States through 2016 and many others worldwide. Participants at the launch included Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ireland Charlie Flanagan, Irish Ambassador to the U.S. Anne Anderson, Irish Consul General Barbara Jones and New York Senator Chuck Schumer, actor Liam Neeson, and others. The launch took place at the Irish Consulate in New York on the morning of 7 January, followed by the evening reception at the

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 historic Pier A Harbor House in Battery Park, New York. <mask> was the featured performer during a special military tribute at the 141st Preakness Stakes on 21 May 2016. Kearns sang "America the Beautiful". The tribute is a part of the Preakness' celebration of Armed Forces Day which honors Americans serving in the five U.S. military

On 23 May 2016, Kearns performed as part of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' 2016 major curated festival, "IRELAND 100: Celebrating a Century of Irish Arts & Culture." Kearns also performed in a solo appearance during Opening Night of "IRELAND 100: Celebrating a Century of Irish Arts & Culture" on 17 May 2016, an event directed and hosted by Olivier Award-winning actress Fiona Shaw with the National Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Irish conductor David Brophy.The event included remarks by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Vice President Joseph Biden. <mask> opened the 2016 National Memorial Day Parade Program in Washington, D.C.—the nation's largest—on 30 May 2016. He performed "America the Beautiful" with a 250-member chorus at the top of the televised program. This year's theme was  "Saluting our Fallen Heroes from the American Revolution through Iraq and Afghanistan." Highlights included a tribute to the World War II generation, remembering the Gulf War, and honoring the fallen of 11 September 2001. <mask> performed at the Fifth Annual Memorial Day Kick-off and Tribute to Veterans on 24 May 2016 in Washington, D.C. The event drew a crowd of 150 guests, including bipartisan Members of Congress, senior military members, embassy officials, senior staff and media.Special guests included Master of Ceremonies Daniel Lippman of Politico, retired USMC Captain Jason Haag of the American Humane Association, and World War II veteran Arnold Taylor. Colonel James Tierney (U.S. Army-retired) of the famed 69th Infantry Regiment of New York was also recognized and offered a hallowed toast to our men and women in uniform. Kearns sang several patriotic and classic songs to conclude the program. Tenor <mask> headlined the spectacular Anam Cara Awards Gala at the Irish Cultural Center and McClelland Library in Phoenix, AZ on Saturday, 15 October. Kearns was the featured performer during a special Military Tribute at the 141st Preakness Stakes on 21 May 2016. Kearns sang "America the Beautiful." The Military Tribute is a part of the Preakness' celebration of Armed Forces Day which honors Americans serving in the five U.S. military.In the fall, <mask> made a return performance at the annual Maryland Million Gala and Auction in October 2016. In addition to the gala and auction, Kearns also performed at Laurel Park Racecourse during the Maryland Million Day races on 22 October. This was the second consecutive year that Kearns performed at the highly anticipated event celebrating the 31st running of Jim McKay Maryland Million Day – and he has become a favorite among the Thoroughbred Racing crowd. In November 2016, Kearns joined a star-studded musical cast in "America Salutes You", a multi-platform broadcast celebrating active duty military, veterans, and veterans' causes. The program aired nationally on Thanksgiving Day weekend in 2016. In addition to Mr. Kearns, concert performers include pop legend Cyndi Lauper, multi -platinum selling singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw, country music legend Wanda Jackson, rapper Hoodie Allen, Gospel Grammy winner CeCe Winans, and bluegrass legend Ricky Skaggs. 2017–2018: Lismore Opera Festival, Miller Presidential Center, and U.S. Capitol performance

Kearns continues to lend his voice to some occasions, including a special holiday concert at the nonpartisan Miller Center for Public Affairs at the University of Virginia and the Friends of Ireland luncheon hosted by House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) on Thursday, 15 March 2018, at the United States Capitol.As announced by the Speaker's office, "President Donald Trump and Prime Minister (Taoiseach) of Ireland Leo Varadkar are scheduled to participate as an ode to St. Patrick's Day and strong U.S.-Ireland ties. This is the third year that Speaker Ryan will host this event." The annual event is a time-honored tradition started in 1983 by House Speaker Tip O'Neill and President Ronald Reagan, who rose above politics to unite in their shared heritage and desire for peace. "It is indeed a privilege to accept the invitation of Speaker Ryan to sing for the Friends of Ireland Luncheon which highlights the shared history and enduring affection between Ireland and America," said Mr. Kearns. "I hope to express that closeness through my music on this special occasion." Kearns' received several standing ovations for his performance, which included "O, America!," for the distinguished delegation, which also included Vice President Mike Pence, Irish Ambassador Daniel Mulhall, Cabinet members, and 100 bipartisan members of Congress. He received favorable coverage in "Hollywood on the Potomac" and other media outlets.<mask> also sang "O' America!" to a packed house at the Silver Dollar City Opera House in Branson, Mo as part of Governor Mike Huckabee's Fourth of July special on TBN. Said Governor Huckabee after <mask>' performance: "He nearly burned down Branson with his rendition of 'O, America' for the Fourth of July. The response before the live audience was absolutely overwhelming and authentic." <mask> ended the year with a string of appearances, singing the US national anthem at the 2018 Breeders' Cup in Louisville, Kentucky—one of the richest Thoroughbred races in the world. He also was one of a handful of entertainers to be invited to sing at the 2018 National Christmas Tree Lighting which took place on 28 November 2018, on the Ellipse at President's Park. Co-presented by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation, this beloved American tradition celebrated its 96th year.<mask> also was a headliner in the nation's oldest parade – the 98th Annual 6abc Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia, PA on Thursday, 22 November 2018. <mask> sang during the LIVE televised broadcast of the parade which was expected to attract up to one million parade-goers and televised in major U.S. television markets. He also was invited to open the "America Salute You: Guitar Legends II" concert. <mask> was also a part of a lineup of performers during the "America Salutes You – Guitar Legends II" concert at the Novo Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, 2 December 2018. The concert was the third in a series of nationally broadcast concerts benefiting brain and mental awareness charities. The concert was re-aired on 24 March 2019, on AXS TV, and was made available on streaming services the same day. In addition, Pacifica Records released a music CD of the concert, which includes <mask>' performance of "O' America!"<mask>, who performed during the America Salutes You inaugural concert in 2016 at the Rosemont Theater in Chicago, joined an array of musicians, including Billy Gibbons, Laurence Juber, Joe Bonamassa, Don Felder, Sammy Hagar, Robby Krieger, Dave Navarro, Orienthi, Emily Estefan, and others. Like his predecessor, Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, Kearns appreciates and supports other musical genres, including country, folk and rock 'n' roll. Kearns ended 2018 with a return guest appearance on Huckabee on TBN as a part of the Governor's Christmas and end-of-year television special. Kearns sang the Christmas classic "Silver Bells" before a live studio audience at the TBN studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Said Governor Huckabee: "I'm absolutely delighted to have <mask>arns on my show as a final prelude to Christmas. The crowd loved <mask> this time as well. He is indeed favorite America's tenor."This was Kearns' fifth television appearance with former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, and his second on Governor Huckabee's new highly acclaimed television show on TBN. Kearns' high-profile concerts, celebrity appearances and engagements are handled by Kirsten Fedewa & Associates, L.L.C. "<mask> began as the youngest member of the PBS super-stars, The Irish Tenors, with whom he has enjoyed an incredible collaboration. He has since expanded this role in his solo career. It was wonderful to bring him together with my good friend, Governor Huckabee, for this gorgeous Christmas special", Fedewa said. In January 2019, Kearns reunited with The Irish Tenors on a sold-out tour in Ireland in celebration of their 20th anniversary. On 3 March 2019, Kearns kicked off the spring social season with a performance at a concert event hosted by the ambassadors of Malta, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic at the Perry Belmont House in the heart of Washington, D.C.The soiree was co-emceed by Emmy-award-winning storyteller and former Fox5 anchor Will Thomas and internationally acclaimed interior designer Barry Dixon, and was featured in publications such as The Georgetowner, Washington Diplomat magazine, The Washington Examiner, and more. Professional recognition
Before his major break in 1993, Kearns entered many "All Ireland" singing competitions such as Ceol an Geimhridh, Feis Ceoils, Readoiri, Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann, often placing and winning. While studying with Dr. Dunne, Kearns continued competing in talent competitions, twice winning the prestigious Dermot Troy Trophy for oratorio, as well as Best Male Singer at the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, and Best Irish Singer at the 1999 ESB Veronica Dunne International Singing Competition. The prize for Best Male Singer during all Veronica Dunne International Singing Competitions is now presented in Kearns' name. Kearns was recognized in 2010 by the Irish Music Association as the "Best Irish Tenor in the US, UK, and European Union." Recently Kearns was invited to become the Honorary President of Lanza Legend, a website dedicated to honoring the great tenor Mario Lanza, one of the most influential tenors of the 20th century. In that capacity, Kearns was asked by journalist Lindsay Perigo to write the foreword to his new book, "The One Tenor: A Salute to Mario Lanza," published in August 2013.Operatic roles
Kearns' opera reviews are listed at this footnote: His credits include: Fenton in an Italian production of Falstaff. In Irish productions, he sang Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi and the title role in Faust for Opera Ireland, Carmens Don José for Ireland's Glasthule Opera, Don Ottavio in a Lismore Music Festival production of Don Giovanni, and he sang with the Royal Dublin Society as the lead tenor in the first complete performance since the early 20th century of The Lily of Killarney (part of "The Irish Ring" trilogy). In 2017, Kearns returned to the Lismore Opera Festival in the leading tenor role of Nemorino in Gaetano Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, at the Lismore Castle Gardens in Lismore, Ireland. It was his third appearance with the Lismore Opera Festival—Ireland's only summer opera festival set in the stunning Lismore Castle and Gardens, in St. Carthage's Cathedral, and in the beautiful and historic great homes along the Blackwater River. In the U.S., Kearns has performed the roles of Romeo in Romeo & Juliet: Then and Now, Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor; and reprised his role as Faust for Opera Naples, Florida. He also sang Alfred in Die Fledermaus for the Emerald City Opera Company in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Charitable causes
Kearns sings for many causes world-wide.This includes benefit concerts for autism awareness, and benefits to honor and assist U.S. military troops, veterans, and their families, such as the USO's Operation Enduring Care, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Stand Up for Heroes, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, the World War II Memorial, Saratoga WarHorse, Boulder Crest Retreat for Military and Veteran Wellness, Coalition to Salute America's Heroes, American Humane, Leave No One Behind, and Thanks USA. With A Song in My Heart
In May 2013, Kearns announced his plan to release his solo album, With a Song in My Heart, on the National Defense Radio Show. The CD features 13 tracks of many genres, including the title song from Rodgers and Hart's musical, "Spring is Here" and other beloved standards such as "La Donne e Mobile," "Ave Maria," and "Granada;" "Salut Demeure Chaste et Pure," an aria from the opera, Faust (which Kearns has starred in); the American folk favorite, "Shenandoah," Broadway tunes ("Younger than Springtime" from Rodgers and Hammerstein), and a few Irish tunes – such as the famed ballads, "Boolavogue" and "Danny Boy," and more. The album was released in fall 2013. The album was arranged and orchestrated by Gavin Murphy and Eric Stern, with sound engineer Jonathan Allen of Abbey Road Studios. Musical accompaniment was provided by long-time accompanist Patrick Healy on piano and the Slovak Symphony Orchestra conducted by Allan Wilson. In November 2014, it was announced that Kearns' debut solo album, With a Song in My Heart, had been submitted for consideration for a 57th Annual GRAMMY Award nomination in four categories – including "Best Classical Solo Vocal Album."The news was released by Kearns' agent and publicist Kirsten Fedewa. References

External links

AnthonyKearnsTenor.com
 TheIrishTenorsMusic.com
 LanzaLegend.com
 AnthonyKearns.com
 AnthonyKearnsMusic.com

1971 births
Living people
Irish tenors
21st-century Irish male  singers
People from County

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Samuel John "Lightnin'" <mask> (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982) was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville, Texas. In 2010 Rolling Stone magazine ranked him No. 71 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. The musicologist Robert "Mack" McCormick opined that <mask> is "the embodiment of the jazz-and-poetry spirit, representing its ancient form in the single creator whose words and music are one act". <mask> was born in Centerville, Texas. As a child, he was immersed in the sounds of the blues. He developed a deep appreciation for the music at the age of 8, when he met Blind Lemon Jefferson at a church picnic in Buffalo, Texas.He went on to learn from his distant older cousin, the country blues singer Alger "Texas" Alexander; <mask> had another cousin, the Texas electric blues guitarist Frankie Lee Sims, with whom he later recorded. <mask> began accompanying Jefferson on guitar at informal church gatherings. Jefferson reputedly never let anyone play with him except <mask>, and <mask> learned much from Jefferson at these gatherings. In the mid-1930s, <mask> was sent to Houston County Prison Farm; the offense for which he was imprisoned is unknown. In the late 1930s, he moved to Houston with Alexander in an unsuccessful attempt to break into the music scene there. By the early 1940s, he was back in Centerville, working as a farm hand. <mask> took a second shot at Houston in 1946.While singing on Dowling Street in Houston's Third Ward, which would become his home base, he was discovered by Lola Anne Cullum of Aladdin Records, based in Los Angeles. She convinced <mask> to travel to Los Angeles, where he accompanied the pianist Wilson Smith. The duo recorded twelve tracks in their first sessions in 1946. An Aladdin executive decided the pair needed more dynamism in their names and dubbed <mask> "Lightnin'" and Wilson "Thunder". <mask>din in 1947. He returned to Houston and began recording for Gold Star Records. In the late 1940s and 1950s he rarely performed outside Texas, only occasionally traveling to the Midwest and the East for recording sessions and concert appearances.It has been estimated that he recorded between eight hundred and a thousand songs in his career. He performed regularly at nightclubs in and around Houston, particularly on Dowling Street, where he had been discovered by Aladdin. He recorded the hit records "T-Model Blues" and "Tim Moore's Farm" at SugarHill Recording Studios in Houston. By the mid- to late 1950s, his prodigious output of high-quality recordings had gained him a following among African Americans and blues aficionados. In 1959, the blues researcher Robert "Mack" McCormick contacted <mask>, hoping to bring him to the attention of a broader musical audience engaged in the folk revival. McCormack presented <mask> to integrated audiences first in Houston and then in California. He made his debut at Carnegie Hall on October 14, 1960, alongside Joan Baez and Pete Seeger, performing the spiritual "Mary Don't You Weep".In 1960, he signed with Tradition Records. The recordings which followed included his song "Mojo Hand" in 1960. In 1968, <mask> recorded the album Free Form Patterns, backed by the rhythm section of the psychedelic rock band 13th Floor Elevators. Through the 1960s and into the 1970s, he released one or sometimes two albums a year and toured, playing at major folk music festivals and at folk clubs and on college campuses in the U.S. and internationally. He toured extensively in the United States and played a six-city tour of Japan in 1978. <mask> was Houston's poet-in-residence for 35 years. He recorded more albums than any other blues musician.A statue of <mask> sits in Crockett, Texas. <mask> died of esophageal cancer in Houston on January 30, 1982, at the age of 69. His obituary in the New York Times described him as "one of the great country blues singers and perhaps the greatest single influence on rock guitar players." His Gibson J-160e "hollowbox" is on display at the Rock Hall of Fame in Cleveland, and his Guild Starfire at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, both on loan from the Joe Kessler collection. Musical style
<mask>'s style was born from spending many hours playing informally without a backing band. His distinctive fingerstyle technique often included playing, in effect, bass, rhythm, lead, and percussion at the same time. He played both "alternating" and "monotonic" bass styles incorporating imaginative, often chromatic turnarounds and single-note lead lines.Tapping or slapping the body of his guitar added rhythmic accompaniment. Much of <mask>'s music follows the standard 12-bar blues template, but his phrasing was free and loose. Many of his songs were in the talking blues style, but he was a powerful and confident singer. Lyrically, his songs expressed the problems of life in the segregated South, bad luck in love and other subjects common in the blues idiom. He dealt with these subjects with humor and good nature. He often referred to himself as "Poor Lightnin'" in his songs when talking about himself or referring to himself as the protagonist of the song. This is also the name of one of his albums.Many of his songs are filled with double entendres, and he was known for his humorous introductions to songs. Some of his songs were of warning and sour prediction, such as "Fast Life Woman":

Discography

Early compilations of previously issued material
Early Recordings (Arhoolie, 1946-50 [1969]) - collection of Gold Star recordings
Early Recordings Vol. 2 (Arhoolie, 1946-50 [1971]) - collection of Gold Star releases
Lightnin' <mask> Strums the Blues (Score, 1946-48 [1958])  - collection of Aladdin releases
<mask> Sings the Blues (Crown, 1947-1951 [1961]) - collection of RPM releases
Last of the Great Blues Singers (Time, 1950-51 [1960]) - collection of Sittin' in With releases
Lightnin' and the Blues (Herald, 1954 [1960]) - collection of Herald releases
Blues Masters: The Very Best Of Lightnin' Hopkins (Rhino, 2000) - later collection. (Poppy, 1969) - rereleased on Arhoolie in 1993
In the Key of Lightnin' (Tomato, 1969 [2002])
<mask> in Berkeley (Arhoolie, 1969 [1970])
Po' Lightnin' (Arhoolie, 1961/69 [1983])
The Legacy of the Blues Vol. 12 (Sonet, 1974 [1977])
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival 1976 (Island, 1977) shared disc with various artists
The Rising Sun Collection Vol. 9 (Just a Memory, 1977 [1996])
Mighty Crazy (Catfish, 1980 [2002]) shared disc with Big Mama Thornton
The Rising Sun Collection (Just a Memory, 1980 [1996]) shared disc with Louisiana Red, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee
Forever (Paris Album, 1981 [1983])

As sideman
With Sonny Terry
With George "Wild Child" Butler
Sonny Is King (Bluesville, 1963)

Films
The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins (1968), directed by Les Blank and Skip Gerson (Flower Films & Video)
 The Sun's Gonna Shine (1969), directed by Les Blank with Skip Gerson (Flower Films & Video)
 Sounder (1972), directed by Martin Ritt (the soundtrack includes Hopkins singing "Jesus Will You Come by Here")
, a film documentary on Hopkins, Where Lightnin' Strikes, was in production with Fastcut Films of Houston. His song "Once a Gambler" is on the soundtrack of the 2009 film Crazy Heart.Books
 Mojo Hand: An Orphic Tale, by J.J. Phillips (Serpent's Tail)
 Lightnin’ Hopkins: Blues Guitar Legend, by Dan Bowden
 Deep Down Hard Blues: Tribute to Lightnin''', by Sarah Ann West
 Lightnin' <mask>: His Life and Blues, by Alan Govenar (Chicago Review Press)
 Mojo Hand: The Life and Music of Lightnin' <mask>, by Timothy J. O'Brien and David Ensminger (University of Texas Press)

See also
List of blues musicians
Texas blues
Six Strings Down

References
Inline citations

Further reading
Stambler, Irwin; Landon, Grellun (1983). The Encyclopedia of Folk, Country & Western Music (2nd ed.). St. Martin's Press. .
Liner notes to the CD Country Blues'', Ryko/Tradition Records. External links
 Blues Foundation Hall of Fame Induction, 1980
 Houston Chronicle article about dedication of Lightnin' <mask> statue
 <mask> feature on Big Road Blues
 Campstreetcafe.com. Accessed December 25, 2007. Where Lightnin Strikes (documentary film)
 New York Times obituary

1912 births
1982 deaths
People from Leon County, Texas
American blues guitarists
American male guitarists
American blues singer-songwriters
Country blues singers
Blues revival musicians
Texas blues musicians
Musicians from Houston
Aladdin Records artists
Modern Records artists
RPM Records (United States) artists
Gold Star Records artists
Imperial Records artists
Jewel Records artists
Fire Records artists
Deaths from cancer in Texas
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners
20th-century American guitarists
Singer-songwriters from Texas
Guitarists from Texas
American acoustic guitarists
Arhoolie Records artists
African-American male singer-songwriters
African-American guitarists
20th-century African-American male singers
Deaths from esophageal cancer

masks:
Hopkins
Hopkins
Life Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkinsad
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Lightning Hopkins
Lightning Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins
Hopkins


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Archbishop <mask> ((24 March 1959 – 19 November 2020) born <mask>; ; ; ; also Sebuh, Sepouh, Sepuh, Chuljian, Tchuljian, Chuljyan, Çulciyan)) was the metropolite of the Diocese of Gougark of the Holy Armenian Apostolic Church. Biography
<mask> was born on 24 March 1959  in Malatya, Turkey. He received his primary education at the Nersisian College of Istanbul. In 1969, his family resettled in Soviet Armenia, in the city of Gyumri, where he continued and finished his primary education. In 1978 he entered the Gevorkian Theological Seminary at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. He was ordained to the diaconate in 1985, by the Grand Sacristan of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, Archbishop Hoosik Santourian. He successfully defended his final thesis entitled "The Translation Works of Lukas of Kharpert" in March 1986.Upon his graduation from the seminary he was appointed to serve in the Secretariat of the Pontifical Administration. He was ordained as a celibate priest by Archbishop Nerses Pozapalian on 7 June 1987, the Feast of Pentecost, and given the priestly name <mask>. Following his ordination, he continued his service in the Pontifical Administration. By the appointment of Vazgen I, Catholicos of All Armenians, he served as the Vice Dean of the Gevorkian Theological Seminary at the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in September 1987. In November 1989, he successfully defended his doctoral thesis entitled "The Fast in the Armenian Apostolic Church," and received the rank of Archimandrite (Vardapet). In 1990, Vazgen I appointed <mask> to serve as the spiritual pastor of the Armenians of Geneva, Switzerland. He returned to Armenia in 1991 to serve as the Vicar of the Diocese of Shirak.After Armenia gained independence, vast administrative tasks were placed on the Armenian Church. In the summer of 1993, <mask> worked closely with Archbishop Hovnan Derderian (the then primate of the Diocese of Canada) and Ronald Alepian to organize the first mission of Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia (CYMA). In June 1995, <mask> was appointed to serve as the Director of the Reserve Stewardship Inventory Committee of the Armenian Church. Also in that same year, he was appointed to serve as the Director of the committee responsible for tracking the return and receipt of all previously confiscated church buildings, land and construction projects (most of the churches, buildings, structures and properties belonging to the Church had been seized by the State during the time of the Soviet Regime). In 1996, he served as the representative of the Armenian Church on the Humanitarian Aid Central Committee of Armenia. On 3 June 1996, by the Pontifical Encyclical of the Karekin I, Catholicos of All Armenians, he was appointed to serve as the Primate of the Diocese of Gougark. <mask> was consecrated as Bishop by Catholicos Karekin I on 15 June 1997.He was a member of the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Armenian Church during 2000–2007. On 18 May 2012 he received title of Archbishop. Archbishop <mask> <mask> served as the Primate of the Diocese of Gougark in Armenia. <mask> died on 19 November 2020 due to COVID-19. Candidacy for Armenian Patriarch of Constantonople

Co-Patriarch candidacy in 2010
Bishop <mask> <mask> was one of the three candidates for the Co-Patriarch at the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople in 2010. Mesrop II Mutafyan, the Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in July 2008, and was incapable of running the Patriarchate since then. This led the Armenian community to a painful condition of uncertainty.In late 2009, the Patriarchate's Religious Council wrote to the Turkish government seeking permission to elect a coadjutor (co-Patriarch). Three bishops stated that they were going to run for the elections: Bishop <mask> <mask>, Archbishop Karekin Bekchian – the Primate of the Armenian Church Diocese of Germany, and Archbishop Aram Ateshian – the chairman of the Supreme Spiritual Council of the Patriarchate of Istanbul. Among the main ideas proposed by Bishop <mask> as a candidate was that the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople should become a spiritual and cultural bridge among Yerevan, Ankara and the Armenian Diaspora. He paid particular attention to the importance of dialogue among Armenians and between Turkish and Armenian people. On 10–17 February 2010 Bishop <mask> visited Istanbul, Turkey to have meetings with the Armenian community of Istanbul. During his meetings and interviews he urged to continue Hrant Dink's way (i.e. dialogue between Armenian and Turkish people) and keep Armenian Patriarchate free from politics.On 29 June 2010 the government of Turkey made a decision to reject the request of the Armenian community of Turkey to allow co-patriarch elections. The Turkish Government said that they did not find the elections of either patriarch or co-patriarch reasonable and allowed carrying out only the elections of Patriarchal Locum Tenens. Hours later Archbishop Shahan Svajian – the that time Locum Tenens, resigned and the Spiritual council of the Patriarchate elected Archbishop Aram Ateshian a new Patriarchal Locum Tenens. However, according to some experts, the Armenian Community of Turkey was inclined to elect Bishop <mask> <mask> (citizen of Armenia) as their spiritual leader which was disallowed by the Turkish government after unsuccessful negotiations of Armenia-Turkey reconciliation. Later, in his letter to the Armenian Community of Turkey from 15 July 2010 Bishop <mask> mentioned that interference of Turkey's Government was in contradiction with the adopted new policy on dealing with ethnic minorities. "We continue to hope that this is not the manner of actions of Erdoğan's government, but that of the stationary state sub-agencies, which hamper the democratic development of Turkey with their old mentality". Bishop <mask> said it was the moral obligation of Archbishop Aram Ateshian to send a new letter to the Turkey's Government with request to hold the elections of Co-Patriarch.Protests were raised within the Armenian community, though it was hardly possible to hold new patriarch elections as long as the current patriarch Mesrop II was alive. The "We Want to Elect Our Own Patriarch Initiative" remained active and held silent protests in Armenian churches on Sundays. Archbishop <mask> occasionally visited Turkey and expressed his position and opinion on issues warring the community. Patriarch candidacy in 2016
2016 gave rise to a new wave of demands to eventually elect the head of the Armenian Church in Turkey. In spring 2016 two of the four main candidates, Archbishop <mask> and Archbishop Karekin Bekdjian urged that there be patriarch election "now". Archbishop <mask> declared that should there be election of patriarch there was no obstacle for him to be a candidate. "If the society finds me qualified for solving the problems of Armenian society and the patriarchate, I am ready to serve by considering it as a holy duty," he said.In June 2016 a group of Turkish Armenians protested in front of the Armenian Patriarchate against being denied the right to replace acting Locum Tenens Aram Ateşyan whose reputation was compromised after his letter to president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, wherein he criticized a recent decision by the German Bundestag recognizing the World War I-era killings of Anatolian Armenians. In October 2016 the Clerical Assembly of the Armenian Patriarchate of Turkey decided to superannuate the Patriarch Mesrob II on the grounds that he has been unable to perform his duty for 7 years and announced that there will be an application for starting the election process. Patriarch candidacy in 2019
On 8 March 2019 Patriarch Mutafian died at the age of 62. This event provoked new discussions about the patriarch elections. Back then experts predicted that the two main candidates for the patriarch would be Archbishops <mask> <mask> and Aram Ateshian

On 27 September 2019 Archbishop <mask> <mask> released a statement requiring from the Turkish government to restore the original text of the 25th clause of canonical regulation which was violating the rights of bishops from outside Turkey. In October 2019, following Archbishop Garegin Bekchyan, Archbishop <mask> called on Archbishops Sahak Mashalyan and Aram Ateshian to rise above personal ambitions and consider the long-term interest of the Armenian community and stand in favor of supporting the rights of bishops outside Turkey. On 5 December 2019 Archbishop <mask> released an official statement regarding the election of 85th Armenian Patriarch of Constantinople, indicating that he "forgives everyone", who caused his disentitlement.He said: "It is now beyond any doubt, that the reason for the staging of the "canonical change" was myself, since the support for me by a significant portion of faithful Armenian people in Turkey could be decisive". He condemned this as an outrageous historical injustice and indirectly pointed out the nefarious role of Archbishops Sahak Mashalyan and Aram Ateshian. On 11 December 2019 Bishop Mashalian was announced the 85th Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople. Honors and awards
Archbishop <mask> was a member of the Armenian branch of the International Academy of Natural and Social Sciences (since 2000). He held Fridtjof Nansen Golden Medal (2005), Republic of Armenia Prime Minister's Medal for vast contribution in development of state-church relations (2006), Hayrenik Gold Medal (2010). On 24 March 2009, Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Tigran Sargsyan warmly congratulated Archbishop <mask> on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of birthday. In his message he emphasized Bishop <mask>'s input in organizing Christian education, revivification of church life and restoration of ethnic and spiritual identity of the Armenian nation.

masks:
Sebouh Chouldjian
Haik Sarkis Chouldjian
Haik Chouldjian
Sebouh
Father Sebouh
Father Sebouh
Father Sebouh
Father Chouldjian
Sebouh
Chouldjian
Chouldjian
Sebouh
Chouldjian
Sebouh
Chouldjian
Sebouh
Sebouh
Sebouh
Chouldjian
Sebouh
Sebouh
Sebouh
Sebouh
Sebouh
Sebouh
Chouldjian
Sebouh
Chouldjian
Sebouh
Sebouh
Sebouh
Sebouh
Sebouh