Henrietta Myers

[2][3][4] After his death in 1928, Mrs. Myers “…dedicated her life to continuing the work of showing the world the glorious music that is uniquely American.” She insisted upon using her married name, Mrs. James A. Myers, in all press and programs for the Jubilee Singers because she did not want white people to be able to show disrespect by calling her by her first name.

Maurice Ravel, the famed French composer, was so deeply enamored of the superb musicianship of the “Myers-directed” Singers that he presented them with a photograph signed “Homage to Perfection.” Other world-famous personalities "...enchanted by the matchless performances of the Fisk Jubilee Singers under Mrs. Myers’ direction" included Madame Curie, George Bernard Shaw, King George V, Queen Mary of Great Britain, Madame Eva Gauthier, and former Secretary of State Cordell Hull.

[7] It was through the sponsorship of the U.S. State Department that Mrs. Myers and the Jubilee Singers toured widely throughout Europe, Asia, and South America.

Mrs. Myers retired from Fisk University in 1947, but for twelve more years she directed her quartet, sextet, and octet of singers throughout the world.

[8][9] In 1963, the Fisk Jubilee Singers under the direction of Matthew Kennedy, dedicated their annual Festival concert to Mrs. Myers.

An African American woman, in profile. She is wearing a dark dress. Her hair is dressed into a chignon at the nape, and covers her ears.
Henrietta Myers, from a 1918 publication