Motown's Kim Weston & Opera Legend George Shirley

Opera Singer George Shirley was born on April 18, 1934 in Indianapolis, Indiana, to Irving and Daisy Shirley. By age four, Shirley had begun performing, joining his mother and father as a musical trio within the Indianapolis church community.to becoming the first black teacher at a Detroit high school, the first black member of the U.S. Army Chorus and the first black tenor to sing a leading role in the Metropolitan Opera in New York City  In 1961, Shirley won first prize in the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, thus becoming the first African American tenor to be awarded a contract with that company, where he performed from 1961 through 1973. He played major roles in more than twenty operas, often performing with fellow African American opera pioneers Leontyne Price and Shirley Verrett. During and after his stint with the Metropolitan Opera, Shirley was a well sought tenor across the globe, appearing in productions in London, Italy, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Chicago, Boston and a host of other cities. Shirley also won a Grammy Award for a recording of his performance in Mozart’s Così Fan Tutte.Shirley says he has never focused on being the first African-American to break barriers in the field because doing so would hinder his performing abilities.Shirley was given the National Medal of Arts by former President Barack Obama in 2015. Shirley was recognized for paving the way for future African-American singers and educators, according to a White House press release.Shirley currently serves as the Joseph Edgar Maddy Distinguished University Professor of Music at the University of Michigan where he continues to educate students. 

Motown artist Kim Weston’s high school music teacher was the esteemed George Shirley, first Black tenor to sing at the Metropolitan Opera. To this day Miss Weston credits her love and style of music to.