Roland Hayes

Roland Hayes, the first internationally renowned African-American classical singer, was born in Gordon County and performed at the former Calhoun High Auditorium. He opened doors for African-American concert and opera performers and elevated Negro spirituals to the classical level by singing them in concert with operatic arias. He sang in seven languages, studied at Nashville's Fisk University, and toured the United States, performing at Carnegie Hall and Boston Symphony Hall. His foreign tour included a command performance for King George V and Queen Mary at Buckingham Palace. At the height of his half-century career, he was one of the world's highest paid singers. He made a number of recordings, published his music in the book My Songs, and in 1991 was named to the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

Calhoun, Georgia · United States