Some people these days call Elizabeth Greenfield America’s first black pop star. In her day, people simply called her the ‘Black Swan.’ The nickname highlighted Elizabeth’s exceptional musical talent, as back then, it was common to nickname star musicians after swans, symbols of elegance and grace. The ‘black’ in her nickname referred to her race, and like the rare black swan, Elizabeth was seen as a unique and extraordinary figure in the world of opera.
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Elizabeth was born into enslavement in Natchez, Mississippi, sometime around 1820. Like most enslaved people, her exact birthdate is unknown.
Not long after birth, Elizabeth’s life significantly changed when she became free after her mistress relocated to Philadelphia and emancipated her slaves.
Growing up in Philadelphia, Elizabeth went to school and was exposed to music at a young age. Despite lacking formal training, she had a natural aptitude and learned to sing and play the guitar, piano, and harp. But it was her powerful voice that soon drew much attention, leaving audiences in awe. Shortly after her first public performance in 1851 in Buffalo, New York, a reviewer wrote the following:
“Miss Greenfield is about twenty-five years of age, and has received what musical education she has in the city of Philadelphia; she is, however, eminently self-taught, possessing fine taste, and a nice appreciation, with a voice of wonderful compass, clearness and flexibility; she renders the compositions of some of the best masters in a style which would be perfectly satisfactory to the authors themselves. Her low, or properly bass notes, are wonderful, especially for a female voice, and in these she far excels any singing we have ever heard.”
But as she began touring around the U.S., Elizabeth experienced the challenges of pursuing a musical career in antebellum America. One of the biggest that she immediately faced was segregation in music venues. Being black limited where she could play. Not cowering to the racism, Elizabeth pushed forward. With her talent, following and determination, opportunities arose to play in places no black American had before.
Her growing acclaim across the United States set the stage for a groundbreaking moment in 1853, when Elizabeth made history by performing at the prestigious Metropolitan Hall in New York City, one of the largest venues in the country at the time. The Hall had a strict policy: “No colored persons can be admitted, as there is no part of the house appropriated for them.” And some locals were enraged that Elizabeth would be performing. As reported then, “Several letters were sent to the manager threatening dire disasters to the building, if the dark lady were permitted to sing. Consequently there was a great parade of the Police force in the lobbies and in the body of the house. Fortunately, however, their services were not called into requisition.” Elizabeth held another performance shortly after in a different venue for a black audience.
In another milestone, Elizabeth embarked on a tour of England in 1853, where she made headlines for performing before Queen Victoria, becoming the first black American to sing at Buckingham Palace. Her performance was met with acclaim, further solidifying her reputation as a leading soprano of her time.
Elizabeth’s talents also helped reshape people’s perception of black Americans. Although it’s disheartening, the following quote from a review exemplifies her broader impact,
“Apart from the natural gifts with which this lady is endowed, the great musical skill which she has acquired both as a singer and an instrumentalist, are convincing arguments against the assertion so often made, that the negro race are incapable of intellectual culture of a high standard.”
After returning to the U.S., Elizabeth continued performing but gradually reduced her public appearances. She spent her later years teaching music and advocating for greater opportunities for black Americans in the arts. She passed away on March 31, 1876, in Philadelphia.
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Note: click here to read a snapshot biography of another singer, Adelina Patti.
Sources:
- Chybowski, Julia J. “Becoming the ‘Black Swan’ in Mid-Nineteenth-Century America: Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield’s Early Life and Debut Concert Tour.” Journal of the American Musicological Society 67, no. 1 (2014): 125–65. https://doi.org/10.1525/jams.2014.67.1.125.
- “Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield.” National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/people/elizabeth-taylor-greenfield.htm
- “Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield.” Natchez National Historical Park, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=905e9Iao1bI
- Schubin, Mark. “She Paved The Way.” On Site Opera, https://osopera.org/blog/she-paved-the-way/
- The Black Swan at Home and Abroad, Or, A Biographical Sketch of Miss Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, the American Vocalist. United States, n.p, 1855.
- The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. “Miss Elizabeth T. Greenfield, “the black swan”” The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1873-04-02. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-4009-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
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