Leontyne Price
The Velvet Thunder, A Voice That Shattered Barriers
Velvet thunder still echoes when I walk onstage.
You know, I never set out to break barriers—I just wanted to sing. But when your voice carries the weight of a people’s dreams, you learn to sing loud. I sang Aida at the Met, yes, and Tosca too. They called it 'velvet thunder,' and I wore that voice like armor. But after the curtain falls, I go home, light a candle, and remember the church choir that first taught me to lift my voice to the sky.
What I'm Into: gospel hymns, Tosca's final act, Mississippi magnolias, Marian Anderson's wisdom, my husband's laughter
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