J. Rosamund Johnson
(August 11, 1873 – November 11, 1954)
John Rosamond Johnson was one of the most successful African American composers of the early 20th century.
Johnson was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on August 11, 1873. He began playing the piano at age four, studied at the New England Conservatory from 1890-1896. He began his career as a music teacher in Jacksonville public schools but in 1899 moved to New York with his brother, James Weldon Johnson, to pursue a career in show business.
The Johnson brothers established a song writing partnership with Robert “Bob” Cole, a lyricist and vaudeville entertainer. Their working relationship lasted until Cole’s death in 1911 and would prove to be quite profitable, producing two popular all-black operettas on Broadway, The Shoo-Fly Regiment (1906) and The Red Moon (1908).
Johnson is best known today as the composer of “Lift Every Voice And Sing” also known in the U.S. as the “Black National Anthem” because of its power in voicing a cry for liberation and affirmation for African-American people. His brother James Weldon wrote the lyrics and the song was first performed by 500 schoolchildren on Lincoln’s birthday (February 12th) in 1900. The song is featured in 39 different Christian hymnals, and is sung in churches across North America.
President Barack Obama and the First Family join Smokey Robinson, Joan Baez and other performers on stage in the East Room of the White House as they sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at the conclusion of “In Performance at the White House: A Celebration of Music from the Civil Rights Movement,” Feb. 9, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Johnson also wrote popular songs, musicals, works for piano and wore other musical hats as well, working as a vaudeville and Broadway performer. He also founded a school in Harlem called the New York Music School Settlement for Colored People.
As an editor, Johnson collected four important works of traditional African-American songs. The first two of these song collections he compiled along with his brother James: The Book of American Negro Spirituals (1925) and The Second Book of Negro Spirituals (1926).
Here is a clip featuring a performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Alicia Keys with narration by Anthony Mackie which aired during Week 1 of the NFL 2020 regular season:
If you’d like to learn more about J. Rosamond Johnson, here are some items from the Music Library’s collection:
* Beyond Lift Every Voice and Sing: The Culture of Uplift, Identity, and Politics in Black Musical Theatre by Paula Marie Seniors (Ebook)
* The Book of American Negro Spirituals edited with an introduction by James Weldon Johnson; musical arrangements by J. Rosamond Johnson (Score)
* May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem by Imani Perry (Book)
* “Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Concert” University of Richmond, Schola Cantorum (Recording of concert recorded in Camp Concert Hall at UR, on January 20, 2003).
