Boatner, Edward

Edward Hammond Boatner was a composer, choral conductor, music professor and singer. He was also the author of plays, music instruction materials and essays regarding African-American history. Born in 1898 in New Orleans, Louisiana, Boatner taught himself to play the piano, and began collecting spirituals at an early age. He published his first arrangement of a spiritual, "Give Me Jesus," in 1918. After a period of study in Boston, Boatner moved to Chicago, where he earned his Bachelor's degree from the Chicago College of Music in 1932. He also served as director of music for the National Baptist Convention from 1925-33.

Boatner was a member of the music faculty at Samuel Huston College from 1933-35, and at Wiley College from 1936-37. During the late 1930's, he settled permanently in New York, where he provided private musical instruction through the Edward Boatner Studio. His students included Metropolitan Opera singer George Shirley, as well as performers Josephine Baker, Clifton Webb and Libby Holman.

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