Opera singer Jessye Norman born

Four time Grammy award winning opera singer Jessye Norman born in Augusta, Georgia.

Her mother and grandmother were both pianists and her father was singer in the local choir. She began taking piano lessons at an early age.

She earned her degree in music from Howard University in 1967 and her Masters from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1968.

Norman moved to Europe to establish her career, In 1969 she won the ARD International Music Competition in Munich and landed a three-year contract with the Berlin State Opera.

In 1970 she made her Italian début in Florence in Handel's Deborah. She continued to perform in Europe, earning critical acclaim in various operas. She moved to London in 1975.

Norman returned to the US in the late 1990s and currently lives in Croton on Hudson, NY in a secluded estate known as The White Gates which she purchased from television personality Allen Funt.

Norman is one of the most admired contemporary opera singers and is one of the highest paid performers in classical music. A true dramatic soprano with a majestic stage presence, Norman is associated in particular with the roles of Aïda, Cassandre,