Anita Patti Brown facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anita Patti Brown
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Anita Patti Brown, from a 1911 newspaper
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| Born |
Patsie Bush or Patsie Dean
about 1870 Georgia, US
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| Died | December 27, 1950 (aged about 80) Chicago, Illinois, US
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| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1900s-1930s |
Anita Patti Brown (born around 1870, died December 27, 1950) was a famous American concert singer. People sometimes called her "the Bronze Tetrazzini." This was a special nickname comparing her to a very famous opera singer named Luisa Tetrazzini.
Early Life and Training
Anita Patti Brown was born in Georgia. Her birth name was Patsie Bush or Patsie Dean. She grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
She started her singing training in Chicago. Later, she traveled to Europe to study even more. There, she learned from a well-known teacher named Victor Beigel.
A Star on Stage
Anita Patti Brown began her singing career in 1903. Her first big performance was in Chicago at the Chicago Opera House.
She sang in many cities across the United States. In 1909, she performed in Nashville with help from the Fisk Quartette. By 1911, when she sang in Pittsburgh, people called her "one of the most noted singers of the Race." This meant she was one of the most famous Black singers of her time.
In 1913, she was a special guest at the Atlanta Colored Music Festival. She performed alongside another great singer, Roland Hayes. The next year, in 1914, she sang in Chicago at a concert featuring music by Black composers. She shared the stage with pianist Robert Nathaniel Dett.
Anita Patti Brown also traveled outside the U.S. She toured in South America and the British West Indies. In 1916, she even made a recording for the Victor Talking Machine Company.
After World War I, she toured with a military band. She also sang at church events in places like Spokane in the 1920s. When she performed in Los Angeles in 1922, a newspaper reviewer called her "a genuine prima donna." They said she had "a dulcet voice of rare soprano altitude," meaning her voice was sweet and could sing very high notes. She continued to perform, including a concert in Chattanooga in 1929. In 1934, she was a featured singer at a big meeting for the National Association of Negro Musicians in Pittsburgh.
Beyond the Stage
Anita Patti Brown was not just a singer. In 1920, she started her own mail-order business. It was called "Patti's Brazilian Toilette Luxuries." She sold cosmetics and perfume through her business.
In 1923, she took a Chicago drug store to court. She won her case after they refused to serve her. This showed her strength in standing up for her rights. In the 1930s, she also taught voice lessons to students at her studio in Chicago.
Personal Life
Patsie Bush (or Patsie Dean) married Arthur A. Brown. He was a choral director in Chicago.
Anita Patti Brown passed away at her home in Chicago on December 27, 1950. She was about 80 years old.
