Betty Jackson King facts for kids

Betty Jackson King (born February 17, 1928 – died June 1, 1994) was a very talented American musician. She was a skilled pianist, singer, teacher, choir leader, and composer. She is most famous for the music she wrote for voices.

About Betty Jackson King

Betty Jackson King was born in Chicago in 1928. Her first music lessons came from her mother, Gertrude Jackson Taylor. Her father was a pastor (a church leader) and helped her discover church hymns and spiritual songs. Betty, her mother, and her sister Catherine even sang together in a group called the Jacksonian Trio.

She was married to Vincent King and they had a daughter named Rochelle. Betty Jackson King passed away on June 1, 1994, in Wildwood, New Jersey.

Her Musical Journey

Betty Jackson King loved learning about music throughout her life. She started at Wilson Junior College. Then, she went to the Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University. There, she earned two degrees: one in piano and another in composing music. She learned about singing, composing, and playing the piano from many great teachers.

She also studied music at other colleges, including Glassboro College in New Jersey and the Peabody Conservatory in Maryland.

Later, Betty Jackson King became a teacher herself. She taught at places like the University of Chicago Laboratory School and Wildwood High School. She even won an award for her teaching from the governor of New Jersey!

From 1970 to 1984, she was the president of the National Association of Negro Musicians. She stopped teaching in 1989.

Her Amazing Music

Betty Jackson King wrote many different kinds of music, especially for voices. Her music is part of a special style called "early Chicago classical music." It is sometimes compared to the work of another composer, Margaret Bonds.

She created her own versions of spirituals (religious folk songs). She also wrote operas, which are plays set to music, like Saul of Tarsus. She composed a cantata (a piece for singers and instruments) called Simon of Cyrene. She even wrote a ballet, Kids in School With Me, which is a story told through dance and music.

Her music for the organ includes pieces like Nuptial Suite. Her opera Saul of Tarsus has been performed many times since it first came out in 1952.