Horace Clarence Boyer facts for kids

Horace Clarence Boyer was a very important person who studied and loved gospel music. He was born on July 28, 1935, and passed away on July 21, 2009. He helped many people learn about African-American gospel music.

Horace Boyer's Amazing Life

Horace Boyer went to college and earned several degrees. He got his first degree from Bethune-Cookman College. Later, he earned his master's and doctorate degrees from the Eastman School of Music.

Horace and his brother James were also talented singers. They were known as the Famous Boyer Brothers. They recorded music for several record companies. These included Excello, Chance, Vee-Jay, Nashboro, and Savoy. Horace Boyer even performed with famous artists. Some of these stars were Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland, and Clara Ward.

A Teacher and Music Expert

Dr. Boyer was a dedicated teacher. He taught at many universities during his career. From 1973 to 1999, he taught at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He also taught at Albany State University and the University of Central Florida. Later, he was a visiting professor at Brooklyn College.

He led many choirs and gospel music workshops around the world. For example, he directed the Gospel Music Festival in Boulder, Colorado. He led this event every year from 1988 to 2008.

In 1995, Dr. Boyer wrote a book called How Sweet the Sound: The Golden Age of Gospel Music. This book was highly praised by critics. He played a big role in sharing African-American gospel music. He helped introduce it to many communities outside of the African-American church.

Sharing Gospel Music History

From 1985 to 1986, Dr. Boyer worked at the Smithsonian Institution. He was a special curator for musical history there. He also worked at Fisk University in 1986 and 1987. There, he directed the famous Fisk Jubilee Singers.

He was an advisor for the New Grove Dictionary of American Music. This is a very important book about music. He also edited a hymnal in 1993. It was called Lift Every Voice and Sing, II. Horace Boyer wrote over 40 articles about gospel music. These articles appeared in many music publications.

In 2009, Dr. Boyer received a special honor. He got the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Society for American Music. This award celebrates people who have made huge contributions to music. Many other important music experts have also received this award.