Mary Eliza Walker Crump facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary Eliza Walker Crump
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Mary Eliza Walker Crump, from a 1920 publication.
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Mary Eliza Walker
1857 Tennessee
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| Died | August 6, 1928 (aged 70–71) Chicago, Illinois
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | singer and manager |
| Years active | 1871-1920s |
| Known for | original member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers |
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Notable work
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leader of the Walker Jubilee Singers |
Mary Eliza Walker Crump (born 1857, died 1928) was an amazing African-American singer and manager. She was one of the very first members of the famous Fisk Jubilee Singers.
Contents
Early Life: A Start in Tennessee
Mary Eliza Walker was born in 1857 near Nashville, Tennessee. She was born into slavery. Her parents were held by different owners. After the American Civil War, her father was able to own an icehouse.
Singing for a Cause: The Fisk Jubilee Singers
Mary Eliza Walker was only thirteen years old when she joined the first Fisk Jubilee Singers. This group started at the Fisk School in Nashville in 1871. A music professor named George L. White created the group. Other original singers included Maggie Porter and Ella Sheppard.
Tours and Their Impact
The singers traveled and performed from 1871 to 1878. They sang African-American spirituals, which are powerful songs. They also performed songs by white composer Stephen Foster. Their concerts helped raise money for their school. This money eventually built Jubilee Hall on the Fisk campus.
Famous Audiences
The Fisk Jubilee Singers performed for many important people. These included Queen Victoria of England and U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant. They also sang for famous writers like Mark Twain.
Leading Her Own Group: The Walker Jubilee Singers
After the original Fisk Jubilee Singers stopped touring in 1878, Eliza Walker Crump moved to Chicago. She became the manager of her own group. They were called the Walker Jubilee Singers. Sometimes they were known as Walker's Famous Jubilee Singers.
Continuing the Tradition
Her group toured and performed much like the original Fisk Jubilee Singers. They were also popular on the chautauqua circuit. This was a series of educational and entertaining lectures and performances. In 1921, Mary Eliza Walker Crump attended a special event. It was the fiftieth anniversary of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. She was one of only four original members still alive.
Personal Life and Legacy
Mary Eliza Walker married a fellow singer named Thomas H. Crump. He passed away in 1922. Mary Eliza Walker Crump died in 1928 in Chicago. She was about 70 or 71 years old.
A Lasting Tribute
The president of Fisk University, Ambrose Caliver, sent a letter for her funeral. He wrote that Fisk University was proud of her life. He said her life was full of beauty and service. In 1978, fifty years after her death, Mary Eliza Walker and the other original Fisk Jubilee Singers received a special honor. They were given honorary Doctor of Music degrees from Fisk University.
