Paul Robeson was born on April 9, 1898 and was at the height of his fame during the 1930s.
All the more amazing then, that in the recent "Stars in Their Eyes" grand final, taxi-driver Charles Ngandwe swept the board as Robeson, 100,000 votes ahead of his nearest rival.
Watching this incredible performance one needed little imagination to understand Robeson's greatness.
Paul Robeson possessed the most famous bass voice of all. The son of a minister of the church, Robeson absorbed the spiritual harmonies which surrounded him during his formative years.
"Ol' Man River" is, of course, his most famous song, along with many other great spirituals such as "River Stay Away From My Door", "It Ain't Necessarily So" and "Just A Wearyin' For You".
Robeson first established himself with British audiences in 1928 when he took London by storm in "Showboat".
His films included "Showboat" in 1937 and "Sanders of The River" in 1935.
No serious record collection could be complete without Robeson's recordings. Thank you so much to "Stars In Their Eyes" and particularly to Charles Ngandwe for making Paul Robeson live again.
-Michael Parker, Brighton
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article