Johnson, John Rosamond

Johnson, John Rosamond, 1873–1954, American composer and singer, b. Jacksonville, Fla. After a career in music halls and light opera in England and on the Continent, Johnson toured Europe and the United States giving programs of spirituals. He composed several hundred songs, including Lift Every Voice and Sing, for which his brother, James Weldon Johnson, wrote the words; it has been called the African-American national anthem. He edited several collections of African-American songs and spirituals.

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