Sally StrangeOn January 27, 1955, less than three weeks after Marian Anderson became the first Black person to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, Robert McFerrin Sr. became the first Black man to sing at the Metropolitan Opera.
In 1956, McFerrin played Rigoletto at the Met, thus becoming the first African American to sing a title role there. He also provided the singing to which Sidney Poitier lip-synched in the 1959 film version of Porgy and Bess.
McFerrin married Sara Cooper, also an opera singer. They had two children; their son is Bobby McFerrin of "Don't Worry Be Happy" fame and their daughter Brenda is a Motown recording artist. Bobby has three children, of whom two are musicians and one is an actor.
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