Customer Reviews

William Warfield: My Music & My Life

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A wonderful book of reminiscences from this wonderful man, and beloved friend of thousands of students, friends and fans. bd

Have you had chills run down your spine when you hear William Warfield sing? Think "Old Man River", "Porgy and Bess", etc. Well, I had to read the autobiography of this immensely talented singer. I really enjoyed hearing him recount his early years with a seasoning in Arkansas but largely in New York State. His father, a minister, set lofty standards for his boys, and his mother was a dedicated caregiver and orchestrator of the family needs. Mr. Warfield's asides in the book are often as fascinating as anything; he has a keen mind for details and insight from what could be seen as small events. This is a reassuring thread in the book; he does not preach his story, or create a legend or myth but truly tells us how challenging it is for a performer, no matter how talented, to make his way in the entertainment/performing world. We follow him through high school and college, army life, and eventual transition from an academic pathway to entertainment , then back full circle as he accepted a tenured professorship in music at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Brief detours to Hollywood shed a revealing look behind the bright lights. He is a gentleman and reveals very little about his marriage and subsequent divorce from Leontyne Price. Racial strife and bigotry is lightly but meaningfully touched upon. My complaint is that despite the respectful, carefully crafted story, I don't feel as if I truly know what made this man tick. It seems too polite and restrained. The book brought up more questions than it answered. I guess I will have to be content with hearing his spectacular voice, and say simply, Thank you.