Sissieretta (Joyner) Jones (1868-1933), a former Providence, Rhode Island resident, dazzled audiences in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with her beautiful soprano voice. This gifted African American vocalist, whom the press dubbed the “Black Patti,”...
Today, January 5, 2017, marks the 149th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding vocalist Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones (also called the “Black Patti,” a reference to the white opera star, Adelina Patti). This African American musical pioneer, who sang opera,...
The great soprano, Sissieretta (Joyner) Jones (1868-1933), also known as the “Black Patti,” called Providence, Rhode Island, home for most of her life. Although she was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, she moved to Providence with her family in 1876 when she was eight...
Eighty-three years ago today (June 24, 2016) the great soprano Sissieretta Joyner Jones died of cancer at Providence’s Rhode Island Hospital. Those who cared for the 65-year-old singer during her final days in the hospital likely did not know about her famous and...
To date, no one has found Matilda Sissieretta Joyner Jones’ birth certificate to prove her date of birth, but many sources, including this author, believe she was born in Portsmouth, Virginia on January 5, 1868, to parents Jeremiah and Henrietta Joyner. The other...
An historical highway marker honoring the great African American soprano Sissieretta Jones, also known as the “Black Patti,” was dedicated Oct. 12, 2014 in Portsmouth, VA, the city of her birth. The marker, issued by the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and...
