Marian Anderson was born to a warm, loving, hardworking family on Webster Street in South Philadelphia. A woman of simple dignity and serene charm, she raised her art to a pinnacle of such perfection that when she sang, music became akin to religion in its emotional impact.

She first began singing in the choir of Union Baptist church, learning all the parts from soprano to bass, a discipline that helped to develop her extraordinary range. She was 15 when she received her first formal lesson.

The Union Baptist congregation established a Marian Anderson fund to enable her to have regular and thorough training. When Marian was introduced to Italian conductor, Arturo Toscanini, he told her "A VOICE LIKE YOURS IS HEARD ONLY ONCE IN A HUNDRED YEARS."

Her reputation was further advanced by her tour though Europe in the early 1930's . The Finnish composer Jean Sibelius dedicated his Solitude to her.

In 1955 , Anderson broke the color barrier by becoming the first African-American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera . On that occasion, she sang the part of Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi 's Un ballo in maschera . The occasion was bittersweet as Anderson, at age 58, was no longer in her prime vocally.

In 1958 she was officially designated delegate to the United Nations , a formalization of her role as "goodwill ambassador" of the U.S. she played earlier, and in 1972 she was awarded the UN Peace Prize.

After an extensive farewell tour, she retired from singing in 1965 . Her achievements were recognized and honored with many prizes, including a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement in 1991 .

Marian Anderson died in 1993 at her nephew's home in Portland, Oregon at the age of 96 of natural causes. She is interred in the Eden Cemetery in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania .

The 1939 documentary film, Marian Anderson: the Lincoln Memorial Concert was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry .

On January 27, 2005, a commemorative U.S. postage stamp honored Marian Anderson with her image on the 37¢ issue as part of the "Black Heritage" series.