Singer Marian Anderson, the first Black person to perform at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, died of congestive heart failure in Portland, Oregon, on April 8, 1993. She was 96 years old.  
Anderson was born in Philadelphia on Feb. 27, 1897. She spent her final years in Portland living with her nephew. Prior to this, she lived a calm and quiet life on a farm in Connecticut, after retiring from the music world in 1965. In 1991, she was given the high honor of the Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement. 
Anderson began singing in church at 6 years old and went on to perfect her talents through vocal training paid by the choir. Anderson also won a chance to perform at Lewisohn Stadium in New York, and more opportunities followed. During her life she performed in the biggest venues of the time including the White House and the Lincoln Memorial.
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