Edward Matthews

Edward Matthews (1904-1954) was a pioneering African American opera singer. In 1934, he created the role of "Ignatius of Loyola" in Thomson's Four Saints in Three Acts, which he reprised in the 1952 revival of the opera - his last appearance on Broadway. In 1935, he created his most famous role - Jake, the fisherman, in the original 1935 production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Here, he introduced the song A Woman Is a Sometime Thing. He recreate... more

Edward Matthews (1904-1954) was a pioneering African American opera singer. In 1934, he created the role of "Ignatius of Loyola" in Thomson's Four Saints in Three Acts, which he reprised in the 1952 revival of the opera - his last appearance on Broadway. In 1935, he created his most famous role - Jake, the fisherman, in the original 1935 production of Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. Here, he introduced the song A Woman Is a Sometime Thing. He recreated the role in the 1942 revival of the opera, and in the 1951 3-LP album set - the most complete recording of Porgy and Bess made up to that time. less