Todd Duncan

Todd Duncan (b. Danville, Kentucky, February 12, 1903 d. Washington, D.C., February 28, 1998) -- Vocalist and actor. Raised singing in church, Duncan moved to Indianapolis with mother in his teen years. He attended Shortridge High School and earned a B.A. in Music at Butler in 1925 and M.A. at Columbia University Teachers' College in 1930. After serving on the faculty at Howard University in the early 1930s, Duncan moved to New York, where he selected by George Gershwin be the original Porgy in Porgy and Bess and performed the role over 1,800 times. Duncan performed on Broadway for twenty-five years, appearing in The Sun Never Sets (1938), Cabin in the Sky (1940), and Lost in the Stars (1949). He also appeared in movies, including a prison film Unchained (1955). In the film, Duncan sings the original version of "Unchained Melody," which became one of the most popular songs of the 20th Century. By performing the role of Tonio with in Pagliacci with New York City Opera in 1945, Duncan became the first African American to perform with an all-white cast and with a major opera company. Also a concert singer, he performed over 2,000 recitals in fifty-six countries.