Queen Esther Marrow

Infobox musical artist
Name = Queen Esther Marrow

---

Img_capt =
Img_size =
Landscape =
Background = solo
Birth_name = Queen Esther
Born = birth date|??|02|12
Newport News, Virginia, USA
Origin = United States
Instrument = Singer
Genre = Soul, R & B, Gospel, and Jazz
Occupation = Performer, Composer, Writer, Lyricist
Years_active = 1965 – Present
Label = Fantasy Records, Open Door Music,Edel Music, Chordant, Intershow Records,Flying Dutchman
URL =

Queen Esther Marrow began her career at the age of 22 when her talent and vocal gifts were discovered by Duke Ellington [cite news | author=Paula Span | title= The Gospel According to Queen Esther | publisher= The Washington Post | pages= G.01| date=1999-01-31 ] and made her debut as a featured artist in his "Sacred Concert" world tour. Marrow and Ellington formed a long life friendship during the next four years while touring together. Queen has since performed with such musical greats as Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, B.B. King, Ray Charles, Theloneus Monk, Chick Corea and Bob Dylan.

In 1965, Marrow became active in the civil rights movement when she performed in Dr. Martin Luther King’s "World Crusade." There she met her lifetime idol Mahalia Jackson, with whom she would later share the stagecite news
author=Rahel Musleah | title= Spreading Good News in Song | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E4DF133BF934A35755C0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&&scp=4&sq=%22Queen%20Esther%20Marrow%22&st=cse | publisher= New York Times | pages= G.01| date=1998-06-07 ] . Other political activists on the crusade were Jesse Jackson, Sidney Poitier and Dr. Ralf Abernathy.

Marrow was also involved in musical theater, jazz, television and film. She played Auntie ‘Em on Broadway in “The Wiz,” and was featured in several other Broadway shows including “Comin’ Uptown”, “Nice To Be Civilized,” and she starred as her idol Mahalia Jackson in the national tour of “Sing Mahalia Sing,” directed by George Faison. Marrow was featured in Motown’s film, “The Last Dragon,” produced by Berry Gordy. Her numerous television appearances have ranged from the serious to the comic. They include “Duke Ellington: The Music Lives On”, as Oscar the Grouch’s mother in “Sesame Street” on PBS and “New York to Paris with The Harlem Gospel Singers” also on PBS. In 1990, a dream of Marrow’s came true when “Truly Blessed,” a musical about Mahalia Jackson written by and starring Queen Esther was seen in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and in New York on Broadway. The musical received three Helen Hayes nominations including Best New Play [http://www.helenhayes.org/sub/nr.cfm Helen Hayes Awards History Database] ] .

Marrow has performed for former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton and done a command performance the British Royal Family. She sung at the Vatican for Pope John Paul II [Citation
last = Pfeuffer
first = Petra
year = 2002
title = Queen Esther Marrow: A Spiritual Journey in Music ; a Portrait
place = Mannheim
publisher = Brenner Holding GmbH
isbn = 3-00-010527-1
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=XqOeAwAACAAJ&dq=Queen+Esther+Marrow+A+Spiritual+Journey&ei=AO9vSJiQLIm2iwGy-vHdDQ&btnG=Google+Search&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail] several times.

Most recently she founded The Harlem Gospel Singers, an international touring Gospel group. The group with their popularity at an all-time high made history on July 7, 1998 as the only gospel group ever to perform the Grand Evenement du Maurier (grand event) at the Montreal Jazz Festival, drawing over 100,000 audience members. [http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/Fijm2008/historique_en.aspx "History Of Le Festival International De Jazz De Montréal-Year 1998"] ,Festival International de Jazz de Montréal]

Awards

Further reading

*cite news
author=Paula Span | title= The Gospel According to Queen Esther | publisher= The Washington Post | pages= G.01| date=1999-01-31
*cite news
author=William Triplett | title= 'Inspiration': Rollicking Gospel Revival | publisher= The Washington Post | pages= C.01| date=1999-02-05
*cite news
author=William Triplett | title= Gospel Music: Queen Esther Marrow Rules | publisher= The Washington Post | pages= C.01| date=1999-02-05
*cite news
author=Rahel Musleah | title= Spreading Good News in Song | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C00E4DF133BF934A35755C0A96E958260&sec=&spon=&&scp=4&sq=%22Queen%20Esther%20Marrow%22&st=cse | publisher= New York Times | pages= G.01| date=1998-06-07
* cite news
author=James Barron | title= PUBLIC LIVES | url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE4DE173EF930A35754C0A96E958260&scp=10&sq=%22Queen%20Esther%20Marrow%22&st=cse | publisher= New York Times | pages= G.01| date=1998-07-03
* cite news
author=Philip Elwood | title= SACRED MUSIC Duke Ellington's San Francisco legacy | publisher= the Examiner | pages= MAG | date=1999-10-03
*cite news
author=Philip Elwood | title= Queen Esther's Uplifting Reign Gospel singer brings `Higher and Higher' to San Francisco |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1999/08/22/PK21398.DTL&hw=Queen+Esther+Marrow&sn=001&sc=1000 | publisher= San Francisco Chronicle | pages= PK-40 | date=1999-08-03
*ibdb name|id=84569|name=Esther Marrow
*Citation
last = Pfeuffer
first = Petra
year = 2002
title = Queen Esther Marrow: A Spiritual Journey in Music ; a Portrait
place = Mannheim
publisher = Brenner Holding GmbH
isbn = 3-00-010527-1
url = http://books.google.com/books?id=XqOeAwAACAAJ&dq=Queen+Esther+Marrow+A+Spiritual+Journey&ei=AO9vSJiQLIm2iwGy-vHdDQ&btnG=Google+Search&sa=X&oi=print&ct=title&cad=one-book-with-thumbnail
*Citation
last = Carpenter
first = Bil
title = Uncloudy Days: The Gospel Music Encyclopedia
publisher = Backbeat Books
place = San Francisco
year = 2005
isbn = 978-0879308414
url = http://www.uncloudydays.com/

Notes