Florence Cole Talbert

Florence Cole Talbert-McCleave (born Florence Cole, June 17, 1890–April 3, 1961cite book |title=Lost Sounds: Blacks and the Birth of the Recording Industry, 1890-1919 |first=Tim |last=Brooks |coauthors=Spottswood, Richard K |publisher=University of Illinois Press |location=Urbana |year=2005 |pages=pp. 486-488 |isbn=0252028503 |oclc=51511207] cite web |url=http://www.darryltaylor.com/alliance/displayPage.php?pageId=20 |title=The African American Composers and Performers of Art Song |work=DarrylTaylor.com |author=African American Art Song Alliance |year=2007 |accessdate=2007-12-24] ) was a Detroit, Michigan, born African American soprano.cite book |title=Blacks in Opera: an Encyclopedia of People and Companies, 1873-1993 |first=Eric Ledell |last=Smith |publisher=McFarland |location=Jefferson, North Carolina |year=1995 |pages=p. 180 |isbn=0899508138 |oclc=31076715] Her family moved to Los Angeles, California in 1910, where Talbert was the first African American to attend Los Angeles High School.cite book |title=William Grant Still: A Study in Contradictions |first=Catherine |last=Parsons-Smith |coauthors=Murchison, Willard |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley, California |year=2000 |pages=p. 90 |isbn=0520215435 |oclc=42009448] Afterward, she studied at the University of Southern California and in Chicago, Illinois at the Chicago Musical College in 1916. She began singing in New York City in 1918, and later married a pianist and director named William P. Talbert. In 1924, she traveled to Europe to play in "Aïda", and returned to the United States three years later. She recorded and released three songs, including "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen".cite web |url=http://www.mainspringpress.com/blkswan.htm |title=Black Swan's Other Stars |work=Mainspring Press |first=Allan |last=Sutton |date=2007-08-29 |accessdate=2007-12-24]

After retirement, Talbert became a singing teacher in Los Angeles, and also composed the words to Delta Sigma Theta's official hymn.cite book |title=In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement |first=Paula |last=Giddings |publisher=Morrow |location=New York |year=1988 |pages=pp. 68-69 |isbn=0688135099 |oclc=17873327] She eventually moved to Memphis, Tennessee, and married Dr. Benjamin F. McCleave. She taught in historically black colleges and universities such as Fisk University, Tuskegee University and Rust College.cite web |url=http://www.memphismuseums.org/historic%20black%20memphians.htm |title=Historic Black Memphians |work=MemphisMuseums.org |accessdate=2007-12-24] Talbert died in Memphis in 1961.cite web |url=http://nfo.net/calendar/apr03.htm |title=Musical Calendar for April 3rd |work=NFO.net |accessdate=2007-12-24]

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