Jessye Norman, opera singer - BBC HARDtalk

Opera singer Jessye Norman - one of the most renowned sopranos of the 20th Century - has died at the age of 74.

Speaking to BBC HARDtalk’s Stephen Sackur in 2014, the Grammy award-winning singer, born in America's segregated South, gave a wide-ranging interview discussing her career, her battle against prejudice, and the place of feminism in the 21st century.

[waltercastillor.]

This has been a great masterclass on how you can respond when people try to press you, defy you or make you feel uncomfortable with tricky questions and non sense statements . She always responded assertively with class and charm. Love her.

[nashidrountree]

"Well they might write it, but darling I don't read it"
What a legend 😅

[marvingeleijnse]

She is a queen. She not only performs her art, but the way she carries herself, she is her art

[KeyofCG]

She is absolutely brilliant. Class, charm, intellect, talent, humor, generosity, and honesty.

[lawrencendlovu]

Now I can bring myself to watch this after 6months of Jessye’s death. She was everything I loved in a human being. A dear friend. Rest darling.

[patricksilesius]

She absolutely disarmed (I think, unintentionally) the BBC interviewer. Bravo, Jessye Norman!

[m.antoniosims]

Ms. Norman was remarkably sophisticated. She had extraordinary confidence and loved herself inside and out because she recognized her God given talents and shared them with the world unashamedly .Brilliant Lady!

[photonomist]

Jessye Norman - what a wonderful human being.

[NickyEmpress]

Very intelligent and well articulated...she owned this interview despite the intentions of the interviewer

[jayhartbarger]

he is trying so hard to inject a narrative. He is not listening to her. She is the finest of an era.

[lkaes]

She was BRILLIANT. That interviewer didn’t deserve her presence and wisdom. She was giving a lecture on human kind but he didn’t let her finish.
...he even doubted if she was fluent in several languages. I wonder if he‘d have doubt the same if the guest was white.
Long life to your soul, Jessye Norman. Blessings and good return.

[republiceviil]

I love her and I’m so remarkably sad she’s gone 😭😭😭😭😭♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[ritabrito]

She was my first personal training client! Believe it or now, she found me on the Pennsysavers! I'm sure she only hired me because, being in the early nineties, there was no Google, and I had no idea of who she was. She was an amazing, funny, powerful woman, with a supernatural voice. Such a loss...

[zayvier]

I love hearing her speak
I’d pay to hear her read the phone book

[gladysscott]

I am so proud of Ms. Norman, she can hold her on in any interview.

[LakeAriel-tcbe]

Priceless talent, voice and personality. I spent a Christmas eve in a restaurant she was dining and she got up and started singing Christmas carols with the pianist. That was absolutely fabulous and the true meaning of the season. A fascinating, elegant, sophisticated woman like we don't have too many anymore.

[leonply]

Her finest moment in this entire interview was at 15:35 when she called him "Darling, " thereby discounting all of his arrogance, stupidity and his inability to listen to one of the greatest artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

[Kwippy]

She had the voice of a Goddess but alas a mortal human frame. Her voice will live on.

[edenarlene]

What class, beauty, talent, sophistication, and intelligence!

[coffeepot]

I love to hear her talking, not just singing. What an extraordinary woman!