Grace Kerns
American singer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Grace Miriam Kerns (August 27, 1879[1] – September 10, 1936) was an American lyric soprano, called the "Nightingale of the Trenches" for her popularity during World War I. She made over a hundred recordings during the 1910s.
Grace Kerns | |
|---|---|
Grace Kerns, from a 1922 publication | |
| Born | August 27, 1879 Norfolk, Virginia, United States |
| Died | September 10, 1936 (aged 57) near Williamsburg, Virginia, United States |
| Other names | Miriam Clark, Grace Nash, Katherine Clark, Catherine Clarke, Jane Clarke |
| Occupation | Singer |
Early life
Kerns was born in Norfolk, Virginia,[2] and lived in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, a daughter in the large family of Andrew Jackson Kerns and Catharine Marinda Clark Kerns. Her father was a saw manufacturer.[1] She studied voice with Emma Cecilia Thursby.[3] She studied in Europe in the summer of 1913.[4]
Career
Kerns began her professional singing career as a church and oratorio soloist in New York City.[5][6] She made over a hundred recordings during the 1910s, for Victor, Columbia, Okeh, Empire, and Edison labels.[7][8] She recorded duets with other singers including Margaret Keyes, Reed Miller, John Barnes Wells, Nevada Van der Veer, and Henry Burr.[7][9][10] She sometimes sang under other names, including Miriam Clark and Grace Nash.[11]
During World War I, she went to France to entertain the troops,[11][12] earning the nickname "Nightingale of the Trenches."[13] After the war, she returned to church soloist work, and giving concerts.[14][15] She also sang in radio broadcasts.[16] In her later years she taught voice at Randolph-Macon Women's College in Virginia.[17][18]
Personal life
Kerns, her brother, and her nephew all died in a car accident near Williamsburg, Virginia in 1936.[18]