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1. POPULAR MUSIC AND CULTURE
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2. POPULAR MUSIC AND CULTURE
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Popular music can be describe as any commercially oriented music principle that is
intended, appreciated and received by a wide audience in the society. Popular music unlike
traditional music folk music is written by known people. Historically, this kind of music was any
non-folks form that acquired mass population. It is widely conceived that popular music had its
origin from African Americans, especially in North America and as result, it has become a
Americans greatest contribution to the world. Popular music in the United States began with Tin
Pan Alley in 1890s as publishing industry1
. Thereafter, African Americas began performing
complex rhythms using European harmonic structure leading to the creation of Jazz. However,
despite popular music and contemporary studies providing information and artist in relation to
North American cultures and history through popular music, the representation of the artist is
biased as there are some artists whose contributions were also influential in the community but
are not mentioned. This essay therefore aims at addressing the mission in the popular music
history through describing Ronald Hayes.
Ronald Hayes was singer whose birthplace was in Coryville, Georgia in 1887. His
parents were ex-slave. He managed to finish only the fifth grade bearing that he had to help his
family following his father’s death from work related injury. He started his music career at early
stage where he sang in churches with a group called Silver-Toned Quartet. Director Arthur
Calhoun help the young Hayes in studying voice and then introduced him to Greeta operative
1
Niknafs, Nasim. (2019). Engaging with Popular Music from cultural Sandpoint: A Concept Oriented Framework.
Retrieved from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0027432119855693

3. singers such as Nelli Melba and Enrico Caruso where he decided to make singing his career2
.
Hayes joined Jubilee Singers along with Singers like John Wesley Work where he recorded two
spiritual for the Edison Phonograph Company. Thereafter, he decided to relocate to Northern
part (Boston) because he believed that his music had a better chance of making him a
professional singer than in south. He continued his vocal studies with renowned basso Arthur
Hubbard where he enthralled his listener by producing Negro spiritual opera arias, and other art
songs. Eventually, success came along for him through music when he sold his record.
Ronald life as a musical artist reveals a remarkable story of an artist who went from
planation to place and singing before kings and queens. He had the finest international and
American orchestra. His music career as a Black man showed that he is man who inspired many
through his small stature, dignified manner and non-violent persuasion? During his life time, he
face a lot of racism. Racial segregation took a deep root into his life to the point of curtailing his
passion in music, but he chose to show the opposite of oppression through music. He dedicated
his life through teaching both blacks and non-blacks the importance of harmony in life3
. He
chose to overcome racism by example and doing so made Ronald Hayes to become a trailblazer
especially when he sang, his musical abilities became more than polished excellence. Through
music, he appealed to something universal, something beyond the emotions and intellect,
something I can call a soul. This is a tremendous lesson to the society that in times of affliction,
the best way to respond is though showing love. This made him to travel many parts of the word
despite being a Black folk to entertain his audience.
2
Jones, Randye. (2016). Ronald Hayes Bibliography. Afrocentric Voices in Classical Music. Retrieved from:
http://afrovoices.com/roland-hayes-biography/
3
Owens M. Joanne. Ronald Hayes (1887-1977). Arts and Culture. New Georgian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from:
https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/roland-hayes-1887-1977

4. Hayes contributed to the development of the concert spirituals which were reflected in his
musical abilities as an educator, composer and performer. Hayes spirituals recordings in the early
stages came from self-funded sessions. Despite not being satisfied with his result of his first
recording, he used the sales to support his musical career. In his musical career, he record
greatest hits like “Swing low, Sweet Chariot” and “sit down” and many others. In 2013, “Were
You There” was included into the national records of Registry. Boston symphony Orchestra
commissioned and premiered the Ronald Hayes School of Music in Madison Park technical
Vocational high School as an attribute and a commemoration of his music career. This showed
that Roland Hayes genius and magnificent musical artistry. Hayes was the first black man and a
popular artist musical to sing with major orchestra as wells as being the first to sing a command
performance for the British family and other European royalty. This achievement made Hayes to
have an elevated status of the popular music thereby inspiring many other upcoming artist to
work towards achieving such a milestone in their musical career. Bearing where Roland Hayes
came from, the achievement were great and inspirational. Robert Sims, a co-author told audience
in McKnight that Hayes was trailblazer for blacks’ popular music4
. “What Ronald Hayes
achieved in music were the heights of his celebrity, through sheet determination self-drive,
Hayes was focused on having such a career.
Through his musical music and desires to end racial segregation, Ronald Hayes attempted
to end segregated seats in several concerts such as Washington Constitution hall. Subsequently,
through his efforts of anti-segregated seating in concerts, the hall officials instituted a no-black
policy. This led to the Marian Anderson famous rejection by the daughters of the American
4
Wise, Brian. McKnight Terrance. (2015). Ronald Hayes: Trailblazing Singer Ronald Hayes Turned Struggles Into
Triumphs. Retrieved from: https://www.wqxr.org/story/trailblazing-singer-roland-hayes-turned-struggles-
triumphs/

5. Revolution from singing there. However, she later sang a legendary song recital standing on the
steps of the Lincoln memorial. Still to this day, Hayes inspired many prominent singers to use
spiritual recitals.
As a popular musical artist, Hayes was an educator in the community. While celebrity his
seventieth birthday, Hayes formally organized a fund drive for the America Missionary
Association College centennials. Besides, his later years were coupled with community service
whereby he encouraged young musicians by serving as a mentor teaching without charging his
talent, financial, and time to assist the upcoming artist. At Boston University, he lectured. Hayes,
being a great popular musical artist deserved to be include in the studies of the North America
popular music because of these awards and service he achieved in America. For instance,
Georgia Music of Hall of Fame and Georgia Department of Natural resources honored him by
ejecting a historic marker in Calhoun. In addition, in 2000, a Ronald Hayes Museums was
official launched in Harris Arts Center to hold concerts annually in honor of Hayes. With these
great attributes in the society, such a person cannot miss in the study of popular music culture of
the northern America. Hayes made a great mane for himself and through that, many institutions
and people were inspired to start such institution in honor of him. In 1848, Hayes published “My
Songs” a move that contributed to African Americans spiritual music. As contribution to his
former University, Hayes commended a four years In Boston University to teach voice music.
It is an absurd for the teaching of the history of the North America popular music to
ignore the contribution of people like Ronald Hayes in the society. For his time, he advocated
and inspired the genre both at home and at international level. If history is to capture the singers,
artist such as Ronald Hayes contributed overwhelmingly into the music such that if their names
are missing in the teaching, it is biased. In order to be a good music artist, or be a good teacher of

6. the music, it is vital for one to know the history of the music and those who made it be what it is.
Without linking such artist whose contribution were significant makes the study to lack the
aesthetic it deserves. When a student studies all artists especially those who contributed but are
ignored in the course, it leads to a disconnection of the actual substance of study. However, by
including artist such as Hayes, one gets to imagine what the experience to leave at such a time.
Hayes contributions fits fervently into contemporary studies as far as history of the popular
music is concerned and therefore, it reflect the background of the genre and also imitates the
music of this time. In other words, by including Ronald Hayes in the study of popular music, the
student obtains a framework for incarnating the pieces. The framework consist of knowledge
which enables the learner to compare the genres. Still, the learner will be able to articulate the
themes, objective and goals of the popular music history by creating a framework that will
encounter these topics and then design a class activity that will help in active learning of the
culture. This can only happen without bias or when artists such as Ronald Hayes are included
because of his major contributions.
Like other artist during his time, Ronald Hayes made a name for himself. Ronald Hayes
became the first Black man to perform in the international concerts. His musical aligns with the
study of the popular music history such that by ignoring him somehow, makes the cultures of the
Popular music to lose its aesthetic. It is prudent for such a great artist to be included because of
the immense contribution. He along with other artist contributed in making the genre what it is
today. When his name is not included because of bias, the history will lose its substance and
cannot reflect the history as it supposed to. In summary, the reason why Hayes’ name should be
included in the study pertains to his excellent artistic work, contribution towards ending racism,
being an educator who taught and inspired many young artist and most importantly, the way he

7. managed to handle racism, through appealing to emotions and persuasive music instead of direct
confrontation.

8. Bibliography
Jones, Randye. (2016). Ronald Hayes Bibliography. Afrocentric Voices in Classical Music.
Retrieved from: http://afrovoices.com/roland-hayes-biography/
Niknafs, Nasim. (2019). engaging with Popular Music from cultural Sandpoint: A Concept
Oriented Framework. Retrieved from:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0027432119855693
Owens M. Joanne. Ronald Hayes (1887-1977). Arts and Culture. New Georgian Encyclopedia.
Retrieved from: https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/roland-hayes-
1887-1977
Wise, Brian. McKnight Terrance. (2015). Ronald Hayes: Trailblazing Singer Ronald Hayes
Turned Struggles into Triumphs. Retrieved from:
https://www.wqxr.org/story/trailblazing-singer-roland-hayes-turned-struggles-triumphs/