Shirley Verrett

Shirley Verrett (May 31, 1931 – November 5, 2010) was an African American opera singer. From the 1950s to the 1990s she did soprano roles, including Irina in "Lost in the Stars" in 1958. More recent roles include singing Didon in "Les Troyens" (1990). She played Nettie Fowler in the 1994 Broadway revival of "Carousel".
Verrett was born in New Orleans and raised in Los Angeles. She died in Ann Arbor, Michigan at age 79 from heart failure.