Frederick J. Loudin
| Frederick Jeremiah Loudin | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Frederick Jeremiah Loudin |
| Born |
January 1, 1836 Charlestown, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | November 3, 1904 (aged 68) Ravenna, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | Spirituals |
| Occupation(s) | Teacher, singer, choir director, impresario, inventor, entrepreneur, manufacturer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1872–1902 |
Frederick Jeremiah Loudin (c.1836 - November 3, 1904) was the leader of the Loudin Jubilee Singers. His commanding presence and ambitious personality caused him to emerge as an unofficial spokesperson during the four years he toured with them. He later became internationally famous as the leader of his own brand of Jubilee Singers, the Loudin Jubilee Singers, who toured internationally. Their world tour took 6 years to complete and was the first of its kind, in that respect.
Loudin was born to free parents in Charlestown, Ohio, circa 1836. His parents moved to rural Ohio from Burlington, VT to be farmers, but when they learned that, although they had made regular financial contributions to Hiram College, their son would not be allowed to enter their preparatory program, they promptly removed their children from the local school and enrolled them in school in Ravenna, Ohio.
Frederick excelled in his studies and was therefore eligible for a privileged seat in the class. Many White parents took umbrage with this occurrence and pulled their children out of school, rather than have a "Negro" sit in a seat of honor they felt their children deserved based on skin color, rather than merit.
Loudin continued to show promise as a strong student and in his late teens began apprenticing for a printer. When asked to take over the literary department of the abolitionist newspaper for which he worked, Loudin elected to remain a compositer since he did not fully share the views of the paper's editor. Discouraged when he discovered that other white printers were unwilling to do business with him, Loudin gave up printing altogether.
The racism he experienced extended beyond school and work. In the Methodist church he had joined in Ravenna, Loudin was prohibited from singing in the choir. This was especially disappointing since Loudin, who had descended from a family of musicians, was gifted with a beautiful voice. This experience discouraged him from pursuing a formal education in music, despite his desire to sing.
While in his early 20s, Loudin moved to Pittsburgh where he met and married Harriet Johnson. Four years later, the couple moved to Memphis. Music played a large part in Loudin's life: teaching, learning the organ and leading a choir. When a friend told him about the Jubilee Singers, he wrote to George White. White, who was looking for a baritone, came to Memphis to hear Loudin sing. He invited him to join his choir.
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