Robeson, Paul Bustill

Robeson, Paul Bustill (1898–1976), American Negro actor and singer, who made his first appearance on the stage in 1921. He created a sensation when he appeared for the Provincetown Players in 1924 as Jim Harris in O'Neill's All God's Chillun Got Wings, and even more by his playing of Brutus Jones in the same author's The Emperor Jones, in which he was first seen in London a year later and in Germany in 1930. His singing of ‘Ole Man River’ in the London production of the musical Show Boat (1928) first revealed the haunting quality of his superb bass voice, and led him to devote much of his time to touring in recitals of Negro spirituals. He was, however, seen again in London in the title-role of Othello (1930), which when he appeared in it in New York in 1943 achieved the longest run of a Shakespeare play on Broadway up to that time. He also played the part at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1959. Another of his outstanding roles was ‘Yank’ in O'Neill's The Hairy Ape (1931). During his active career Robeson did much to further the interests of the Negro people. A highly gifted, sincere, and courageous man, he was one of the best-known Negro personalities of his time.