Digital Repository

Julius Bledsoe

Waco native Julius Bledsoe was among the first African Americans to appear on Broadway. The singer who first performed the song “Ol’ Man River” in the classic musical Show Boat was once described as “a singer who can pick the heart right out your body­­—if you don’t look out."

Image: Portrait of Julius Bledsoe. Image courtesy of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Audio: Houston Public Media

Portrait of Julius Bledsoe