PORT ARTHUR, Texas — A famous opera singer who got the chance to sing for a civil rights legend will be in Southeast Texas Saturday for a free performance.
Richard Perkins is a classically trained opera singer. The Port Arthur native travels the world and shares his gift across the globe with anyone who will listen.
Music has been a part of Perkins’ life since he was 5 years old. His love for music propelled him onto the world’s stage as an opera singer.
“I'm a Lincoln High School graduate,” Perkins said. “In 1964 I went on to study in Prairie View and got a performance degree.”
During his time at Prairie View A&M, Perkins got the chance to perform for a change-maker during the civil rights movement.
“We were called to the conductor's room and were told that there was someone in the hotel that wanted to hear us sing,” Perkins said. “They put us all into this small living space where Martin Luther King, Andrew Young, and a couple others were meeting.”
That moment was the start of Perkins’ long and prosperous career.
After college, the Port Arthur native traveled to Italy and Germany to study Bel Canto singing. There he would later star in operas and win many awards.
“There was an award that the Colorado Rockies baseball team gave me to sing the national anthem,” Perkins said.
Paul Robeson’s music was a big inspiration in Perkins’ life. This led him to dedicate programs and concerts to his music and ideas.
Robeson was not only interested in civil rights, but human rights.
“Robeson was one of those that precede Rosa Parks, and Dr. Martin Luther King and some of the other advocates for civil rights,” Perkins said.
Perkins will have a free concert Saturday at 1 p.m., at the Port Arthur Public Library. He will sing and also talk about the life of Robeson to help keep black history alive.
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