Margaret Bonds
Margaret Allison Bonds (March 3, 1913 – April 26, 1972) was an American composer, pianist, arranger, and teacher. One of the first Black composers and performers to gain recognition in the United States, she is best remembered today for her popular arrangements of African-American spirituals and frequent collaborations with Langston Hughes. She was the first African American woman to perform with the all-White and all-male Chicago Symphony Orchestra, one of the first African American women to have her music broadcast on European radio, the first African American woman to have her music performed widely in Africa, only the second African American woman in classical music to be elected to full membership in ASCAP, and the first woman Black or white to win three awards from ASCAP. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Chicago (city and county seat of Cook County, and largest city in State of Illinois, United States of America), Died April 26, 1972 (Los Angeles (seat of Los Angeles County, and largest city in California, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1939 - 1941
Roles Represented in DAHR: songwriter
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-044031 | 10-in. | 10/20/1939 | Peach Tree Street | Sterling Bose ; Delta Rhythm Band ; Bob Zurke | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo | songwriter | |
| Victor | BS-060916 | 10-in. | 2/20/1941 | Spring will be so sad (When she comes this year) | Ray Eberle ; Glenn Miller Orchestra ; Modernaires | Jazz/dance band, with male vocal solo and male vocal quartet | songwriter |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Bonds, Margaret," accessed December 25, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108641.
Bonds, Margaret. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 25, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108641.
"Bonds, Margaret." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 25 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Bonds, Margaret - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no88002160
Wikidata: Margaret Bonds - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1894804
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/51880659
MusicBrainz: Margaret Bonds - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/0aa851f8-4407-4cbc-9c1b-2a6edc6a6e84
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/235841 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/235841
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