Barbara Hendricks
A soprano who transformed her crystalline voice into a tool for global connection, championing human rights from the opera stage to refugee camps.
Born 1948 (age 78)·American opera singer·Birthday: November 20·Baby Boomers
Biography
Barbara Hendricks’s journey began not in a music conservatory, but in a chemistry lab in segregated Arkansas. That scientific mind later gave her artistic interpretations a unique clarity and structure. After studying at Juilliard, she exploded onto the operatic scene, her luminous voice and compelling stage presence making her a favorite in Mozart and Puccini roles across European capitals. But Hendricks never saw the concert hall as an escape from the world. In 1987, she became a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency, performing in war zones and camps from Sarajevo to the Horn of Africa, believing music was a fundamental human need. She seamlessly crossed genres, recording spirituals, jazz, and French melodies with equal authenticity. Living in Europe and becoming a Swedish citizen, she built a life as a true citizen-artist of the world, using her fame to spotlight the displaced and the forgotten.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Barbara was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Barbara Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Barbara's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Has served as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador since 1987, giving concerts in conflict zones worldwide.
- Made her professional opera debut at the San Francisco Opera in 1974, quickly becoming an international star.
- Awarded the prestigious Polar Music Prize in 2000 for her exceptional contributions to music.
- Has released over 80 recordings spanning opera, jazz, spirituals, and contemporary music.
Did You Know?
She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Mathematics from the University of Nebraska before pursuing music.
She performed at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in 1994, 1996, and 1998.
Hendricks is an accomplished cook and has published a book of recipes and anecdotes titled 'L'Opera de la Cuisine.'
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