Martin Strother, singer and music instructor, dies at 60

When Richmonder Martin Strother began to sing, his powerful basso profondo voice -- without benefit of a microphone -- easily commanded an auditorium or concert hall.

"He was not a tall man, but he had a tall voice -- a big, booming bass voice. He had a voice you would not forget," said soprano Lisa Edwards-Burr, assistant professor of music at Virginia Union University. She first worked with him at Dogwood Dell, when he portrayed her father in the Scott Joplin opera "Treemonisha."

Mr. Strother, who had taught on the adjunct music faculties at VUU, Virginia State University and the University of Richmond while involved with many local and national music activities, will be honored at a memorial service today, Friday. The service will be at 1 p.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church, 216 W. Leigh St., where he was a longtime member and had directed the choir.

The Richmond resident, who, after a bout with cancer, recently returned to work as an instructional assistant at Summer Hill-Ruffin Road Elementary School and as a custodial supervisor working at Virginia State Police headquarters, died last Friday at age 60.

"He had a wonderfully resonant voice. It was a real gift," Edwards-Burr said. Mr. Strother, who had performed with the James River Chamber Opera, had sung in operas including "Porgy and Bess," "Don Giovanni," "Tartuffe" and "The Nightingale." He also had sung in off-Broadway productions including "Big River" and "Showboat."

"People loved to hear him sing 'Ol' Man River,'" Edwards-Burr said.

Locally, he had been a soloist at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. He did many concerts and chamber music events, including the series "Music for a Great Space" at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart and a series of concerts about Paul Robeson.

He sang for weddings, funerals, college convocations, and events such as the Virginia State Police trooper graduation in 2008 and the Virginia Law Enforcement Memorial Service in May 2009.

At VUU, where he earned a bachelor's degree in music in 1977, he was a former associate director of the Preparatory School of Music. He later pursued graduate music studies at Indiana University.

Former voice student Patrick McCoy, minister of music at Takoma Baptist Church in Washington, remembered his teacher at VSU as "very quiet in speech, but his actions spoke volumes."

Survivors include four sisters, Shirley Watkins, Delorious Saunders, Annie Teresa George and Florence Strother, all of Richmond; brothers Melvin Strother of Philadelphia and Alvin Strother of Richmond; and a half brother, James Tiller of Richmond.

Contact Ellen Robertson at (804) 649-6115 or .