Paul Robeson at St Paul's Cathedral in London

In the 1920s, Robeson found fame as an actor and singing star of both stage and radio with his bass voice and commanding presence. He was one of the few true basses in American music, with his beautiful and powerful voice descending as low as C below the bass clef. In addition to his stage performances, his renditions of old spirituals were acclaimed; Robeson and his accompanist and arranger Lawrence Brown were the first to bring them to the concert stage. Paul Robeson also recorded over a hundred songs, making him first black actor to attempt to play roles which had dignity and stressed African pride.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Robeson