Photo: Wouter Hogendorp / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Barbara Hendricks fascinates me because her path makes no obvious sense on paper, and that is exactly why I admire it. A girl from tiny Stephens, Arkansas, studies chemistry and mathematics, then becomes one of the world's great lyric sopranos. The Legion of Honour, the Princess of Asturias Award, a wall of decorations, all earned with her voice. But the detail that moves me is the humanitarian work: a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador since 1987, using that same voice for refugees. Talent paired with conscience is rare, and Hendricks has carried both for decades. I find that combination genuinely inspiring rather than merely impressive.
Overview
Barbara Hendricks (born November 20, 1948) is an American lyric soprano and humanitarian. Born in Arkansas, Hendricks studied chemistry and mathematics at the University of Nebraska before becoming a singer. She gained acclaim for her operatic roles from her 1974 debut onwards, and also performs jazz among other genres. Hendricks has been a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador since 1987.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Barbara Hendricks
- Name (Japanese)
- バーバラ・ヘンドリックス
- Reading
- ばーばら・へんどりっくす
- Born
- November 20, 1948 (age 77)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Rat
- Origin
- Stephens, Arkansas, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / opera singer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Awards & achievements
- Knight of the Legion of Honour
- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres
- 2000 Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts
- 2006 Saint George's Cross
- 1996 honorary doctorate of Grenoble-III University
- 1999 honorary doctor of Paris 8 University
- 2022 honorary doctor of the Sorbonne Nouvelle University
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Actor — see all → · Opera singer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.