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.
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
- Occupation
- actor / opera singer
2. Background
- 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
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Barbara Hendricks born?
Born November 20, 1948 (age 77).
Where is Barbara Hendricks from?
Barbara Hendricks is from Stephens, Arkansas, United States.
What does Barbara Hendricks do?
Barbara Hendricks works as actor, opera singer.
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 or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.