TRANSCRIPT:
I’m Mark Rapp, and this is Rapp on Jazz.
DuBose Heyward helped shape one of the most iconic works in American musical history. Born in Charleston in 1885, Heyward came from an old, respected South Carolina family. He left high school early and worked a series of jobs before turning his attention to writing.
In 1920, he helped found the Poetry Society of South Carolina, a group that energized the Lowcountry's literary culture.
Heyward’s early poems often captured the rhythms and cadences of African American speech and music, with hints of blues-like phrasing.
This sensitivity to sound and storytelling drew the attention of composer George Gershwin, who was captivated by the musical spirit Heyward infused into his novel Porgy.
This has been Rapp On Jazz, a co-production of ColaJazz and SC Public Radio, made possible by Layman Publishing Partners, celebrating 50 years of expert content creation, authoritative information management, and standards-driven print and digital production.