found: African American National Biography, accessed January 17, 2015, via Oxford African American Studies Center database:(Estes, Simon Lamont; opera singer; born 02 February 1938 in Centerville, Iowa, United States; attended the University of Iowa, entering as pre-med student, then studied theology and psychology, before settling on music (1957-1963); sang at the Bayreuth, known as the opera house of Richard Wagner, becoming the first African American to perform there in a major role; worked with some of the most respected conductors, including James Levine, Sir Colin Davis, Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Muti, Sir Georg Solti, and Seiji Ozawa; shared a stage with opera's leading stars such as Luciano Pavarotti, Jessye Norman, Mirella Freni, Christa Ludwig, and Leontyne Price; honors include, the Iowa Award, the Iowa House of Representatives passed a resolution to recognize his achievements as a vocalist, musician, and humanitarian (1996, 2000); the city of Des Moines named a new performance space in his honor: the Simon Estes Riverfront Amphitheater)
