BETTY JACKSON KING
Composer, Choral Director, Educator, Keyboard Artist, Lecturer, and Publisher
Jackson King (1928-1994) was a celebrated composer, musician, arranger, educator, and advocate for the arts. Born in Chicago, Illinois, she was a product of the Chicago Public Schools and the daughter of Reverend Frederick D. Jackson, founder and pastor of the Peoples Community Church and Center of Woodlawn, and Mrs. Gertrude Jackson Taylor, founder of the Imperial Opera Company and the Jacksonian Institute. Alongside her sister, Catherine Jackson Adams, a soloist and choir director, Betty and her mother became the Jacksonian Trio. The trio toured extensively throughout the South and Midwest, performing in churches and schools, fostering a deep connection to music and community service from an early age
Betty Education and Training
Betty began her musical studies with her mother and later trained with distinguished teachers, including Joseph Lockett, Madame Thelma Wade Brown, Esther Goetz Gilliland, and Dr. Hans Tischler. She earned both her Bachelor of Music degree (1950) in piano (studying under Saul Dorfman, Maurice Dumesnil, and Frederick Schauwecker) and her Master of Music degree (1952) in composition (under Karel Jirak) from the Chicago Musical College at Roosevelt University. She pursued postgraduate studies at institutions such as Oakland University, Peabody Institute, Bank Street College, New York University, Glassboro College, and Westminster Choir College. Betty also participated in choral workshops conducted by luminaries like Olaf Christiansen, Fred Waring, Dr. Elaine Brown, and Robert Shaw.
Professional Career
Betty Jackson King’s career as an educator included teaching positions at Roosevelt University, Dillard University, the University of Chicago Laboratory School, Jacksonian Institute, Wildwood High School, and St. Peter Claver School. She was also the Chairman of the Music Department for the Wildwood, New Jersey public schools. As a church musician, she served choirs at Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church, the United Church of Christ’s Chancel Choir, the Congregational Church of Park Manor, and others. She also directed ensembles such as the Grace Notes, the King Singers, and the Pre-Professional Choral Ensemble, as well as the Riverside Church of New York School Choir.
In 1969, she became the first Black teacher on the Wildwood Public School staff in New Jersey, where she directed the Wildwood High School Choir and continued to build her reputation as a nationally recognized composer, lecturer, and performer. She was an active member of the Wildwood Independent Business Community Association, the Chicago Music Association (CMA), and a life member and past president of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. (NANM).
Contributions to Music and Composition
Betty Jackson King’s compositions include operas, cantatas, a requiem, spiritual arrangements, and other works that reflect her deep spirituality and cultural heritage. Notable works include the operas Saul of Tarsus and My Servant Job (using libretti by her father Reverend Frederick D. Jackson), the Easter cantata Simon of Cyrene, and the ballet The Kids in School with Me. Her spiritual arrangements, such as “Ride Up in the Chariot,” gained national acclaim, with performances by renowned artists like Kathleen Battle at Carnegie Hall (1990) and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (1991).
Her contributions to Black music and composers were significant. She lectured and conducted festivals at institutions such as the University of Minnesota, Jackson State University, and the University of California, San Diego. Betty also served as an adjudicator, guest conductor, guest artist, and clinician for numerous organizations.
Leadership and Legacy
Betty Jackson King was the founder and president of Jacksonian Press, Inc., and a member of various organizations, including the American Women Composers, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Music Educators National Conference. She served as accompanist for the Chicago Umbrian Glee Club and the Merchandise Mart Chorus and as organist for Pilgrim Baptist Church and Carey Temple A.M.E. Churches. She received numerous accolades, such as the “12 Most Progressive Women” award in Chicago, the “Contemporary Woman” award from WYVR, and teaching recognition awards from Governor Kean and the Wildwood Board of Education.
Her legacy is preserved in publications like American Black Women in the Arts and Social Sciences, International Who’s Who in Music, and Choral Music by Afro-Americans. Betty’s life and work continue to inspire musicians, educators, and advocates for cultural preservation.