Harold Blair auditions for Marjorie Lawrence

Harold Blair auditions for Marjorie Lawrence. Harold Blair (born Cherbourg 1924 and raised on Purga Mission) sings at the Lennon Hotel in Brisbane in 1944 for the renowned Marjorie Lawrence. Following the audition Lawrence says “You’ve got a fine tenor voice and a natural musical instinct. If you work hard you can become one of the greatest ambassadors for your race. You can do more than politicians or fine speeches. Work hard. You’ve got it in you to succeed!”. Blair does work hard. He reportedly goes from singing on canefields and illiteracy at 18 years of age to an outstanding tenor who sings in five languages and performs on the stage around the world. In the process, Blair takes advantage of new opportunities to advance the struggle for justice for Aboriginal people. This includes during his concert tour to Newcastle in 1949 (see 1949 Opera singers plea for equality). (Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association, ACRA)