Eartha Shivers-Lamkin
BALTIMORE -- Eartha Shivers-Lamkin, the eldest daughter of the late Adam and Lila Shivers, was born in Orangeburg South Carolina, on Jan. 21, 1944. After a lengthy illness, she departed this life on Dec. 17, 2020.
Eartha attended Christ the King Elementaryunior High School and Wilkinson High School, where she sang in the choir and played in the band. She received her bachelor of science degree in music education at Claflin University and completed post-graduate studies at both the University of Georgia and the University of South Carolina. She later received a Master's of Education degree from Coppin State University.
Eartha taught briefly at Williamsburg County Training School (currently C.E. Murry High School) in Greeleyville before moving to Baltimore, where she served as a supervisor with the Baltimore Association of Retarded Citizens and later taught in the Baltimore County Public School System for over 30 years. After retiring, she became the chairman of the Department of Humanities at the now-defunct Sojourner-Douglass College. She was also the music coordinator at her church, Timothy Baptist, and was the ffounder and CEO of the B-Sharp Summer Music Enrichment Academy at Timothy Baptist Church. This academy provided an opportunity for interested students to learn or to continue to sing or play a musical instrument during the summer.
A dazzling vocalist with impeccable taste, Eartha's singing career began early in life at New Mount Zion Baptist Church, her home church in Orangeburg, where she faithfully sang on the choir. While in high school, she studied voice at South Carolina State College, sang on Claflin College's choir, and won first place each year in the Omega Talent Hunt. In her senior year, she won first place in the Omega Talent Hunt's National Competition. She also performed with The Exotics, a popular Orangeburg R&B band, and frequently returned home on Christmas Eve to perform in their annual band reunion gala, which raised money for music scholarships through the J.B. Hunt Scholarship Fund. Before moving to Baltimore, she also performed with Skipp Pearson and the Tetra Chords, and Cornelius Crawford and the Entertainers.
In Baltimore, she performed with her husband, John Lamkin II, in his various jazz, sacred and R&B bands and recorded on her husband's two albums, "Hot" and "Transitions." She has also performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, The Washington Jazz Battalion, Duke Ellington, The Jimmy Wells Quartet, Keter Betts, Moe Daniels, and the former Baltimore City Big Band led by the late saxophonist, Eugene Walker. In addition to these diverse experiences, Eartha performed for local television programs in Baltimore City and Washington, D.C., and performed internationally in Korea, the Virgin Islands and Africa. Other notable performances include Radio City Music Hall, The Lyric Theater, Carnegie Hall, The Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, The Cotton Club in New York City, the Sportsman's Lounge in Baltimore, and Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. She also sang with the Morgan State University Choir under the direction of Dr. Nathan Carter, which was featured on Phillip Glass' recording of his "Choral Symphony No. 5."
As a music teacher and choral director with a deep interest in music education, she always encouraged young people to pursue and to continue their musical talents. As a brilliant and talented vocalist, she was always willing to assist fellow musicians in whatever way she could.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. John R. Lamkin II; her three children and their spouses, John and Lolita Lamkin, David and Christina Lamkin, Philip and Jocelyn Lamkin-Thomas; her eight grandchildren, J. Russell Lamkin IV, Jalen Lamkin, Kalia Lamkin, Cyrus Chambers, David S Lamkin II, Kaleb Thomas, Harper Thomas, Zuri Ziva Thomas; her seven siblings, Carrie Booker, Connie Shivers, Mary Bender, Nathaniel Shivers, Nathan Shivers, Flossie Brown, Alfonzo Shivers; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, extended family and friends.
The viewing will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 4, at Wylie Funeral Home, 9200 Liberty Road, Randallstown, MD 21133, with the family hour from 5 to 6 p.m. The funeral will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 5, beginning at 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., with the wake from 11 to 11:30 a.m. For family and friends who will not be able to attend, the service will be livestreamed from the funeral home. Go to https:/wyliefh.com, scroll to "view online service," and click on Baltimore County.
To be in compliance with the Baltimore County COVID-19 restrictions, only 75 people will be allowed in the chapel during the funeral. During the viewing, people will not be allowed to gather. Viewers will only be able to file in one at a time, view the body, greet the family and exit the funeral home. Social distancing and masks or facial coverings will be required.
Published by The Times and Democrat on Dec. 24, 2020.
Comments
Post a Comment