<P> Warfield was a graduate of the Eastman School of Music . In 1975 he accepted an appointment as Professor of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign . He later became Chairman of the Voice Department . In 1994, he moved to Northwestern University's School of Music, where he stayed until his death . </P> <P> He sang the premiere performances of the version for soloist and orchestra of Set I of Aaron Copland's Old American Songs in 1955, and of the version for soloist and piano of Set II of the collection in 1958 . (He also recorded both sets of the songs .) His vocal talents were also featured on two recordings of Handel's "Messiah"--a classic, but heavily cut, performance by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Eugene Ormandy (released in 1959), and a lesser - known, drastically restructured recording made in 1956, also heavily cut, with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic . Bernstein combined the Christmas and Resurrection sections, and ended with the arias and choruses depicting the death of Christ . The Ormandy recording featured the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and Bernstein's the Westminster Choir . </P> <P> Warfield was also accomplished in acting and poetry recitation . He played the character De Lawd in a celebrated Hallmark Hall of Fame television production of The Green Pastures, a role he played twice on live TV (both versions survive as kinescopes). He appeared in two Hollywood films, including a star - making performance as Joe in Metro - Goldwyn - Mayer's 1951 Technicolor remake of Show Boat . His other film was an overlooked item called "Old Explorers", starring James Whitmore and José Ferrer . In a nod to "Show Boat", Warfield played a cameo role as a tugboat captain . Footage of Warfield in "Show Boat" has been included in several TV shows and / or films, notably That's Entertainment! . Warfield played his Show Boat role in two other productions of the musical--the 1966 Lincoln Center production, and a 1972 production in Vienna . He sang Ol' Man River in three different record albums of the show--the 1951 motion picture soundtrack album on MGM Records, a 1962 studio album featuring Barbara Cook and John Raitt on Columbia Masterworks, and the RCA Victor album made from the Lincoln Center production . </P> <P> He made an appearance on The Colgate Comedy Hour and on a program called TV Recital Hall in 1951, the same year that he made his screen debut in Show Boat . He later appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1955 . In 1961, he appeared as a recital soloist on an episode of the Young People's Concerts, conducted by Leonard Bernstein . In March 1984 he was the winner of a Grammy in the "Spoken Word" category for his outstanding narration of Aaron Copland's Lincoln Portrait accompanied by the Eastman Philharmonia (1). And in the 1990s, he narrated a special jazz arrangement of music from "Show Boat", on the PRI program Riverwalk Jazz . In 1999 Warfield joined baritones Robert Sims and Benjamin Matthews in a trio by the name of "Three Generations". Managed by Arthur White, this ensemble toured the United States giving full concerts of African - American spirituals and folk songs until Warfield's death in 2002 . </P>

Who sang ol man river in showboat 1951