The big-voiced soprano is in her mid-thirties, and she didn't even hear an opera live until she was in her twenties. Now, she's a sought-after opera singer.
In this Tiny Desk Contest entry, Claire Ernst's smooth, soul-filled vocals guide us through a declaration of self-love, filled with Brené Brown-worthy incantations of boundary setting.
The pianist was a rarity: a female instrumentalist in a honky-tonk band. Though she only recorded one solo album, she played and recorded with her brother for decades. She died Thursday at age 91.