Kathleen Battle

Kathleen Deanna Battle is an American operatic soprano known for her distinctive vocal range and tone. Born in Portsmouth, Ohio, Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performances with major orchestras during the early and mid-1970s. She made her opera debut in 1975. Battle expanded her repertoire into lyric soprano and coloratura soprano roles during the 1980s and early 1990s, until her eventual dismissal from the Metropolitan Opera in 1994. She later has focused on recording and the concert stage. After a 22-year absence from the Met, Battle performed a concert of spirituals at the Metropolitan Opera House in November 2016, and again in May 2024.

13 August 1948

Born on the same birth day (13 August): Aleš Hemský • Dave Carter • DeMarcus Cousins • Fred Stanley (baseball) • Janet Yellen • Jarrod Washburn • Jay Buhner • Jean Borotra • Keith Ahlers • Mary Lee (singer) • Randy Shughart • Rohinton Fali Nariman • Ron Hilditch • Tom Cohen • William Wotton

Born in the same month (August 1948): Alexander McCall Smith • Christy O'Connor Jnr • Danny Seraphine • Dennis Prager • Don Boyd • Greg Chappell • James Jones (bishop) • Jean-Pierre Raffarin • John Mehler • Lev Zelyony • Lewis Black • Margaret Urban Walker • Nicholas A. Peppas • Rudolf Schenker • Snoo Wilson