Roland Wyatt

Roland Gratts Wyatt was born June 23, 1932 in Fort Worth, Texas. Roland was primarily raised by Mrs. Ella Mae Shamblee and Y.C. Shamblee with help from Mrs. Shamblee's daughter, Marguerite Gratts Wyatt and Mrs. Wyatt's husband. Roland's biological mother and father are Marguerite Pennybacker and Mr. Charles Robinson of Fort Worth. Roland began his musical training at the age of four when he played a Chopin melody on Mrs. Shamblee's piano. He would conduct a church choir as organist and pianist at age 14 and performed his first paid, public recital in Voice, Organ and Piano at age 16, having had no formal voice training. At 16, he traveled to Chicago for voice lessons with Nelli Gardini, even after entering The University of Missouri, Jefferson City as a Bachelor of Music/Voice student. Roland also studied music at Stanford University and received his Masters in Music from University of Southern California. There, he studied voice with William Vennard, further piquing his interest in Voice Correction alongside the musical aspects of Voice Training. Roland became a voice pedagogue, holding workshops and seminars through his private voice studios, including New York City and Los Angeles, and as a professor at numerous universities. His holistic approach to teaching singers, actors and professional speakers, had made him a well-sought-after source by professional and educational choral directors. He has enjoyed especially his relationships with various Sweet Adeline choruses and male barbershop choruses. Roland's relaxed, open-throated and warm singing tone method has impacted thousands of singers through direct and indirect interaction as well as the sale of his voice training system "Guideposts to Singing, featuring the Manhattan Transfer". Roland is survived by his childhood friends Erma Platte, Bertram Staton and Janice Williams (all of Fort Worth), as well as hundreds of singing and acting students. He is further survived by his ex-wife and close friend Deborah K. Wyatt of Las Vegas, and close friends Rebecca Burton Aldrich of Loveland, Colorado, Loretta Darrow of Colorado, Jo and Ron Black of California as well as others, too many to note here. Roland passed peacefully, listening to Jazz music, at Good Samaritan Village, Loveland, Colorado on Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 11p.m. Heaven shines brighter. A memorial service will be held at the First United Methodist Church on Tuesday, January 8, 2013 at 1:00p.m. Donations to First United Methodist Church, 533 N. Grant Avenue, Loveland, Colorado, in lieu of flowers, is appreciated.