Avery Brooks

Early Life and Education

Avery Brooks was born on October 2, 1948, in Evansville, Indiana, and raised in Gary, Indiana, in a musically rich environment. His mother, Eva Lydia Crawford, was an accomplished music instructor and one of the first African-American women to earn a master's degree in music from Northwestern University. His father, Samuel Brooks, was a tool and die worker who also sang in the Wings Over Jordan Choir, a renowned spiritual ensemble that performed on CBS radio. Brooks’ musical lineage extended further—his uncle was a member of the pioneering vocal group the Delta Rhythm Boys.

Brooks pursued higher education at both Indiana University and Oberlin College before earning both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in acting and directing from Rutgers University. Notably, he became the first African-American to receive an MFA in acting and directing from Rutgers, marking a significant milestone in the university's history.

Academic and Musical Pursuits

In 1976, Avery Brooks joined the faculty at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts as an associate professor of theatre arts. Alongside his academic duties, he explored his passion for music, particularly jazz, which he described as a spiritual gift. Brooks drew inspiration from jazz legends and often combined his theatrical expertise with musical performance.

He collaborated with distinguished artists such as Butch Morris and Lester Bowie in live performances and participated in the Montreal International Jazz Festival alongside Jon Hendricks. Additionally, he recorded an album with saxophonist James Spaulding as a tribute to Duke Ellington, reflecting his deep reverence for the giants of jazz.