From slavery to singing star: celebrating Thomas Rutling

Rutling was an extraordinary man, born a slave in Tennessee, he toured the world as a singer, and then opted to settle in Harrogate. He was a pioneer campaigner against racism: playing him in a new show made me wonder – has anything changed?
I first heard about Thomas Rutling as a student at Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. I was writing my final-year thesis on the American spiritual and how it has influenced modern music such as jazz, gospel, rock’n’roll, Motown and hip-hop.