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Maya Angelou

Michael Parkinson's castaway is writer Maya Angelou.

Maya Angelou inherited her love of music from her grandmother, who used to sing to her as a child at the family home in the southern United States. The first volume of her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was a bestseller, describing her life as singer, actress, stripper, dancer and writer. In conversation with Michael Parkinson, she looks back on a remarkable career and chooses eight records she would take to the mythical island.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Available now

40 minutes

Last on

Sun 20 Mar 1988 12:15

Music Played

  • CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE

    • Mahalia Jackson

      How Great Thou Art

  • Max Roach

    A Quiet Place

  • Roberta Flack

    Killing Me Softly (With His Song)

  • Stevie Wonder

    I Just Called To Say I Love You

  • Sarah Vaughan

    East Of The Sun

  • Frank Sinatra

    One For The Road

  • George Gershwin

    Summertime (from Porgy & Bess)

  • Ray Charles

    Georgia On My Mind

  • BOOK CHOICE

    Negro Caravan - selected and edited by Sterling Brown, Arthur P Davis and Uylsses Lee

  • LUXURY ITEM

    The Kumasi Market painting by John T. Biggers

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Michael Parkinson
Interviewed Guest Maya Angelou

Broadcasts

  • Sun 2 Aug 1987 12:15
  • Fri 7 Aug 1987 09:05
  • Sun 20 Mar 1988 12:15

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