The first time I recall singing in public, I was in the second grade. I'm sure that I sang in church before that, but I don't really have a memory of that.

That's Jesse Norman, opera and concert singer extraordinary. But I

remember being in second grade and it was a huge school in the segregated

south, at least 1,200 kids and every Friday the school would all

come together in the auditorium and so it was the responsibility of a class, you know, of the second grade or the third grade or fourth grade

to kind of present a kind of program on each of the Fridays.

And it was now time for the second grade students to do this.

And my teacher at the time said, well, then you should sing Norman. I was always called by my

last name. And so she said, you can sing normal because you sing so

loudly we won't have to sort of load the microphone from the principal when you're

singing on saying I took it for a compliment.

So loud was there from the get-go, but Great wasn't too far behind. Jessin Jesse Norman has sung leading roles with the finest opera companies and orchestras in the world,

not to mention solo recitals and performances for presidents and queens

and historic occasions. She's such a global icon that when France was celebrating the

bicentennial of its revolution, then President

Francois Miderin asked her to sing the Marseillez. Even people who've never

listened to an opera in their life know her name. The divine voice and the charmed

life story of Jesse Norman on today's what it takes, a podcast about passion, vision, and perseverance from the Academy of Achievement.

I'm Alice Winkler.

Adam Aye, this child is gifted, and I heard that enough that I started to believe it.

If you have the opportunity not a perfect opportunity and you don't take it you may never have another job.

It all was so clear. It was just like the picture started to form itself.

...