John A. Ross (composer)

John Andrew Ross (December 15, 1940 – June 12, 2006) was an African American jazz musician, composer, musical director, and choral conductor. Ross was born and raised in Roxbury, Massachusetts and remained in the Boston, Massachusetts area for his whole life. While growing up in Roxbury, Ross’s home was frequently visited by his father’s college roommate, Langston Hughes. The relationship shared between Hughes and Ross would later manifest as Ross becoming the musical director of Langston Hughes’s gospel play “Black Nativity”. Biography Early life John Ross was born to Olga Evelyn White and Melvin Everand Ross on December 15, 1940. He grew up in Roxbury, Massachusetts, with his parents and sister Paula Ann Ross. His childhood was heavily influenced by music and the presence of Langston Hughes. Hughes would come and stay with Ross’s family when he lectured in Boston, Massachusetts because of his long-standing relationship with Ross’s father, Melvin. As a child, Ross was somewhat unaware of Hughes’s celebrity status and was able to maintain an organic relationship with the Harlem Renaissance writer. Education Ross began attending Boston University to pursue a concentrated degree in C