Anderson was born in Philidelphia, PA in 1897. She was the eldest of three children born to John and Anna Anderson. The family was poor and the family situation worsened when her father died when she was twelve. As a young child it was evident that Anderson had talent, she joined her church choir at six years old and taught herself to play piano. At Union Baptist Church she was known as the 'baby alto'.

With the help of many people, she was trained as a classical singer. It was said that a voice like hers came along only every one hundred years, she was one of the finest contraltos of her time . Marian Anderson made her debut in 1955 at the Metropolitan opera. She was the first Negro to perform with this company, breaking an important musical color barrier. Anderson was called "the voice of American Soul".

Anderson was active in civil rights and participated in the "March On Washington". She sang at John F. Kennedy's inauguration in 1961. Later, President Lyndon Johnson awarded her the American Medal of Honor for her courage.