Maya Angel Age, Height, Weight, Boyfriend, Career, Net Worth 2026
Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Annie Johnson) was an American poet, memoirist, actress, singer, dancer, director, and civil rights activist. Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She passed away on May 28, 2014, at the age of 86 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was American by nationality. Her zodiac sign was Aries.
Personal Details
Full Name
Marguerite Annie Johnson (professionally Maya Angelou)
Angelou began performing in the 1950s as a singer and dancer, appearing at venues such as the Purple Onion in San Francisco. She toured Europe and Africa in a production of Porgy and Bess and later worked as a nightclub performer.
In the 1960s she became involved in the civil rights movement, working with both Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. She lived in Egypt and Ghana for periods, writing and editing.
Her literary breakthrough came in 1969 with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the first of seven autobiographies that chronicled her life with honesty and literary craft. She published numerous volumes of poetry, essays, and children’s books. Notable poetry collections include Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Diiie (nominated for a Pulitzer Prize).
She acted in film and television (including Roots), directed the feature Down in the Delta (1998), and wrote screenplays. In 1993 she recited her poem “On the Pulse of Morning” at President Bill Clinton’s inauguration—the first poet to do so since Robert Frost in 1961. She received three Grammy Awards for spoken-word albums, a Tony Award nomination, the National Medal of Arts, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2011).
Personal Life
Angelou was married more than once, including to Tosh Angelos (whose surname influenced her professional name) and later to Paul du Feu. She had one son, Clyde “Guy” Johnson (born 1944), who became an author.
