LUMBERTON — Accomplished musician and Lumberton native William Forrest Rogers will be honored for his lifetime of talent by the National Association of Negro Musicians (NANM) on Sunday. Rogers is being inducted into the Tidewater Area Musicians Hall of Fame in Norfolk, Virginia.
Born in Lumberton, Rogers was a notable musician and pianist known nationwide for his mixed-chorus productions and recognized as a Steinway Piano Scholar. His productions were shown nationwide, and he also produced and recorded several choral shows.
His early education was in the public schools of Lumberton, and he graduated as valedictorian of his class at J. H. Hayswood High School. He went on to earn his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and the C. G. O’Kelly Award for Excellence in Piano from North Carolina Central University in Durham…