Shirley Fleming

Who was Shirley Fleming?

Shirley Fleming was an American music critic and editor. Born in New York City, she was the daughter of novelist Berry Fleming who enjoyed popularity during the 1930s and 1940s with a series of successful works, and later in the 1980s with his Captain Bennett's Folly. Shirley grew up in Augusta, Georgia and maintained a home there throughout her life. She earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from Smith College and was a classically trained violist. From 1967 to 1991, she was the editor of the magazine Musical America. She also served as editor for the publications High Fidelity, Hi-Fi Music at Home, and the American Record Guide. In 1965 she worked as a freelance writer for The New York Times and later was on that paper's music criticism staff from 1975 to 1978. From 1978 until her death of a stroke in 2005 she wrote music criticism for The New York Post.