Macomb-born Albert Omega Sears was a saxophonist during the height of the country’s jazz era, and he helped usher in the new style of music called rock and roll. A man with perfect pitch and a master of rhythm, he was a leader in music performance and business.
Sears began making history when he was delivered by Macomb’s first female physician, Dr. Elizabeth Miner. On Feb. 21, 1910, he became the eighth child born to Martha (Miller) and John Sears. The family lived in a home that no longer stands at 712 E. Adams St., in a neighborhood on the east side of Macomb that was historically home to the city’s Black community. Later, future civil rights leader C.T.
Vivian lived on the same block.
A minister, John Sears moved his family in 1918 to Zanesville, Ohio, where he became superintendent of a mission.
1920s
