Lawrence Tibbett facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lawrence Mervil Tibbett
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Tibbett in 1943
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| Born |
Lawrence Mervil Tibbet
November 16, 1896 Bakersfield, California, U.S.
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| Died | July 15, 1960 (aged 63) New York City, U.S.
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| Occupation | Opera singer Actor Radio personality |
| Spouse(s) |
Jane Marston
(m. 1932) |
| Children | 3 sons, Lawrence Jr.& Richard (twins) and Michael |
Lawrence Mervil Tibbett (November 16, 1896 – July 15, 1960) was a famous American opera singer. He was a baritone, which means he had a deep male singing voice. He sang many main roles at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City over 600 times. This was between 1923 and 1950. He also acted in movies and was a radio personality. He even played Captain Hook in a touring show of Peter Pan.
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About Lawrence Tibbett
Lawrence Tibbett was born on November 16, 1896, in Bakersfield, California. His father worked as a deputy sheriff. He died in 1903. Lawrence grew up in Los Angeles. He earned money by singing in church choirs and at funerals. He finished high school in 1915. A year later, he met Grace Mackay Smith, who would become his first wife. During World War I, he served in the Merchant Marine. After the war, he sang before silent movies at the Grauman "Million Dollar" Theater in Los Angeles.
Tibbett studied singing in New York City. In 1923, at age 26, he signed his first contract with the Metropolitan Opera. They accidentally added an extra "t" to his last name on the contract. He decided to keep the new spelling. Over the years, he became very successful at the Met. He had an amazing voice and was a great performer. He made recordings only for RCA Victor throughout his career.
His roles at the Met included Valentin in Faust and Tonio in Pagliacci. He became famous across the country for playing Ford in Giuseppe Verdi's Falstaff. In 1927, Tibbett traveled to California. There he met Jennie Marston Burgard, whom he married in 1932. In the 1930s, Tibbett toured Europe and Australia. He performed in cities like London, Paris, Sydney, and Melbourne.
Lawrence Tibbett also appeared in movies in the early 1930s. He was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his first film, The Rogue Song (1930). He starred in other musical films like New Moon and The Cuban Love Song. In 1935, he made Metropolitan. This film showed many parts of him singing opera on stage. His last film was Under Your Spell in 1936.
During the 1930s, Tibbett also had his own radio show. He sang classical music on it. Later, he added popular songs to his show.
In 1936, he helped start the American Guild of Musical Artists. This is an important union for solo performing artists. He was the union's president for 17 years. He worked hard to support artists' rights.
After his opera career, Tibbett performed in musicals and plays in the early 1950s. He played Captain Hook in a tour of Peter Pan. He also took over a role in the Broadway musical Fanny.
Later Life and Legacy
In his later years, Tibbett hosted a radio show. It played old recordings of opera singers. He would share stories from his own time on stage. His health got worse as he got older. He died on July 15, 1960, after falling in his apartment.
The Time magazine obituary said he had a "big, bronzelike, dramatically eloquent voice." It also said he could perform both high art and popular entertainment. He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Tibbett's opera recordings from the 1920s and 1930s are considered excellent. Many of these recordings are still available today. A book about his life, Dear Rogue: A Biography of the American Baritone Lawrence Tibbett, was published in 1996.
Famous Performances
Lawrence Tibbett was known as a great actor. But his true fame came from his voice. Many people think he was one of the best baritones at the Metropolitan Opera. His voice was big and dark, almost like a bass voice. He could sing very loudly or very softly. He was famous for singing in operas by Giuseppe Verdi, like Ford in Falstaff. He also played Iago in Otello and Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca. Other famous roles included Escamillo in Bizet's Carmen and Tonio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci.
Tibbett also created main roles in several American operas. These included The Emperor Jones and Merry Mount. He also sang the roles of Porgy and Jake in the first album of songs from George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. He also recorded Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II's song Ol' Man River from Show Boat.
Awards and Recognition
- Lawrence Tibbett was featured on a set of United States postage stamps. These stamps celebrated famous opera singers.
- In 1960, the year he died, Tibbett was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. His star is at 6300 Hollywood Boulevard. It recognizes his contributions to music.
- A full book about Tibbett, called Dear Rogue, was published in 1996.
See also
In Spanish: Lawrence Tibbett para niños
