Robert Goulet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Goulet
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Goulet in 1988
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| Born |
Robert Gérard Goulet
November 26, 1933 Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | October 30, 2007 (aged 73) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Education | Victoria School of the Arts |
| Alma mater | The Royal Conservatory of Music of Toronto |
| Occupation | Singer, actor, entertainer |
| Years active | 1951–2007 |
| Spouse(s) |
Louise Longmore
(m. 1956; div. 1963)Vera Chochorovska Novak
(m. 1982–2007) |
| Children | 3, including Nicolette and Craig Lyall |
Robert Gérard Goulet (born November 26, 1933 – died October 30, 2007) was a famous American singer and actor. He had French-Canadian family roots. Robert grew up in Lawrence, Massachusetts, until he was 13. Then, he spent his teenage years in Canada.
He became very famous when he played Sir Lancelot in the 1960 Broadway musical Camelot. He starred alongside well-known actors Richard Burton and Julie Andrews. His performance and his singing of "If Ever I Would Leave You" made him an instant star. This song became his most famous. His start in Camelot began a long career in theater, movies, and music. Robert Goulet won a Grammy Award and worked for almost 60 years. He also starred in a TV version of Brigadoon in 1966, which won five Emmy Awards. In 1968, he won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for The Happy Time. This musical was about a French-Canadian family in Ottawa.
Contents
- Robert Goulet's Early Life
- Becoming a Star
- Entertainment Career Highlights
- Later Years
- Other Work and Appearances
- Personal Life
- His Passing
- Robert Goulet's Music (Singles)
- Robert Goulet's Albums (Discography)
- Robert Goulet's Movies (Filmography)
- Robert Goulet's TV Shows (Television)
- Robert Goulet's Stage Shows (Stage Appearances)
- Images for kids
- See also
Robert Goulet's Early Life
Robert Goulet was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He was the only son of Jeanette and Joseph Georges André Goulet. His parents worked in factories. His father also enjoyed singing and wrestling as a hobby. Robert's parents were French Canadian. They were descendants of early French-Canadian settlers.
When Robert was 13, his father passed away. Robert, his mother, and his sister Claire moved to Girouxville, Alberta, in Canada. He spent his important growing-up years there. After a few years in Girouxville, they moved to Edmonton. This city offered more chances for him to perform. In Edmonton, he took singing lessons. He also became a radio announcer for station CKUA. After finishing high school at Victoria School of the Arts, Robert won a scholarship. He went to The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. There, he studied singing with famous teachers. He even performed in operas with other students.
In 1952, he entered a TV show called Pick The Stars on CBC Television. He made it to the semifinals. This led to more TV appearances. He was on shows like Singing Stars of Tomorrow and Opportunity Knocks. He also appeared on the Canadian version of Howdy Doody as Trapper Pierre.
Becoming a Star
Robert Goulet first performed in the U.S. in summer theater shows. He was in eight plays, including Pajama Game and South Pacific. The theater owner, John Kenley, was so impressed with him. He gave Robert a raise after his first show.
In 1959, Robert met writer Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe. They were looking for someone to play Lancelot in their new musical, Camelot. Lerner and Loewe were amazed by Robert's talent. They chose him for the role, even though he was not yet famous. He would star with Richard Burton as King Arthur and Julie Andrews as Queen Guenevere.
Camelot first opened in Toronto in October 1960. Then it played in Boston. Two months later, it opened on Broadway. Robert Goulet received great reviews. People especially loved his romantic song, "If Ever I Would Leave You". This song became his signature tune.
After Camelot, Robert Goulet appeared on popular TV shows. These included The Danny Thomas Show and The Ed Sullivan Show. These appearances made him a household name in America. In 1962, he won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist.
On May 25, 1965, Robert sang the U.S. national anthem before a big boxing match. It was the second fight between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston in Lewiston, Maine. Robert had never sung the U.S. anthem in public before. He had only sung "O Canada". He made a few mistakes with the words. Fans booed, and newspapers reported the errors. This moment became quite famous. That same year, his song "My Love, Forgive Me" became a big pop hit.
Entertainment Career Highlights
In 1966, Robert Goulet starred in the TV series Blue Light. He played a journalist who worked undercover as a spy in Nazi Germany. The show had 17 episodes. Later, the first four episodes were combined into a movie called I Deal in Danger.
In 1968, Robert returned to Broadway in the musical The Happy Time. He won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance. He also recorded over 60 best-selling albums with Columbia Records.
He toured in many musicals, too. These included Camelot (as Sir Lancelot), Man of La Mancha, and South Pacific. He played Billy Bigelow in Carousel on stage and in a 1967 TV movie.
Robert also starred in a TV version of Brigadoon in 1966. It won five Emmy Awards. In 1968, he was in Kiss Me Kate with his wife at the time, Carol Lawrence.
He made guest appearances on many TV shows. In 1967, he was on The Lucy Show playing himself and two other characters. In 1972, he played a villain in Mission: Impossible. He also appeared on Alice in 1981. In that episode, he sang a duet with the main character, Alice, who was pretending to be him!
Robert's first movie was the animated musical Gay Purr-ee in 1962. He voiced the main male character, Jaune Tom. In 1980, he had a small but praised role as a singer in the movie Atlantic City.
In 1988, he appeared in Tim Burton's movie Beetlejuice. He also played himself in Bill Murray's Scrooged (1988). In 1990, he sang the Canadian national anthem at WrestleMania VI in Toronto. He also appeared in several episodes of the sitcom Mr. Belvedere.
In 1991, he starred in the comedy film The Naked Gun 2½ with Leslie Nielsen. He had a funny cameo in the TV series Police Squad! in 1982, which led to the Naked Gun movies.
In 1993, he played himself in The Simpsons episode "$pringfield". In the episode, he sang a funny version of "Jingle Bells" at Bart Simpson's casino.
Later Years
In 1995, Robert Goulet appeared in funny ESPN commercials for college basketball. He sang popular songs with new lyrics about basketball.
In 1996, he was in the movie Mr. Wrong and returned to Broadway in Moon Over Buffalo. He provided the singing voice for Wheezy the penguin in the movie Toy Story 2 (1999), singing a new version of "You've Got a Friend in Me".
In 2000, he appeared in the animated series Recess as the singing voice for Mikey Blumberg. He also sang for Mikey in the movie Recess: School's Out.
His last Broadway performance was in 2005 in La Cage aux Folles. His final public performance was on a TV special in August 2007. He sang "Sunrise, Sunset" and "If Ever I Would Leave You".
Other Work and Appearances
In 1978, Robert sang "You Light Up My Life" at the Miss Universe Pageant. He also sang the theme song for the talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003. He appeared in commercials, including one for Mercedes-Benz and another for Emerald Nuts during the Super Bowl XL in 2006. In 2006, he played himself in an episode of The King of Queens.
In the early 2000s, comedian Will Ferrell often made fun of Robert Goulet on Saturday Night Live. Ferrell would pretend to be Goulet singing rap songs in a crooning style. Robert Goulet is also mentioned in the musical A Chorus Line. The American Mustache Institute even has an award named after him for people with mustaches!
Personal Life
Robert Goulet had a daughter, Nicolette, with his first wife, Louise Longmore. Nicolette later had two children, Solange-Louise and Jordan Gerard. With his second wife, actress Carol Lawrence, he had two sons, Christopher and Michael.
In 1982, he married artist Vera Novak in Las Vegas, Nevada. Vera was also his business partner and manager. In 2003, he sang "God Bless America" when she became a U.S. citizen. Robert and Vera lived in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
In 2006, Robert Goulet received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame. He was inducted with Alex Trebek and Paul Shaffer. At the ceremony, he joked that he really wanted Canadian citizenship. Robert had always thought he was a Canadian citizen. Later in life, he found out he wasn't. He applied for Canadian citizenship, and it was approved shortly after he passed away.
His Passing
On September 30, 2007, Robert Goulet was hospitalized in Las Vegas. He was diagnosed with a serious lung condition called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This condition makes it hard to breathe and gets worse quickly.
On October 13, 2007, he was moved to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Doctors said he needed an emergency lung transplant to survive.
While waiting for a lung transplant, Robert Goulet died on October 30, 2007. He was at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, just before his 74th birthday. On October 31, 2007, theater lights in New York and other cities were dimmed to honor him. On November 9, 2007, the day of his funeral, Las Vegas closed its famous Strip for his funeral procession. Many places also put his name on their signs as a final tribute.
Robert Goulet's Music (Singles)
Here are some of the songs Robert Goulet released:
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US AC |
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| 1961 | "I'm Just Taking My Time" | – | – | Not on an album |
| 1962 | "Too Soon" | – | – | |
| "What Kind of Fool Am I?" | 89 | – | My Love Forgive Me | |
| "Don't Be Afraid of Romance" | – | – | Not on an album | |
| 1963 | "Two of Us" | 132 | – | Two Of Us |
| "Believe in Me" | – | – | Not on an album | |
| "Under the Yum Yum Tree" | – | – | ||
| 1964 | "The Name of the Game" | – | – | |
| "Too Good" | – | – | Amore scusami|My Love Forgive Me | |
| "My Love, Forgive Me" | 16 | 2 | ||
| "I'd Rather Be Rich" | 131 | – | Not on an album | |
| 1965 | "Begin to Love" | 110 | – | Begin to Love |
| "Summer Sounds" | 58 | 14 | Summer Sounds | |
| "Come Back to Me, My Love" | 118 | 5 | On Broadway | |
| "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" | 119 | 13 | ||
| "Everlasting" | – | – | Not on an album | |
| 1966 | "Why Be Ashamed" | – | 28 | |
| "Young Only Yesterday" | – | 37 | I Remember You | |
| "Daydreamer" | – | 22 | Not on an album | |
| "Once I Had a Heart" | – | 15 | ||
| "There But for You Go I" | – | – | On Broadway, Volume 2 | |
| 1967 | "World of Clowns" | – | 20 | Not on an album |
| "One Life, One Dream" | – | 33 | ||
| "The Sinner" | – | 29 | ||
| "Mon Amour, Mon Amour" | – | – | ||
| "If Ever I Would Leave You" | – | – | ||
| 1968 | "The Happy Time" | – | 33 | The Happy Time (Soundtrack) |
| "What a Wonderful World" | – | 26 | Woman, Woman | |
| "Thirty Days Hath September" | – | 17 | Both Sides Now | |
| "Hurry Home for Christmas" | – | – | Robert Goulet's Wonderful World of Christmas | |
| 1969 | "Wait for Me" | – | – | Not on an album |
| "Didn't We" | – | 33 | I Wish You Love | |
| "Only Yesterday" | – | – | Not on an album | |
| "One Night" | – | – | ||
| 1970 | "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" | – | – | Robert Goulet Sings Today's Greatest Hits |
| "Healing River" | – | – | Not on an album | |
| 1973 | "God Is at Work Within You" | – | – | |
| 1974 | "Pages of Life" | – | – | |
| "The Little Prince" | – | – | After All Is Said and Done | |
| 1975 | "Someone to Give My Love To" | – | – | |
| 1976 | "After All Is Said and Done" | – | – | |
| 1999 | "You've Got a Friend In Me" | - | - | Toy Story 2: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack |
| 2001 | "Green Tambourine" | - | - | Recess: School's Out (Original Movie Soundtrack) |
Robert Goulet's Albums (Discography)
Robert Goulet released many albums, mostly with Columbia Records:
- Camelot, 1960 (original Broadway cast)
- Always You, 1962
- Two of Us, 1962
- Sincerely Yours, 1962
- The Wonderful World of Love, 1963
- Annie Get Your Gun, studio cast, with Doris Day, 1963
- Robert Goulet in Person: Recorded Live in Concert, 1963
- This Christmas I Spend with You, 1963
- Without You, 1964
- Manhattan Tower, 1964
- My Love, Forgive Me, 1964
- Summer Sounds, 1965
- Begin to Love, 1965
- On Broadway, 1965
- I Remember You, 1966
- Travelin' On Tour, 1966
- On Broadway, Volume 2, 1967
- Hollywood Mon Amour, 1967
- The Happy Time, 1968 (original broadway cast)
- Woman, Woman, 1968
- Both Sides Now 1968
- Robert Goulet's Wonderful World of Christmas, 1968
- Souvenir D'Italie 1969
- Come Back to Sorrento 1969
- Robert Goulet's Greatest Hits 1969 1990
- Today's Greatest Hits, 1970
- I Wish You Love, 1970
- I Never Did as I Was Told, MGM Records, 1971
- Bridge Over Troubled Water, Harmony Label Columbia, 1971
- After All Is Said and Done, Artists of America, 1976
- Close to You, Applause Records, 1982
- 16 Most Requested Songs, Columbia, 1989
- Best of Robert Goulet, Curb Records, 1990
- In Love, Sony Music Distribution, 1995
- A Personal Christmas Collection, Columbia/Legacy, 1997
- My Love Forgive me/Sincerely Yours, Collectables, 1997
- On Broadway/On Broadway 2, 2000
- Love Songs, Sony Music Special Products, 2001
- 36 All-Time Favorites, GSC/Sony Special Products, 2001
- Always you/In Person, Collectables, 2002
- Two of Us/Begin to Love, 2003
- Robert Goulet Collection, 2004
- In a Mellow Mood, United Audio Entertainment, 2005
- Won't You Dance with This Man, Rove, 2012
- Kiss Me, Kate/Brigadoon (Original Television Cast Recording) Masterworks Broadway 2014
- The Complete Columbia Christmas Recordings, Real Gone Music, 2014
- Definitive Collection , Real Gone Music, 2016
- Wonderful World of Robert Goulet, Jasmine Records, 2017
Robert Goulet's Movies (Filmography)
Robert Goulet appeared in these films:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Gay Purr-ee | Jaune-Tom | Voice |
| 1964 | Honeymoon Hotel | Ross Kingsley | |
| 1964 | I'd Rather Be Rich | Paul Benton | |
| 1966 | The Daydreamer | The Singer | Voice |
| 1966 | I Deal in Danger | David March | |
| 1970 | Underground | Dawson | |
| 1980 | Atlantic City | Singer | |
| 1988 | Beetlejuice | Maxie Dean | |
| 1988 | Scrooged | Himself | He played himself in a TV commercial in the movie. |
| 1991 | The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear | Quentin Hapsburg | |
| 1996 | Mr. Wrong | Dick Braxton | |
| 1999 | Toy Story 2 | Wheezy the Penguin | Singing Voice, not credited |
| 2000 | The Last Producer | Henry Moore | |
| 2000 | G-Men from Hell | The Devil | |
| 2001 | Recess: School's Out | Mikey Blumberg | Singing voice |
Robert Goulet's TV Shows (Television)
Robert Goulet appeared in these television shows:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Howdy Doody | Trapper Pierre | |
| 1954–1955 | Scope | Mal Tompkins | 2 episodes |
| 1955–1958 | Folio | Jeff / Laz / Frank Taylor | 4 episodes |
| 1955–1960 | Encounter | Jim Mercer / Laz / Frank Taylor | 5 episodes |
| 1957 | On Camera | Michael | Episode: "Innocent Deception" |
| 1959 | The Unforeseen | Episode: "Heaven Can Wait" | |
| 1959–1960 | Wayne and Shuster | 4 episodes | |
| 1960 | Startime | The Traveller / Prince Zorn | 2 episodes |
| 1960 | First Person | Episode: "At the Railing" | |
| 1961 | The Enchanted Nutcracker | Johnny | TV Movie |
| 1963 | The Jack Benny Program | Himself | Episode: "The Robert Goulet Show" |
| 1964 | Kraft Suspense Theatre | Private LeRoy Brubaker / James O. Vitelli |
Episode: "Operation Greif" |
| 1965 | The Patty Duke Show | Gregory Noble | Episode: "Don't Monkey with Mendel" |
| 1965–1966 | The Red Skelton Show | Nathan Nothing / Harry Handout | 2 episodes |
| 1966 | Blue Light | David March | 17 episodes |
| 1966 | Brigadoon | Tommy Albright | TV Movie |
| 1967 | The Jackie Gleason Show | Ace Fargo | Episode: "The Honeymooners: Life Upon the Wicked Stage" |
| 1967 | The Big Valley | Brother Love | Episode: "Brother Love" |
| 1967 | Carousel | Billy Bigelow | TV Movie |
| 1967 | The Lucy Show | Chuck Willis | Episode: "Lucy and Robert Goulet" |
| 1968 | Kiss Me Kate | Fred Graham / 'Petruchio' | |
| 1968 | The Carol Burnett Show | Season 2 Episode 25 | |
| 1968 | That's Life | Episode: "The Honeymoon" | |
| 1968 | The Pepsodent Show | Pilot | Episode dated December 19, 1968 |
| 1969 | The Name of the Game | Dr. Claude Evenhauer | Episode: "Keep the Doctor Away" |
| 1969 | Muhammad Ali, The Greatest | Documentary | |
| 1972 | Mission: Impossible | Joe Epic | Episode: "Leona" |
| 1972 | The Couple Takes a Wife | Randy Perkins | TV Movie |
| 1973 | Cannon | Capt. Mel Danvers | Episode: "A Well Remembered Terror" |
| 1975 | Police Woman | Eddie Diamond | Episode: "Pawns of Power" |
| 1977 | Police Story | Glenn Talbot | Episode: "Prime Rib" |
| 1978 | The Love Boat | Charlie Godwin | Episode: "A Time for Everything/The Song Is Ended/Accidental Cruise/Anoushka" |
| 1978 | Flying High | Reggie | Episode: "Brides and Grooms" |
| 1980 | The Dream Merchants | Craig Warren | 2 episodes |
| 1980 | Alice | Himself | Episode: "Too Many Roberts" |
| 1980–1983 | Fantasy Island | Eugène Henri Paul Gauguin Frank Miller / Avery Williams |
4 episodes |
| 1982 | Police Squad! | Executed Man | Episode: "The Butler Did It (A Bird in the Hand)" |
| 1983 | Matt Houston | Johnny Foster | Episode: "The Showgirl Murders" |
| 1984 | Glitter | Episode: "Illusions" | |
| 1985 | Murder, She Wrote | Willard Kaufmann | Episode: "Paint Me a Murder" |
| 1985 | Finder of Lost Loves | Gabe McGuire | Episode: "Haunted Memories" |
| 1986–1990 | Mr. Belvedere | Himself | 4 episodes |
| 1991 | Acting Sheriff | Sheriff Brent McCord | TV Movie |
| 1992 | The New WKRP in Cincinnati | Prince Reynaldo | Episode: "Jennifer and the Prince" |
| 1992 | In the Heat of the Night | Eddy Larren | Episode: "When the Music Stopped" |
| 1993 | The Simpsons | Himself | Voice; Episode: "$pringfield (or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)" |
| 1993 | Based on an Untrue Story | Remo | TV movie |
| 1994 | Boy Meets World | Himself | Episode: "The Thrilla In Phila" |
| 1995 | Get Smart | Agent 0 / Himself | Episode: "Casino Evil" |
| 1995 | Burke's Law | Earl Rankin | Episode: "Who Killed the Centerfold?" |
| 1996 | The Line King: The Al Hirschfeld Story | Documentary | |
| 1998–2000 | Recess | Mikey Blumberg's singing voice | 4 episodes |
| 1999 | Just Shoot Me! | Himself | Episode: "Toy Story" |
| 1999 | Two Guys and a Girl | Himself | Episode: "Out with the Old"
Episode: "El matrimonio Loco" |
| 2000 | TV Funhouse | Himself | |
| 2001 | Recess Christmas: Miracle on Third Street | Mikey Blumberg | Direct-to-Video; Singing voice |
| 2003 | Broadway: The Golden Age | Himself | Documentary |
| 2006 | The King of Queens | Himself / Performer | Episode: "Sold-Y Locks" |
| 2008 | My Gym Partner's a Monkey | Asst. Coach Ferret | Voice, Episode: "Animal School Musical", Released after his death (final appearance) |
Robert Goulet's Stage Shows (Stage Appearances)
Robert Goulet performed in many stage musicals and plays:
- Visit to a Small Planet (1951)
- Thunder Rock (1951)
- Sunshine Town (1954)
- Spring Thaw (1955–1957)
- Carousel (1956)
- The Pajama Game (1956)
- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1956)
- Finian's Rainbow (1956)
- South Pacific (1956)
- The Pajama Game (1957–1958)
- The Optimist (1957)
- The Beggar's Opera (1958)
- Bells Are Ringing (1959)
- Dream Girl (1959)
- Meet Me in St. Louis (1960)
- Carousel (1960)
- Camelot (cast member from December 3, 1960 – October 8, 1962)
- The Happy Time (January 18 – September 28, 1968)
- I Do! I Do! (1970–1971)
- Camelot (1975)
- Carousel (1979)
- On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1980–1981)
- Kiss Me, Kate (1981)
- South Pacific (1986–1989)
- Camelot (1990)
- The Fantasticks (1990)
- Camelot (1992–1994)
- Man of La Mancha (1996–1997)
- Moon Over Buffalo (1996)
- Sweet Charity (1998)
- Camelot (1998)
- South Pacific (2002)
- Camelot (2004)
- La Cage aux Folles (2005)
Images for kids
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Goulet in May 2007
See also
In Spanish: Robert Goulet para niños
