An Interview with
Charles Reid By Natasha Barbieri
Tenor Charles Reid has sung in opera houses and concert stages around the world. He is the host of the “This Opera Life” podcast. As of last year, you became the director of vocal studies at Andrews University. Was teaching something that you were always interested in pursuing? I come from a long line of educators and always assumed I might end up transitioning into teaching when the performance career was no longer viable, but finding and accepting the job at this stage in life came as a genuine surprise to me. The career was going along just fine, but I found myself increasingly yearning for a situation that would allow me to be home with my family on a regular basis. What do you think is the most important thing a teacher can teach his student? Singing is not about beautiful sounds, rather it is about actually saying/communicating something. In other words, be an artist, not a singer. Becoming successful in opera means facing rejection over and over in auditions and learning to manage your nerves in a consistent way. What drove your success?
For starters, I was very blessed with important opportunities at many stages in my career. I did the bulk of my auditioning while working at the MET in New York City. There were so many auditions that they became almost as normal as ordering breakfast. One person offered the observation that I would be doing very well to get one offer out of every ten auditions. This took some stress off. Later in the process, Philip Langridge gave me profound advice. He basically said I should only be interested in working for companies and producers who get what I have to offer…and that there was a giant world of opera out there with many people who would get me. He was right…on both points. Which character that you have performed do you most identify with? And which character do you feel is the complete opposite of who you are? Performing Don Jose (Carmen) brought out the most in me on many levels. The integrity of his emotional journey became hard to distinguish from real emotions at the time. The role that feels most foreign to me is Duca (Rigoletto). Simply put, I’m not a Don Juan, and trying to understand that character, even like it, was a challenge.
Have you ever heard a role for another voice type that you wish you could sing? (male or female) I won’t make a list of roles I wish fell into the tenor repertoire, but I think the question alludes to something that is very common. During the rehearsal process, performers often draw near to the roles of their colleagues. We see, hear, and experience them over and over. It is not uncommon to have memorized lines from another role, without trying. If only it were so easy for the role you are actually doing. Opera singers, in general, are connecting more to their fans these days through social media. How did you get involved with podcasting? I produce a podcast titled “This Opera Life”. In truth, the transition to teaching has made it very challenging to keep up with the podcast, but I have a healthy backlog of interviews and intend to start publishing again sometime this year. The podcast idea was born shortly after relocating back to the U.S. from Germany. I was working at the MET in NYC and commuting from my home in P.A. So I started downloading podcasts to keep me company. During these long drives, I heard interviews with actors, comedians, and others and often found their life stories to be so interesting. It made me want to get to know their work more, and the
thought hit me that we needed something like this in opera. There are so many opera singers out there with real careers that the majority of the opera-going community has never even heard of. With this show, I wanted them to have a way to get to know us, and perhaps, they’d also want to go see our work. I didn’t plan it, but aside audience has grown up in college students. I regularly receive emails from people thanking me for the show and explaining that “This Opera Life” has taught them more about what a singing career is like, especially in Europe than any other resource. What has been the most surreal moment in your career thus far? I’m not really sure how to answer this. In truth, I think the simple fact that I’ve been fortunate enough to have a singing career and provide for my family via that career, this is the most surreal of all – and I’m eternally thankful. Which composer’s music do you feel fits your voice the best? It has changed several times, and will likely change again in the years to come. At the moment, I’m feeling at home with Bizet, Mendelssohn, Dvorak, and Puccini.
Do you prefer to perform opera or oratorio?
cast’ your favorite opera, who would be singing?
The answer is ‘YES’. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a career active in both fields, and I love them both for different reasons.
I could come up with a list of famous singers, but the truth is, many of my favorite performances that I have seen or been in were with little-known casts. I think I’m in favor of a great cast that really works together as an ensemble.
For the 10th anniversary of Les Miserables, there was a concert with a ‘dream’ cast. If you could ‘dream
Learn more about Charles Reid at
Charles-reid.com
Camilla Kerslake You founded the charity “Sing for Breast Cancer”. Tell us what inspired you to get involved with this important cause. In the summer of 2011, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. I decided to take a sabbatical to care for her and during that time {which, in the end, was about 2 years} we discovered first-hand how healing singing and music could be to a cancer patient. I formed my Sing 2 Beat Breast Cancer choir to get breast cancer sufferers, past and present, singing and to raise lots of money for Breast Cancer Campaign the best way I knew how! You played the role of Cosette opposite Nick Jonas in the 25thanniversary production of “Les
Miserables.” What was that experience like? Being on the west end was one of my career highlights. I remember being more excited stepping backstage at the Queen’s theatre than I was singing on the pitch at Wembley. It was also a completely new challenge, something to really get my teeth into. About the character of Cosette herself, many people tend to see her as being less complex than Eponine. Having played her, do you agree or disagree? Also tell us what similarities, if any, you share with her? Cosette is the most central character in the piece. She is the cause of Marius’s, Fantine’s, Jean Val John and to a lesser extent Eponine’s actions throughout the musical. Yet she’s only on stage for 22 minutes!
Such a short time to prove to the audience that she is worth the other characters adoration and sacrifice. She is soft and loving but underneath that is made of very strong stuff indeed and endures what many could not. Cosette and I are polar opposites. Playing her wasn’t easy. Sometimes, during rehearsals, her placidity really irritated me. If she was a friend of mine I’d be like “Run away from your father and marry! You’ve performed with the tenors, Alfie Boe, Russell Watson, and Andrea Bocelli. What was special about each one of them? I was very new and inexperienced when I did the summer tour with Russell. At the same time, I was in rehearsals for Les Mis, touring with the Priests and trying to make my second album so my overall feeling of that period was one of enormous stress and pressure which is a shame. Everyone loves Alfie! What can I say? His voice is beyond powerful, I have no idea where he gets his strength/energy. He sure gave the musical theatre actors a singing masterclass! Andrea has a very soft, relaxing energy. It’s peaceful (but also thrilling) to perform with him. He was
almost fatherly in his encouragement and support of me on stage. You currently have collaborated with Blake on a single of “You Raise Me Up” to be released in support of your charity. What made you choose that song? It’s a gorgeous uplifting song. Everyone knows and loves it and I thought it suited our message perfectly. Your discovery story was very interesting in that it showed an incredible amount of dedication on your part. What advice would you have for young singers who are trying to break into the business but so far have been rejected? Just keep going. The most successful people in the music business are the ones who stick at it. Try to have fingers in as many pies as possible so when one musical bubble bursts (and they always do!) you’ll still have enough going on to keep you going Are you still actively training your voice? I’ll never stop training. Your voice is a muscle just like any in your body. The more you use it the better it becomes. Also, it's constantly growing and changing. There are so many things I can do vocally now that I wouldn’t have dreamed of even 3
3 years ago! You won ITV’s “Sing if you can” competition. As someone who made it in a more old-fashioned way, what did you think of the reality TV experience? And if you hadn’t been successfully discovered by Gary Barlow, do you think you would have tried out for the X Factor or Britain’s Got Talent? I did Sing if you can because it was a charity show. In the end, I think we won nearly £400,000 and I feel very proud of that. It was blimin’ good fun too! I find reality “talent” shows quite demoralizing if I’m honest. It doesn’t matter how well you sing if you’ve not got a good enough sob story you won’t get through. I feel sorry for the way the contestants are treated and all the empty promises that are made to them. So no, I most definitely would not audition for one. On your first album you covered, “Rule the World” which is a pop song that was translated into Italian. How do you personally think the change of language benefited the piece? I think language change when you switch pop songs to crossover makes them far more accessible to the
British public. Let’s face it unless you’re singing Gilbert and Sullivan or the national anthem, English is not the language universally expected from a classical singer. When you first hear a song that you want to cover, do you immediately imagine it in your style, or do you have to play around with other arrangers? I normally have a try myself first and fiddle about with keys, tempos, and stuff. Once I’ve played it through a few times and there’s a framework in place I take it to an arranger and they do their musical magic! How do you stay healthy while on the road touring? (both physically and vocally) Touring is tough on your voice, there’s no two ways about it. The lack of sleep combined with lots of traveling, singing, and terrible food can be a recipe for disaster. I try to exercise and sleep as much as I can, take lots of vitamins and make sure I have super healthy breakfast and lunch to make up for it. No drinking, fatty food or excess talking. I basically hermit myself for 2 months and I’m still always sick for at least a week after regardless of how good I’ve been!
There’s been a lot of debate about sexuality in the music business recently. Although classical music has traditionally been more about the music, there has been an attempt in the last few years to make it sexier. What are your thoughts on the issue? Regardless of how the current crop of classical musicians look there’s no denying their talent. I think that is what should be focused on. Everything else is just decoration.
I think as a woman it’s harder to be taken seriously as anything other than our specific gender role stereotypes. I was shocked when Vasily Petrenko said male conductors were better for orchestras because of how distracting a “cute girl on the podium” can be. This is the message we’re sending to the up and coming talent in the national youth orchestra?! It illustrated beautifully how deeply sexist the classical music world still is. We must all change our views if we want an equal future for our beloved industry.
Do you feel that as a woman it is harder to be taken seriously as an artist?
For more information about Camilla visit
camillakerslake.co.uk
Cover Story
Rebecca Newman By Fran Laniado Nicknamed “The People’s Soprano” Rebecca Newman has become one of the most successful indie artists in the classical crossover movement. Her new album, “Dare to Dream” features duets with Universal’s Blake and Mary Jess. Her success and dedication is a success to all indie artists. Fran Laniado speaks to this month’s cover star to help us get to know her better!
It seems like you were interested in singing from a very young age, but didn’t go to school for it or really make a career of it until later. Was that always a goal for you? Or would you have been content to have it as a hobby? I sometimes wonder, myself, just how I came to end up where I am now. I used to sing all the time as a child, but it wasn’t until I was 13 that I
discovered there was something about my voice that stood out. I was singing along to Sarah Brightman in the soundtrack to The Phantom of the Opera after my mum had been to see it in the West End and I realized my voice naturally suited the classic soprano sound much better. I joined a local junior amateur operatic company and won the leading lady in their next show, which was Carousel. From then on all I wanted to do was
be a professional actress and musical theatre performer in the West End. I started working in a local pub, washing dishes, to earn money to pay for singing lessons but I quickly discovered the world of opera and decided that’s what I wanted to do. However, after my A Levels, I took a two-year break to save up for drama school and quickly worked my way up the corporate ladder, moving to the London head office of the firm I was working for. I decided singing was best kept as a hobby, but when I moved to York to do a degree to further my professional career, singing seemed to catch up with me again. Within a week I had the title role in Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘Princess Ida’, then started busking and singing at weddings to earn money to fund my studies. I was able to try out a career as a singer while I was still studying, so there was no pressure and found my business experience was really useful in making it work. I fell back into it by accident and it’s as if music wouldn’t let me go, rather than I went looking for it. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit so when it became clear that singing was more than just a lucrative hobby I decided to give it a go. For me, music isn’t a job – it’s a passion, it’s an identity. It has enriched my life in so many ways and I couldn’t turn my back on it now, even if I tried.
Based on your website bio it looks like you have a few musical theatre credits to your name (Carousel, Chess, Princess Ida,) is that something that you’d like to pursue more in the future? I would love to do more theatrical productions and hope my new album may open some more doors for me. My previous theatre work has been with local companies but it is very hard when you’re a freelance singer because the level of commitment is very high and gets in the way of earning the money you need to live on and invest back into your music. I also enjoy the creative process of putting together my own concerts where I get to choose all my favorite songs, which is very different to winning a role in a show with a cast of characters. Now I am composing my own music and songs I’ve found that is where my passion lies, which, in turn, pushes me further away from theatre and more towards a recording and touring career. In 2008 you had a scare with your voice. How did you feel about the prospect of not singing anymore? At the time I almost wanted to stop singing because I felt so frustrated with my voice. I knew what I was trying to do but my voice wouldn’t cooperate. I was a professional singer by then and the pressure of needing to
be healthy in order to earn my living was quite tough. Once I found out what the problem was, and it was a simple fix, I was very relieved and once the medication had time to work I noticed the difference very quickly. It was like someone had handed my old voice back. It has really made me appreciate how lucky I am to be able to sing. What do you do to maintain your voice now? I have regular lessons with a wonderful teacher, whom I’ve been seeing for two years now. I have to keep healthy, hydrated, and drink alcohol infrequently. When I was going through my vocal troubles I tried everything – marshmallow herb tea, no dairy, no caffeine, propolis, honey, and lemon – but in reality, the best things you can do are to get enough sleep, drink enough water and ensure your technique is good. If your technique is bad no amount of potions or dietary and lifestyle changes will overcome that. You’ve released several albums now and your repertoire seems to go from musical theater to folk songs, to opera, and pop. What genre do you feel most comfortable in? I’ve discovered the joy of songwriting now, so I can sing exactly as I want! What tends to come out of the writing
is a mixture of folk and light opera. Nothing can compare to the feeling of hitting those operatic high notes well, it feels like you’re flying, but I’ve always enjoyed using my folkier voice to generate more intimacy with the audience. If I had to choose one genre and stick to it forever it would be the operatic style. It’s not the easiest, and you never stop learning and developing, but it’s definitely the most rewarding for me. It is also what my fans most want to hear. You work with several charities to raise money and awareness. How did you come to partner with these charities? What inspired you to use your music as a way of helping others? When I decided to leave my job and return to education to do a degree I had intended to go into development economics. I wanted to work within governments and non-governmental organizations around the world, using my skills to help reduce poverty and improve the life chances of people in developing countries. I am a firm believer that we all have to do our bit to realize the changes we want to see in the world. Once I started singing I found I was able to use my music to raise money and awareness for charities, which helped me fulfill this desire to help change the world in my own small way. I was able to raise funds that I could never have dreamed
of just writing a cheque for when I was working full time. I also realized there was a virtual big, blank advertising space whenever I was performing where I could promote a cause. During the performance, the audience would associate their positive feelings with that cause, which helps ensure future support for the charities. I chose to support Childline because I wanted to help young people who had no one to talk to when going through hard times, just like I did as a child and a teenager. I also chose to support the RNLI with a song release and my Coast to Coast Tour, which took in twenty venues across the UK, because I grew up by the sea and knew what an amazing job they do by putting their lives on the line to save people, without even being paid. Many of my friends in London were unaware of this, so I wanted to get out there and spread the word. You perform live fairly often. Do you ever suffer from any performance anxiety? If so, how do you cope with it? I get a bit of an adrenaline rush but it’s a good feeling and it can bring out things in your performance you can’t manufacture in rehearsal. I don’t really get nervous unless I am doing something new and under-rehearsed, but even then I know that the most interesting and fun performances can
follow when you’re working with a bunch of musicians and you’re all flying by the seat of your pants! The main thing is to make sure you have enough time to prepare before the performance. As an independent, selfmanaged artist I used to be so busy trying to organize things unrelated to my performance – like the front of the house, merchandise table, lighting, sound, travel – that I ended up being the bottom of my priority list. Trying to stick on false eyelashes five minutes before curtain call is not the best way to ensure you go on stage relaxed and focused. I’ve always tried so hard not to be seen as a diva, but sometimes you have to make sure you put yourself first, after all, you’re the reason people have parted with their hard earned money to buy a ticket so it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re ready to go on stage and give them a good show. You’ve been dubbed “The People’s Soprano”. Where did that nickname come from? How do you feel about it? I had some radio producers and journalists refer to me by the name in the past, plus audience members would say it when I was working with another singer who called himself a people’s tenor. However, back then I didn’t feel worthy of such a big title. It wasn’t until I worked with a wonderful tenor called Gari Glaysher
that I understood why people saw me that way. I was telling him about the amazing time I had been having recording with the orchestra and going to and from meetings in London, concerts, and so on, but said I missed street performing. I missed it because of the unique connection you get with people on the street and how they keep you grounded. It was Gari who then told me I was demonstrating the true qualities of a “people’s soprano”, so I put it to my fans, asking them what they thought. Their response on social media was so overwhelming I decided to start using it officially. Since then I’ve gradually embraced the identity. I believe it’s my down to earth approach, my slightly goofy sense of humor, the way I don’t take myself too seriously and, importantly, the way thousands of people over the years have had a stake in my musical career and development, especially through my street performances. I owe my success to the people who have followed me over the years and I want to take them all with me on the adventure. I’m very pleased to see my supporters interacting online and at my shows and am honored to be part of their lives to add some extra enjoyment. They even have a collective noun: Newmaneers! What are your musical influences? Any favorite artists? What do you usually listen to for fun?
I have such a wide range of musical influences it’s hard to know where to start. My own music has been influenced by artists like Josh Groban, Enya, Hans Zimmer, Annie Lennox, whereas my vocals have been influenced by Sarah Brightman, who first inspired me to move into the soprano range, Maria Callas, Renee Flemming, Pavarotti, Angela Giorghiu. However, my career has definitely been influenced by the recent classical crossover acts who have been trailblazers, like Russell Watson, Katherine Jenkins, Il Divo, and Andrea Bocelli. My enthusiasm for songwriting was definitely encouraged greatly by a wonderful soul/folk singer and guitarist called Jess Gardham and the hip-hop band I was in at university. Favorite artists at the moment include Noah Stewart and Joyce DiDonato. When I’m listening to music for fun I like Emelie Sande, Adele, Jack Johnson, Katie MacDonald – basically, acoustic singer-songwriters and bands that you can imagine would sound just as good live and unplugged. I also enjoy listening to orchestral film soundtracks. You’ve worked with several voice teachers. Do you feel that any of them was particularly remarkable or inspirational? My current teacher is simply wonderful. She was classmates with
Alfie Boe for her postgraduate opera course. She is fantastic and really encourages me. She doesn’t just teach me because she is paid to, she actually gets excited when things are going right and really invests in me as a singer. Our lessons regularly overrun and there have been times when she’s jumped up from the piano and hugged me because something she had been trying to get me to do for ages suddenly works. She understands what I am trying to do with my voice; she knows I’m not training to be an opera singer and enjoys finding the best way for me to approach my songs so they are technically good but still sound like me. I’ve been very lucky with teachers over the years, even though I went through several years with hardly any coaching at all, and I always remember my first teacher, Mary Burman, as being the first person to recognize my ability – at least, the first person with any real knowledge about music! My voice is going through some exciting changes at the moment and new tones, textures, and vocal colors are coming through. I’m excited to see how it will sound and feel in another six or twelve months time.
to be where I am now – I was just trying to plug away, making a living from music and enjoying the little challenges that it brings. I selfreleased five CD albums as a way of having something to sell to support myself. Somehow, I’ve managed to gain a following far beyond anything I thought I would. Just over a year ago I raised the funds to realize a longheld dream of mine, which was to record an album with a live orchestra. As the album has been funded privately, much of it raised via my own fanbase, I still own all the rights to it and was able to choose exactly what went onto it. I’ve never been in the position before where I had anything ready to sell on to a label, and I’m not the kind of artist who had ever considered approaching major labels to get a recording deal, so this is all very new. All I can say at the moment is I’ve had some very exciting conversations with people in the industry and I’m looking forward to seeing how my album is received by listeners and the music industry when it is released.
You are an independent artist. Is that by choice? Would you consider signing with a label at some point?
I’m very excited with the potential for the classical crossover genre. There is a massive, lucrative market out there for the music. Many people following this style of music are keen to buy physical merchandise, which is dying
Very little about my music career is by choice or design. I never intended
What about the classical crossover genre appeals to you?
out in other more mainstream genres, as well as come to live shows. There is also a hunger for new music. Covering classical arias is an art in its own right, and it’s enjoyable to rise to that challenge, but singing and writing music that uses elements of both operatic arias and pop allows me to show off different sides of my voice. I generally cross over between styles within my shows, singing a variety of styles on one night, but I’m also trying to write songs in the style of Time to Say Goodbye, The Prayer and You Raise Me Up, as these have proven to be very popular.
of my dream is to get an album into the top of classical charts, so the next few months are crunch time for me. The album has been a true labor of love. I will undertake a small tour, hopefully in the autumn, to showcase the album. This album has had to qualify for the classical charts, so it needed to contain at least 60% classical music, but income from this album will go into my next album, which will feature even more original material.
What are your upcoming projects?
I would like my new album to be the start of something bigger than just me. There is a quote I use to guide me in my career: “success is not about how high you climb, but how many people you take with you”. I want to involve many schoolchildren, choirs and clubs to bring the message of Dare to Dream out to everyone. I’ve already started mentoring a young soprano, and am in the process of executive producing her first album so she can start re-investing in her music. Hopefully, it will give her a leg-up and help her in her development as I’ve been there and done it when it comes to most challenges and pitfalls. I’ve seen so many people in the industry kicking out the ladder behind them, but we don’t have to operate like that. I just want to keep making music that people enjoy and inspiring
Currently, I’m finishing my new album, called Dare to Dream. There are two completely original songs on the album, one of which, Dare to Dream, is the title track and is extremely personal to me. It has been recorded with The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, arranged and conducted by Paul Bateman. Paul has worked on many of Sarah Brightman’s albums and international tours, so I do have to pinch myself sometimes. He is incredibly talented and the arrangements he wrote for the orchestra have breathed new life into some old favorites and really pull at the heartstrings. The album features a collaboration with Blake, for The Prayer, and with Mary-Jess, for Sull’Aria, by Mozart. The second part
What would you like to accomplish in the future (long-term)?
people to have a go themselves. I hope to use my music as a way of getting out and seeing more of the world, and meeting more wonderful musicians, composers, producers and, of course, listeners along the way. Naturally, duetting with the likes of
Andrea Bocelli, Joseph Callejah or Il Divo would be rather nice, and maybe even picking up a couple of Classic Brit Award nominations along the way would be something to tell the kids one day!
For more information please visit
rebeccanewman.co.uk
Jane Froman By Don McCullen She was born Ellen Jane Froman on November 10, 1907, in University City, Missouri to parents Elmer Ellswroth Froman and Anna T. Barcafer. At five years of age, Elmer and Anna separated and Jane was raised by her mother and her extended family. Jane’s childhood was spent in Clinton and later Columbia, Missouri. The later would be considered by Jane Froman herself her hometown. During her childhood, Jane developed a stutter but her mother’s musical background (Anna played piano professionally and taught music at Christian College and Stephens College) opened the doors to a shy young girl to experience something greater. Jane Froman acquired a love of music that helped to bring her out
of her shell and opened the door to a successful career. She went to Christian College (now known today as Columbia College) and briefly went to the University of Missouri studying Journalism. She would later study voice at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music from 1928 to 1930. During her time in Cincinnati, Ohio; Froman started singing on the radio and doing commercials at the legendary WLW Radio. At WLW she met Don Ross, a staff singer for the radio station and a onetime vaudeville performer. Ross was key in making Forman a popular singer in America. They first sang together and then Ross would arrange
auditions for Forman. Ross would become her manager and the pair later married. Don and Jane headed for New York City in 1933 where Jane’s career was about to take wing. One year later Jane Froman would be considered the number one “girl singer” on the radio. She tried her hand in acting, scoring roles in Stars Over Broadway and Radio City Revels but her acting career would be short-lived due to her stuttering problem which continued to plague her. Jane was still in demand as a singer and regularly performed not just on the radio but in the New York nightclub scene, on Broadway and as a recording artist. She was still the top female singer in 1937 and 1938 but while her musical career was going from strength to strength her marriage was slowly imploding. In 1941 Jane would begin to entertain American troops as part of the USO (United Service Organization) shows around the Nation. She was one of the first performers to volunteer to entertain soldiers overseas. No one could have predicted the consequences of that choice. On February 22, 1943, she boarded a Pan American Airways flight in route to her first USO show in Europe. The flight crashed into the Tagus River in Lisbon, Portugal. Of the 39 passengers on the plane, only 15 survived. Thankfully Jane Froman
was one of them. She suffered broken ribs and multiple fractures on her right arm. But it was the fracture in her left leg that would leave a lifelong impact. The injury would require Jane to wear a leg brace for the rest of her life and would also inflict terrible pain in the years to come. Displaying an indomitable spirit, Jane refused to let her injuries keep her from her dreams. Eight months after the accident she appeared in the show “Artists and Models” wheelchair and all. Moreover, Jane did not let the accident keep her from performing for the troops. In 1945 Jane, now on crutches, performed three months straight for over 30,000 servicemen. Her personal life once again was once again in turmoil, however. During the accident in Pan Am, Jane had met John Burn who had helped save her life as they waited in the water awaiting rescue workers. After the rescue, John would stay in contact with Jane and would frequently visit her in the hospital while she recovered from her injuries. With her divorce from Don Ross finalized in February 1948, Jane Forman was free to marry John Burn which she did one month later. But her second marriage would be tested greatly and in 1956 they divorced. Jane Forman’s medical complications finally came to a head when they took their toll on her mental health. She
would soon enter the Menninger Clinic in Topeka Kansas to be treated for depression for six months in 1949. Despite her personal struggles, Jane Froman was a beloved figure to the U.S Troops and the American public. Seeing an opportunity, 20th Century Fox movie studio purchased the rights to produce a biographical film. “With a Song in My Heart” with actress Susan Hayward in the role of Jane Forman was released in 1952. Jane would contribute her own vocals while Hayward lip-synced them on camera. A year later Jane was given her own Television program originally titled USA Canteen before changing it to her namesake. Jane Forman returned to the Menninger Clinic and this time was given a guided tour of the grounds. She was soon asked to serve on the Menninger Foundation’s Board of Governors. She accepted the position and would remain on the board for the rest of her life. In 1957 she started the Jane Froman Foundation which assisted the children’s hospital at Menninger Clinic. Jane Froman retired from performing in 1961. She became reacquainted with a former college friend Rowland H. Smith when she returned to
Columbia, Missouri. Smith had become the assistant managing editor for the local newspaper the Columbia Tribune. They enjoyed each other’s company and shared common interests. They would marry on June 22, 1962. Forman devoted more time to charity work and community activities including Easter Seals and the Missouri Mental Health Association. Jane Froman briefly came out of the retirement for a benefit Christmas concert in 1969, supporting her own Jane Froman Music Camp. 11 years late Jane Froman died of heart failure at the age of 72. Jane Froman in her lifetime earned three separate stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (Radio, Recording, Television). The contralto with the commanding voice and warm smile lived a complicated life from the time was a shy child with a stutter to the years when physical injury and mental illness threatened to overcome her. Yet, Jane Froman was ever the fighter and time and time again she rose above it all and unselfishly devoted her time and talent to others. The Jane Froman legacy continues with the “Jane Froman Centennial” and loyal fans continue to visit her hometown to honor her.
For more about this inspirational singer visit
janefroman.com