Mario Lanza
From Wikinfo
Mario Lanza, born January 31, 1921 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States - died October 7, 1959 in Rome, Italy, was a concert and film star.
 |
Born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza in Philadelphia's Little Italy district, Mario Lanza was a high school dropout whose powerful singing voice made him an idol to millions of fans around the world. Greatly influenced by Enrico Caruso, his vocal talents were first brought to the attention of renowned conductor Serge Koussevitzky (1874-1951) who arranged a music scholarship for him. However, Lanza's career was interrupted by military service as a result of World War II. In 1943, he served with the United States Army's Military Police but was reassigned as a singer in the Special Services unit. His performing led him to Hollywood where he was immediately signed to a 5-year contract by RCA Victor. He married his army buddy’s sister, Betty Hicks, and they had four children.
Lanza's concert tours were attended by legions of screaming fans and when MGM’s Louis B. Mayer transformed him into a romantic film star, he became a world-wide phenomenon. On the cover of the August, 1951 issue of Time Magazine, the magazine's article titled him the "Million-Dollar Voice." He had his own national radio show and became the first singer to ever earn Gold Records with million sellers in both classical and popular categories.
Mario Lanza only performed two operatic roles on stage: first as Fenton in Nicolai's "The Merry Wives of Windsor" at the Berkshire Festival in Tanglewood, Massachusetts and the second time as Lt. Pinkerton in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" for the New Orleans Opera Association. He received rave reviews for both, and although he did get to sing the great arias in films and on the concert stage, motion pictures and touring concerts consumed his career. Despite his lack of formal opera training, his voice was praised by such luminaries as Arturo Toscanini and Maria Callas.
Tragically though, Mario Lanza's life was a series of ups and downs involving barbiturates, alcohol and food binging that resulted in frequent forced dieting. His bursts of temper cost him his job at MGM and the kid from the back streets of Philadelphia, who grew up to be an honored guest of the young Queen Elizabeth II in London, England, constantly struggled with success. His problems extended to finances, with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service pursuing him for unpaid taxes. Eventually Lanza moved to Italy to rebuild his life and career but died of a massive heart attack at the age of 38. At the time of his passing, he had agreed to appear in the ensuing season at the Rome Opera.
His body was brought home to the United States where he was interred in the Roman Catholic, Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. For his four young children, the tragedy did not end there because his wife Betty died a few months later of a drug overdose.
Today, Mario Lanza records still sell in the hundred's of thousands each year. He is celebrated with film festivals and numerous worldwide musical tributes from such opera stars as most [[Pl�cido Domingo]] and Luciano Pavarotti. "Be My Love," a new musical about his life and songs is scheduled to debut on Broadway in the spring 2005.
Filmography:
- That Midnight Kiss (1949)
- The Toast of New Orleans (1950)
- The Great Caruso (1951)
- Because You're Mine (1952)
- The Student Prince (1953)
- Serenade (1956)
- The Seven Hills of Rome (1957)
- For the First Time (1959)
