Opera Singer. A noted lyrico spinto soprano, she is remembered for her long career at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Raised in the New York suburbs, Dorothy quit school at 16 and worked a succession of odd jobs while studying voice at Juilliard; she was to gain further training in Rome but saw her time in Europe cut short by the approach of World War II. Dorothy returned home in 1939, worked as a Big Band vocalist, and sang at the New York World's Fair; she made her 1940 operatic debut with the Chicago Opera as Pousette from Jules Massenet's "Manon", was first heard at the New York City Opera in 1944 as Violetta of Verdi's "La Traviata", and bowed at the Metropolitan on December 1, 1945 as Mimi in Puccini's "La Boheme". Over the years her roles included the title leads of Puccini's "Manon Lescaut", "Madame Butterfly", and "Tosca", Gustave Charpentier's "Louise", and Charles Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette", Musetta from "La Boheme", and Marguerite in Gounod's "Faust". She sang in major venues on both sides of the Atlantic including, frequently, San Francisco, was often heard on radio with such greats of the day as Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and Bing Crosby, and appeared on television variety shows of the 1950s. Dorothy made it to the silver screen a few times, singing in the 1950 "Mr. Music" with Bing Crosby and taking part in 1951's "The Great Caruso" with Mario Lanza, whom she did not like. She gave her final performance at the Metropolitan on February 10, 1979, as Tosca, published a 1982 autobiography entitled "A Time to Sing", and spent her later years raising money for Alzheimer's Disease research, her interest occasioned by the terminal illness of her third husband Dr. Douglas French (deceased 1989). Dorothy died two weeks after suffering a stroke; much of her recorded legacy remains available.
Opera Singer. A noted lyrico spinto soprano, she is remembered for her long career at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Raised in the New York suburbs, Dorothy quit school at 16 and worked a succession of odd jobs while studying voice at Juilliard; she was to gain further training in Rome but saw her time in Europe cut short by the approach of World War II. Dorothy returned home in 1939, worked as a Big Band vocalist, and sang at the New York World's Fair; she made her 1940 operatic debut with the Chicago Opera as Pousette from Jules Massenet's "Manon", was first heard at the New York City Opera in 1944 as Violetta of Verdi's "La Traviata", and bowed at the Metropolitan on December 1, 1945 as Mimi in Puccini's "La Boheme". Over the years her roles included the title leads of Puccini's "Manon Lescaut", "Madame Butterfly", and "Tosca", Gustave Charpentier's "Louise", and Charles Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette", Musetta from "La Boheme", and Marguerite in Gounod's "Faust". She sang in major venues on both sides of the Atlantic including, frequently, San Francisco, was often heard on radio with such greats of the day as Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, and Bing Crosby, and appeared on television variety shows of the 1950s. Dorothy made it to the silver screen a few times, singing in the 1950 "Mr. Music" with Bing Crosby and taking part in 1951's "The Great Caruso" with Mario Lanza, whom she did not like. She gave her final performance at the Metropolitan on February 10, 1979, as Tosca, published a 1982 autobiography entitled "A Time to Sing", and spent her later years raising money for Alzheimer's Disease research, her interest occasioned by the terminal illness of her third husband Dr. Douglas French (deceased 1989). Dorothy died two weeks after suffering a stroke; much of her recorded legacy remains available.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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