Nowadays, entertainers often hop from the stage to the silver screen with ease. In the 1930s and ’40s, when those boundaries were a bit more rigid, Nelson Eddy enjoyed a career as one of the industry’s first “crossover” stars. A classically trained baritone who starred in a string of MGM musicals including Phantom of the Opera, Eddy was 65 years old when he collapsed onstage in Florida on March 5, 1967. He died several hours later in the early morning of March 6. Today, on the 59th anniversary of his death, we’re taking a look at the incredible life and career of Nelson Eddy—the world’s highest-paid professional singer in his heyday.
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Born June 29, 1901, in Providence, Rhode Island, Eddy never considered a career outside of singing. As his parents were unable to afford formal lessons, he honed his craft by imitating recordings of opera artists like Titta Ruffo, Pasquale Amato, and Giuseppe Campanari.
At age 14, Eddy left his formal education behind and worked a number of odd jobs to help support his mother following his parents’ divorce. His big break came in 1924 when he won the opportunity to perform with the Philadelphia Civic Opera Company. That led to a regular gig by the late 1920s.
Nelson Eddy’s Accidental Big Break
After studying with renowned opera teachers David Bispham and William Vilonat, Nelson Eddy borrowed enough money to follow Vilonat to Dresden, Germany, where he became further immersed in his craft. Returning to America, he continued working the opera circuit.
Fate intervened in 1933, when Eddy accepted a frantic last-minute call to fill in for superstar soprano Lottie Lehmann at a sold-out Los Angeles concert. He brought the house down—18 encores later, he was suddenly drowning in film offers.
Signing a contract with MGM, thus began a lucrative onscreen partnership with soprano Jeanette McDonald. The two co-starred in eight musical films, the first of which was the surprise 1935 hit Naughty Marrietta.
Offscreen, Eddy recorded 300 songs, spanning the spectrum from opera to folk to pop. His fluency in German—which he picked up while studying opera in Dresden—even led to a brief stint as a spy for the Allies during World War II.
On March 5, 1967, Nelson Eddy suffered an onstage cerebral hemorrhage while singing “Dardanella” at the Sans Souci Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. He died a few hours later at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Featured image by Bob Olsen/Toronto Star via Getty Images
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