John McCormack

John McCormack 1884-1945, Irish-American tenor, b. Athlone, Ireland. He made his debut in London in 1907. In 1909, Oscar Hammerstein brought him to the United States. After his debut in New York City he sang with the Boston and Chicago opera companies but after 1914 sang principally in concert and for phonograph records. He was widely beloved for the singing of simple sentimental songs. He became a U.S. citizen in 1917. In 1938 he retired.

McCormack, John (1884–1945). Irish tenor who took American citizenship in 1917. After studying in Italy, McCormack made his British operatic début at Covent Garden in 1907, reappearing every year, sometimes alongside Melba, until 1914. In 1909 he made his New York début, gaining popularity during the next decade with the Metropolitan, Boston, and Chicago opera companies. His acknowledged limitations as an actor, however, led him to abandon the stage for a concert and recording career. He was a particularly fine interpreter of Handel, Mozart, Verdi, German Lieder, and Irish folk-songs, with a sweetness of tone and a stylish technique, although his later career reached a wider public through a preponderance of popular sentimental ballads, sometimes of dubious quality.

Eric Cross