Conrad Thibault
Encyclopedia
Conrad Thibault was an American baritone
vocalist who frequently appeared on radio, recordings, and concert tours.
, where he was involved with the church choir. Local resident Calvin Coolidge
took notice of him and encouraged him to apply for a scholarship at the Curtis Institute of Music
, from where he later graduated. He also studied at the Juilliard School
and was a student of Emilio de Gogorza
, who became his mentor
. His professional career began in the late 1920s with the Philadelphia Grand Opera Company
.
By the early 1930s, he was a regular performer on radio
, appearing on such shows as His Master's Voice of the Air, Showboat, The RCA Victor Show, Music in the Air, and as featured soloist with the Ferde Grofé
Orchestra. He made several 78rpm recordings for the RCA Victor Red Seal label. Decca Records
released several 78rpm sides by Conrad Thibault in the 1940s. In 1949 he became emcee for the ABC Television
show The Jacques Fray Music Room, holding that position from August through October. In the 1950s he sang for the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower
.
Thibault's repertoire was varied, including baroque arias
, spiritual
s, Wagnerian opera, art songs, Broadway
tunes, and patriotic songs. He was known to be personable in concerts, and was expressive with his hands. In his later years, Thibault taught voice in New York at the Manhattan School of Music
and in Florida
at Palm Beach Atlantic College. Thibault married the former Elinor Kendall in 1935. The couple divorced in 1939. In 1942, he married the former Mary Clare West, a marriage which also ended in divorce in 1950. His third wife, Dee Thibault died in 1986. The following year, Conrad Thibault died in Far Rockaway, Queens
, New York at the age of 83.
Montgomery Ward Records:
(RCA) Victor Records:
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
vocalist who frequently appeared on radio, recordings, and concert tours.
Biography
Thibault was born and raised in Northampton, MassachusettsNorthampton, Massachusetts
The city of Northampton is the county seat of Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population of Northampton's central neighborhoods, was 28,549...
, where he was involved with the church choir. Local resident Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...
took notice of him and encouraged him to apply for a scholarship at the Curtis Institute of Music
Curtis Institute of Music
The Curtis Institute of Music is a conservatory in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that offers courses of study leading to a performance Diploma, Bachelor of Music, Master of Music in Opera, and Professional Studies Certificate in Opera. According to statistics compiled by U.S...
, from where he later graduated. He also studied at the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
and was a student of Emilio de Gogorza
Emilio de Gogorza
Emilio Eduardo de Gogorza was an American baritone of Spanish parentage.He was born in Brooklyn, New York, but brought up and trained musically in Spain. He returned to the USA in his early 20s. He sang in many languages, including French, Italian and English, as well as Spanish...
, who became his mentor
Mentorship
Mentorship refers to a personal developmental relationship in which a more experienced or more knowledgeable person helps a less experienced or less knowledgeable person....
. His professional career began in the late 1920s with the Philadelphia Grand Opera Company
Philadelphia Grand Opera Company
The Philadelphia Grand Opera Company was the name of four different American opera companies active at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the twentieth century. The last and most well known of the four was founded in November 1954 with the merger of the Philadelphia Civic...
.
By the early 1930s, he was a regular performer on radio
Old-time radio
Old-Time Radio and the Golden Age of Radio refer to a period of radio programming in the United States lasting from the proliferation of radio broadcasting in the early 1920s until television's replacement of radio as the primary home entertainment medium in the 1950s...
, appearing on such shows as His Master's Voice of the Air, Showboat, The RCA Victor Show, Music in the Air, and as featured soloist with the Ferde Grofé
Ferde Grofé
Ferde Grofé was a prominent American composer, arranger and pianist. During the 1920s and 1930s, he went by the name Ferdie Grofé.-Early life:...
Orchestra. He made several 78rpm recordings for the RCA Victor Red Seal label. Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
released several 78rpm sides by Conrad Thibault in the 1940s. In 1949 he became emcee for the ABC Television
ABC Television
ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....
show The Jacques Fray Music Room, holding that position from August through October. In the 1950s he sang for the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
.
Thibault's repertoire was varied, including baroque arias
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
, spiritual
Spiritual (music)
Spirituals are religious songs which were created by enslaved African people in America.-Terminology and origin:...
s, Wagnerian opera, art songs, Broadway
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
tunes, and patriotic songs. He was known to be personable in concerts, and was expressive with his hands. In his later years, Thibault taught voice in New York at the Manhattan School of Music
Manhattan School of Music
The Manhattan School of Music is a major music conservatory located on the Upper West Side of New York City. The school offers degrees on the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels in the areas of classical and jazz performance and composition...
and in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
at Palm Beach Atlantic College. Thibault married the former Elinor Kendall in 1935. The couple divorced in 1939. In 1942, he married the former Mary Clare West, a marriage which also ended in divorce in 1950. His third wife, Dee Thibault died in 1986. The following year, Conrad Thibault died in Far Rockaway, Queens
Far Rockaway, Queens
Far Rockaway is a neighborhood on the Rockaway Peninsula in the New York City borough of Queens in the United States. It is the easternmost section of the Rockaways. The neighborhood starts at the Nassau County line and extends west to Beach 32nd Street. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community...
, New York at the age of 83.
Partial discography
Decca Records:- 23346 - The House I Live In / I Spoke to Jefferson at Guadacanal (1944)
- 24126 - Suzanne, Suzanne, Pretty One / Ah, Suzette Dear (1946)
- 24127 - Marianne's Loves / Pity Poor Mam'selle Zizi (1946)
- 24128 - Come Dance, Codaine / When Your Potato's Done (1946)
Montgomery Ward Records:
- 6059 - You Alone / Shortnin' Bread (1933)
(RCA) Victor Records:
- 1583 - De Captaine Of De Marguerite / Sea Fever
- 1626 - Less than Dust / The Temple Bells
- 1636 - Kashmiri Song / 'Till I Wake
- 1677 - Novembre / Plaisir d'Amour
- 1679 - The Shepherdess / Passing By
- 11829 - Where'er You Walk / Dedication; Our Native Land; Marie (1935)
- 24404 - Last Roundup / Shortnin' Bread (1933)
- 24423 - Love Is the Sweetest Thing / Day You Came Along (1933)
- 24424 - It's Only a Paper MoonIt's Only a Paper Moon (song)"It's Only a Paper Moon" is a popular song. Published in 1933, it was written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by E. Y. Harburg and Billy Rose. It was written originally for an unsuccessful Broadway play called The Great Magoo, set in Coney Island. It was subsequently used in the movie Take a Chance, in...
/ This Is Romance (1933) - 24465 - Yesterdays / You Alone (1933)
Sources
- BillboardBillboard (magazine)Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, vol. 56, no. 32, Aug 5, 1944 page 21. - BroadwayWorld.com "Conrad Thibault". Retrieved June 10, 2010.
- Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present. Ballantine, New York. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
- Curtis Institute of Music, Overtones, 1929, volume 2, page 44.
- Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
, "Conrad Thibault". Retrieved June 10, 2010. - Nauck, Kurt. Catalogue: Vintage Record Auction Number 38.
- New York Times, "Mrs. Thibault Gets Divorce From Singer", October 21, 1939, page 7.
- New York Times, "Conrad Thibault Dies; An Ex-Radio Vocalist", August 4, 1987.
- Settlemier, Tyrone and Abrams, Steven. "The Online Discographical Project - Decca 23000 series". Retrieved June 10, 2010
- Settlemier, Tyrone and Abrams, Steven. "The Online Discographical Project - Decca 24000 series". Retrieved June 10, 2010
- Settlemier, Tyrone and Abrams, Steven. "The Online Discographical Project - Montgomery Ward 6000 series". Retrieved June 10, 2010
- Settlemier, Tyrone and Abrams, Steven. "The Online Discographical Project - Victor 24000 series". Retrieved June 10, 2010
- Upton, Charlotte, "Thibault Wins Huge Audience", The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), April 1, 1955, page 5.