Who Is The Singer: Robert Goulet?

While doing some online research for more "Goulet information", I discovered a very interesting website: "The Canadian Encyclopedia". Below is one of the most concise and informative articles about the singer/actor Robert Goulet. Also, you will find various cross-links to other names. Enjoy this virtual sea of Canadian musical info!

"Goulet, Robert (Gerard). Baritone, actor, b Lawrence, Mass, 26 Nov 1933 of French-Canadian parents; honorary Fellow (Royal Conservatory of Music) 1993. In his early teens he moved with his mother to Edmonton, where he studied voice with Herbert G. Turner and Jean Létourneau and in 1950 became a radio announcer on CKUA. After his first professional appearance, at age 16 with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Goulet continued his voice training 1952-4 on an RCMT scholarship with George Lambert and Ernesto Vinci. A semifinalist on CBC-TV's 'Pick the Stars' in 1952, Goulet also competed in CBC radio's 'Opportunity Knocks' and 'Singing Stars of Tomorrow.' While taking small roles in 1954 with the COC and appearing in the chorus of the Melody Fair series of Broadway musicals produced in Toronto, he made his TV debut in a walk-on role in the CBC production of The Consul. Appearances followed in CBC-TV's Sunshine Town (1954), The Lady and the Logger, and Take to the Woods (1955). In 1956 he appeared in Spring Thaw and sang at TUTS in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Finian's Rainbow, and South Pacific. He co-starred 1957-9 on CBC TV's 'Showtime,' sang Macheath in the Stratford Festival's 1958 production of The Beggar's Opera, and appeared in 1958 in summer-stock musical comedy in Ohio. Goulet's creation of Sir Lancelot in Lerner and Loewe's Camelot, opposite Julie Andrews and Richard Burton, in the premiere at O'Keefe Centre 1 Oct 1960 and in the New York premiere 1 Dec 1960, brought him particular acclaim. Thereafter he enjoyed a successful US career in Broadway and summer-stock productions, TV, movies, and nightclubs, his popularity attributed to a "virile attractiveness, stunning showmanship and magnificently rich voice which combine to produce an impact on audiences that can be likened only to the matinee idols of the 1920s" (Song Hits, Summer 1967). In 1962 he received a (US) Grammy Award as best new artist of the year and in 1970 he was given a Tony Award for his performance as Jacques in the Broadway production of The Happy Time. With Judy Garland he recorded the voices for the animated film Gay Purr-ee (1962). He also appeared in such movies as I'd Rather Be Rich (1964), Honeymoon Hotel (1966), and Naked Gun 2 1/2 (1991), in the TV adventure series 'Blue Light' (1966), and in the TV productions of Carousel (1967), Kiss Me Kate (1968), and the Emmy-Award winning Brigadoon (1966). He appeared as himself in the feature film Atlantic City (1981).

Recordings

Goulet's recordings include the hits 'What Kind of Fool Am I?' (1962) and 'My Love Forgive Me (1964) for Columbia as well as 75 albums for Columbia, Harmony, RCA, MGM and, in the mid-1980s, his own Rove label. Among them: Robert Goulet's Greatest Hits (CBS 9815), the original cast recordings of Camelot (Col KOL-5620) and The Happy Time (RCA LSO-1144), the soundtrack of Gay Purr-ee (Warner B-1479), and various theme albums devoted to Christmas, Hollywood, and Broadway songs.

Appearances 1970s to Present

Goulet's later career found him appearing in Las Vegas, singing in nightclubs elsewhere in the USA and Canada, and participating in the revivals of various musicals - eg., he ascended to the role of King Arthur in a 1975 production of Camelot in Los Angeles, and sang de Becque in a 1986 touring production of South Pacific seen at the O'Keefe Centre, the National Arts Centre, and PDA. Goulet's inimitable baritone and unselfconscious audience appeal ensured his continuing popularity in stage musicals. He reprised the role of King Arthur 1992-4 and again in 1998, and as Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, toured 50 cities from 1996-7. As a replacement, he played the lead in Broadway's Moon Over Buffalo. For singing in a series of humorous television commercials 1996 for a US sports network, Goulet received an Emmy Award. His solo performances, although less frequent by 2004, included Las Vegas shows and a self-titled one-man show. In concert, his signature tune is "If Ever I Would Leave You." Goulet's later Canadian appearances have included a 'homecoming' concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in 1985, and a concert series with the National Arts Centre Orchestra in Ottawa in 2000. Film work after 1991 included acting and voice parts in Mr. Wrong, Toy Story 2, Recess, The Last Producer, and other films, as well as numerous television appearances. The singer became a member of the U.S. Music Educators National Conference Advisory Council in 1996, and was a spokesperson for the American Cancer Society. The University of Nevada at Las Vegas offers a scholarship in his name." The Canadian Encyclopedia © 2005 Historica Foundation of Canada