1. James Melton's singing talent was similar to that of his contemporary Richard Crooks and baritones John Charles Thomas and Nelson Eddy, who sang popular music but had operatic careers.
21 Facts About James Melton
1. 2.
James Melton was born in Moultrie, Georgia, but was raised in Citra, Florida, where his parents grew melons and handled hogs.
3.
James Melton's father ran a sawmill in the time of history when sawmills were temporary tent buildings built near available lumber trees.
4.
James Melton received vocal instruction from Gaetano de Luca in Nashville from 1923 to 1927 before moving to New York, where he studied with Beniamino Gigli's teacher, Enrico Rosati.
5.
James Melton worked in dance bands, playing saxophone in a college jazz ensemble and performing with Francis Craig's Orchestra in Atlanta in 1926.
6.
James Melton joined "Roxy's Gang", a cabaret group led by Samuel Roxy Rothafel, who worked with the Sieberling Singers.
7.
James Melton made records for Victor Records, singing as one of the tenors with The Revelers and for Columbia Records with the same group under the pseudonym of The Singing Sophomores.
8.
James Melton frequently sang with popular singer Jane Froman and appeared with her in film as well.
9.
James Melton recorded his first songs under his own name for Columbia in the autumn of 1927.
10.
James Melton quickly became popular and made many vocal recordings singing vocal choruses for dance records.
11.
James Melton was forced to change paths and decided to try to continue his career with classical music.
12.
James Melton began to train his voice with help from the pianist Michael Raucheisen in Berlin and gave his first concert performance at Town Hall on April 22,1932, in New York and embarked on an American and Canadian concert tour along with songwriter George Gershwin in 1934.
13.
James Melton was heard on The Firestone Hour in 1933, on Ward's Family Theater in 1935, The Sealtest Sunday Night Party, The Palmolive Beauty Box Theater, The Song Shop, the Bell Telephone Hour, Texaco Star Theater and Harvest of Stars.
14.
An avid racing and automobile fan, James Melton was in attendance for the Watkins Glen Grand Prix of 1951 in upstate New York.
15.
James Melton is seen shaking hands with the racers in the 1999 documentary film about a classic race called Victory Circle.
16.
James Melton worked with the Chicago Civic Opera from 1940 to 1942, appearing with Helen Jepson in Madama Butterfly, with Lily Pons in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, with Rise Stevens in Mignon and in Flotow's Martha.
17.
On 7 December 1942, James Melton debuted at the Metropolitan Opera as Tamino in Mozart's The Magic Flute.
18.
James Melton continued to perform at the Met through 1950.
19.
Melton spent the 1950s making records, singing in nightclubs, appearing on television, including Ford Festival known as The James Melton Show, and collecting rare automobiles.
20.
James Melton has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one is for radio and the other for recordings of his.
21.
James Melton died of pneumonia at the age of 57 in New York City in 1961.