Sir John Tooley was an English musical administrator who served as the general director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Central London.
11 Facts About John Tooley
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John Tooley held a range of appointments in the musical world, serving as a trustee or board member for many organisations.
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John Tooley was born in Rochester and educated at Repton School and Magdalene College, Cambridge.
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John Tooley had ambitions to become a professional singer, but later decided on a career as a musical administrator.
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John Tooley joined the Ford Motor Company, where he worked, he said, "with some enlightened people", gaining experience.
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The deputy general administrator, Sir Steuart Wilson, left and John Tooley was appointed assistant to the general administrator, David Webster.
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John Tooley was promoted to assistant general administrator in 1960, and served in that post until Webster's retirement in 1970.
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John Tooley was appointed to succeed Webster, and held the post of general administrator until 1980, when it was renamed general director.
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John Tooley promoted regular meetings of the heads of these houses, with the aim of resisting excessive fees for star singers and of sharing costs by staging co-productions.
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John Tooley held a large number of other appointments in the musical world, serving as a trustee or board member of the Walton Trust, the Britten Estate, the Southbank Centre and the Welsh National Opera among others.
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John Tooley married, and divorced, three times: from 1951 to 1965 he was married to Judith Craig ; from 1968 to 1990 to Patricia Janet Norah ; and from 1995 to 2003 to Jennifer-Anne.