27 Facts About Robert Merrill

Robert Merrill was an American operatic baritone and actor, who was active in the musical theatre circuit.

Robert Merrill received the National Medal of Arts in 1993.

Robert Merrill was the son of tailor Abraham Miller, originally Milstein, and his wife, Lillian, Jewish immigrants from Pultusk, Poland, near Warsaw.

Robert Merrill's mother claimed to have had an operatic and concert career in Poland and encouraged her son to have early voice training: he had a stutter, which wasn't apparent when singing.

Robert Merrill was inspired to pursue professional singing lessons when he saw the baritone Richard Bonelli singing Count Di Luna in a performance of Il Trovatore at the Metropolitan Opera, and paid for them with money earned as a semi-professional pitcher.

Robert Merrill's ranking as an important NBC performer is evidenced by his inclusion in NBC's 1947 promotional book, NBC Parade of Stars: As Heard Over Your Favorite NBC Station, displaying Sam Berman's caricatures of leading NBC personalities.

Robert Merrill, who had continued his vocal studies under Samuel Margolis made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera as winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions of the Air in 1945, as Germont in La traviata.

Also in 1945, Robert Merrill recorded a 78 rpm album set with Jeanette MacDonald, featuring selections from the operetta Up in Central Park; MacDonald and Robert Merrill sang two duets together on this album.

In 1951, Robert Merrill recorded a series of operatic duets with the Swedish tenor Jussi Bjorling for RCA Victor, including a world-renowned recording of "Au fond du temple saint" from the opera Les pecheurs de perles by Georges Bizet.

In 1952 Robert Merrill, Bjorling, and Victoria de los Angeles made a widely admired RCA Victor recording of Puccini's La boheme, conducted by Sir Thomas Beecham.

In 1953, Robert Merrill, Bjorling, de los Angeles and Zinka Milanov recorded the complete Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana.

Robert Merrill sang many different baritone roles, and after the untimely on-stage death of the celebrated Leonard Warren in 1960, became the Met's principal baritone, sharing that position in a few years with Cornell MacNeil.

Robert Merrill was described by Time as "one of the Met's best baritones".

Yet reviews were not consistently good: Opera magazine reported on a Metropolitan Opera performance of Barber of Seville in which Robert Merrill delivered "by all odds the most insensitive impersonation of the season".

Robert Merrill was accused by the reviewer of "loud, coarse sounds" and "no grace, no charm, as he butchered the text and galumphed around the stage".

Robert Merrill continued to perform on radio and television, in nightclubs and recitals.

In 1996, at a reception at Lincoln Center, Robert Merrill was presented with The Lawrence Tibbett Award from the AGMA Relief Fund, honoring his fifty years of professional achievement and dedication to colleagues.

Relatively late in his singing career, Robert Merrill became known for singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Yankee Stadium and Giants Stadium.

Robert Merrill first sang the national anthem to open the 1967 baseball season, and it became a tradition for the Yankees to bring him back each year on Opening Day and special occasions.

Robert Merrill sang at one World Series game in each year the Yankees played the Fall Classic at the stadium, starting in 1976.

Robert Merrill liked to play golf and was a member of the Westchester Country Club in Rye, New York, for many years.

Robert Merrill wrote two books of memoirs, Once More from the Beginning and Between Acts, and he co-authored a novel, The Divas.

Robert Merrill toured all over the world with his arranger and conductor, Angelo DiPippo, who wrote most of his act and performed at concert halls throughout the world.

Robert Merrill died at his home in New Rochelle, New York, at the age 87, while watching Game 1 of the 2004 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St Louis Cardinals.

Robert Merrill is interred at the Sharon Gardens Cemetery in Valhalla, New York, which is the Jewish division of Kensico Cemetery.

Robert Merrill sang 769 performances with the Metropolitan Opera in the following 21 roles:.

Robert Merrill made at least 25 studio recordings of complete operas, including two Toscanini radio broadcasts:.