The Baritone!

November of...

1926...
This was an important time for you, Nelson. You had already been on the radio and now just finished cutting your first record!...”The Rainbow Trail” sung by Nelson Eddy, words and music by Katherine Atherton Grimes and Nelson Eddy! Also, as a member of the Philadelphia Civic Opera Company, you appeared as Wolfram in Wagner’s “Tannhauser” and, a week later, as Sharpless in Puccini’s “Madame Butterfly. You had already mastered 28 operatic roles and you were on your way!

....Unfortunately at this time, I was just a twinkle in my papa’s eye and I would later bemoan the fact I was born much too late!

1927...
You were now in Dresden, Germany learning lyric control and breathing techniques (a quick study, I’m sure) and thrilling the townspeople with your repetoire of Viennese and German folk songs.

....”I’m here, I’m here!” But I am only 3 months old, wearing diapers and spitting up a lot. Nelson who? Prohibition was still in full swing but my bottle wasn’t on
the endangered list.

1933...
This was probably the busiest year of your career to date....50 song recitals, 30 concert, orchestra and oratorio dates, 65 radio appearances, 8 opera performances, 28 special church services, a contract with MGM and roles in 3 films (one not yet released, none doing you justice)! Also this month, both you and Jeanette MacDonald sang a song on a radio program for Marie Dressler’s birthday, a portent of things to come.

....Well, I was now 6, contending with three siblings and I had no idea you were making such beautiful music. Prohibition was over and , lawdy, there was a woman in the Cabinet!

1935...
Another big year for you, Nelson, and your life had changed dramatically. When “Naughty Marietta” hit the theaters in March, you became a ‘Wanted Man’! Now, with location shots finished for “Rose Marie”, you came back to the studio for the film’s wrap-up but you found time on the 11th to make your final appearance for the San Francisco Opera Company as Amonasro in Verdi’s “Aida”. On the 25th, you hosted the ‘Voice of Firestone” and included a duet of “Indian Love Call” with Margaret Speaks.

....I was only 8 at the time, playing with my dolls. I missed out on it all. I do recall now that we lost Will Rogers and Wiley Post that year

1937...
Now you could be heard weekly on NBC’s “Chase & Sanborn Hour” with Don Ameche, Dorothy Lamour, Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy plus hosts of guest stars. “Maytime” had been released in March, “Rosalie” was ready to go for December and the work on “The Girl of the Golden West” was well under way.

....I was 10, struggling with arithmetic and daydreaming about the gothic castles and handsome princes in my storybooks. Movies were almost never included in the family budget with six mouths to feed. Joe Louis was now heavyweight champ and Amelia Earhart disappeared in the Pacific.

1940...
You had finished five more movies...three with Jeanette ( “Sweethearts”, “New Moon” and “Bittersweet”) , two solo efforts (“Balalaika” and “Let Freedom Ring”) both receiving critical acclaim and you were finishing up “Chocolate Soldier” with Rise Stevens. This month was a series of record sessions, including one album of Gilbert & Sullivan. Next month you plan to co-star with Ronald Colman in the CBS Gulf Screen Guild production of “The Juggler of Notre Dame”.

....I was devastated this month when there were no more letters from my pen-pal in the R.A.F. (to this day I have never heard what happened to him). I could have used a little consolation then but I still never knew about you and your wonderful music.

1945...
The last film for “America’s Singing Sweethearts” was“I Married An Angel” in 1942. Now both of you were off doing other projects. The contract with MGM also over, you did “Phantom of the Opera” at Universal and “Knickerbocker Holiday” for United Artists. But Disney had a new vehicle for you... an animated extravaganza where you get to sing in every range, be the whole 100-voice chorus, narrate and.. play an operatic whale! Whew! Besides that, you appeared every Sunday night on the CBS “The Electric Hour”( except on the 18th when you were ill. Kenny Baker filled in!)

....I was in the midst of my first college tour and dating a certain sailor whose music tastes ran to “Mairzy Doats” and “Chickery Chick”! But the war was finally over (I know now you did your bit entertaining the boys all over the world) and our boys were back home.

1948...
Your movie career was now well behind you. “Northwest Outpost”, your final film at Republic, was released in 1947. After a fall concert tour, you appeared once this month on NBC’s “Telephone Hour” and then it was off to more personal appearances.

....I was getting married to that certain sailor with the peculiar music tastes, and the country got the Kinsey report!

1952...
This is the year you tackled the ‘tube’ with guest appearances and a pilot called “Nelson’s Backyard” (it wasn’t picked up). You were a guest on Ed Sullivan’s show “Toast of the Town” and surprised Jeanette on Ralph Edward’s “This is Your Life”. But you were quietly making plans for a new venture.

...I was having a baby, an event that would repeat itself 8 times and put my writing career on hold indefinitely. The country also tested the first hydrogen bomb!

1953...
Wowwoo! Everyone was taken by surprise when you packed up and took your phenomenal talent on the road and into the nightclubs. One performance was all it took to capture the world’s attention. It was SRO every night and soon reservations were required for 2 years in advance. Gale Sherwood joined you to make beautiful music all over the world.

...I was still tied to hearth and home, totally oblivious to all the excitement.

As Pierre/the Red Shadow in“The Desert Song” 1955 NBC

1966...
You were still thrilling them around the world and there were also new record albums for the folks at home. Ahead this year would be that marvelous New Year’s Eve send-off at the Waldorf-Astoria and then off again to Australia. Who knew your time was so short?

...I was embarking on my advertising career and praying the babysitter would stay more than a week at a time. You see, 6 of the 8 were boys!

2000...
....Well, Nelson, I finally got it! It was one of those lonely November nights when I was feeling blue and couldn’t sleep. I grabbed for one of the tapes on my crowded shelf “...just something corny to put me to sleep”. The movie was “Naughty Marietta”. Well, there would be no sleep that night. I searched out all the movies you made and watched until dawn.

Now it is 2001. A lovely lady from Covina, California told me “you get what you need when you need it”. How right she was! You have been gone 35 years but your music and your films are still here and the fans just as enthusiastic. I met some of them at your pre-birthday party in Philadelphia last May. Great folks! So I just wanted you to know you may be gone but you are certainly not forgotten.

Fun with Nelson....

“I bet Martha Stewart never has days like this"	“A little bit of sugar makes the medicine go down”
“To Mark McEwen, CBS: ...does this look like ‘fair and sunny’?”	“...when push comes to shove...!”

Pictures by Joan Woolley