# What Is The Name Of That Cult (Bad) Opera Singer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 23, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084 "2007-06-23T01:53:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084/1 "2007-06-23T01:53:32Z")
Years ago, when I was living in Germany, it seemed every opera queen I knew owned an album by some woman who paid to rent out Carnegie Hall and recorded an album of opera “hits”. It was truly horrendous - so much so that her album became a cult must-have for German opera fans. They never failed to play the album at parties and watch friends cringe in agony as they listened. I was mentioning this to an American friend but cannot recall the name of this singer. Anyone know who I am talking about? ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084/2 "2007-06-23T01:59:37Z")
[Florence Foster Jenkins?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Foster_Jenkins) ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084/3 "2007-06-23T03:57:23Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] [Florence Foster Jenkins?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Foster_Jenkins) [/QUOTE] Jawohl! That’s her! Thanks! BTW, there is a nice clip of her, uh, talents on the Wikepedia site, should anyone wish to listen. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084/4 "2007-06-23T05:04:06Z")
There was a Broadway play from last year, **Souvenir** , that was based on her life & starred Judy Kaye. I saw it and thought it was wonderful! ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084/5 "2007-06-23T15:08:30Z")
BTW, if you’re a fan of bad singing, here’s [a clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3vnURys4kA). Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084/6 "2007-06-23T15:10:22Z")
[Anna Russell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Russell) is another famous bad singer ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084/7 "2007-06-23T15:19:42Z")
[QUOTE=anyrose] [Anna Russell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anna_Russell) is another famous bad singer [/QUOTE] Although she was deliberately, consciously bad, in furtherance of her comedy. Florence Foster Jenkins seemed blissfully unaware of her lack of talent. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084/8 "2007-06-23T16:02:59Z")
When I first read the OP, I thought of [Mrs. Miller](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs_Miller). Except I forgot she did not do opera. She did [pop tunes.](http://franklarosa.com/vinyl/Exhibit.jsp?AlbumID=77) (listen if you dare) ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084/9 "2007-06-23T16:13:47Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] Jawohl! That’s her! Thanks! BTW, there is a nice clip of her, uh, talents on the Wikepedia site, should anyone wish to listen. [/QUOTE] The clip is very funny. Paying to sit through two hours of this, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084/10 "2007-06-23T17:37:25Z")
Another member of the (thankfully small) bad singing pantheon is Leona Anderson. However, the only opera number she did was the [Habanera from “Carmen”](http://www.wfmu.org/365/2003/114.shtml). That appeared on her album “Music to Suffer by”. Two more tracks from that album are “Rats in my Room” (used by Ernie Kovacs) and [Limburger Lover](http://www.kenbmiller.com/satpostman/reviews/music_reviews.html). They are wonderfully awful. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-name-of-that-cult-bad-opera-singer/409084/11 "2007-06-23T19:49:00Z")
[QUOTE=fachverwirrt] [Florence Foster Jenkins?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Foster_Jenkins) [/QUOTE] From the link: “. . . dismissed the laughter which often came from the audience during her performances as coming from her rivals consumed by ‘professional jealousy.’ She was aware of her critics, however, saying **‘People may say I can’t sing, but no one can ever say I didn’t sing’**. . . .” I’m inspired. I’m booked at Lincoln Center (Alice Tully Hall) for next month, the 25th. You all can e-mail me for tickets. (No, don’t, not for real; I don’t want to be inundated with requests.)