Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Andrews' singing career is over

Andrew Gumbel
Thursday 19 November 1998 20:02 EST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

MORE than a year after an unsuccessful throat operation, Julie Andrews has resigned herself to the unthinkable - that she will never sing again.

The voice that defined a generation of musical comedies, from The Sound of Music to Mary Poppins, has been silent ever since Ms Andrews was forced to interrupt her award-winning run on Broadway in the musical Victor/Victoria at the beginning of last year. The operation last June was supposed to strengthen her failing vocal cords, but it appears to have had the opposite effect.

"I don't think she'll sing again - it's an absolute tragedy," her husband, the director Blake Edwards, said yesterday. "There isn't a day goes by that her voice doesn't get weaker."

The voice of Julie Andrews, capable of both unassuming sweetness and gutsy no-nonsense, has been one of the most durable sounds of show business since she made her debut on Broadway in My Fair Lady in 1957. With a face that never seemed to age and a boyish haircut that hardly varied over the years, she seemed to be a fixture in the popular imagination that would never go away.

She hit the pinnacle of her success in the mid-Sixties, when The Sound of Music turned her into a global movie star and Mary Poppins netted her an Oscar for best actress, but she continued to rake in awards and critical plaudits for another two decades.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in