John Gurney (bass-baritone)

John Gurney
Born(1902-06-13)June 13, 1902
Jamestown, New York, U.S.
DiedAugust 6, 1997(1997-08-06) (aged 95)
Newport Beach, California, U.S.
Education
Occupation
Organizations

John R. Gurney (June 13, 1902[1] — August 6, 1997[2]) was an American bass-baritone who had an active career as an opera, concert, vaudeville, and musical theatre performer from the 1920s through the 1940s. He was a principal artist at the Metropolitan Opera from 1936 through 1945 where he performed a total of 331 times.[3] On the international stage he performed in operas at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and the Theatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro. He is best remembered for creating roles in the world premieres of Walter Damrosch's The Man Without a Country (1937, Colonel Morgan) and Douglas Moore's The Devil and Daniel Webster (1939, Jabez Stone). He recorded the role of Don Basilio in Rossini's The Barber of Seville which was released by RCA Camden in 1957.[4] Gurney's son is racecar driver Dan Gurney.

  1. ^ Victoria Etnier Villamil (2004). "Gurney, John". From Johnson's Kids to Lemonade Opera: The American Classical Singer Comes of Age. Northeastern University Press. p. 261. ISBN 9781555536350.
  2. ^ "John R. Gurney; Metropolitan Opera Baritone". Los Angeles Times. August 13, 1997.
  3. ^ "A list of every performer (singer, dancer, or conductor) with one hundred performances or more". New York City: Metropolitan Opera. May 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  4. ^ "Music-Radio: Camden Fall Album Issue Accents Pop". Billboard. Vol. 69, no. 40. September 30, 1957. p. 16.