Joseph White (tenor)

Joseph M. White (October 14, 1891 – February 28, 1959) was an Irish-American tenor.

Biography

Joseph M(alachy) White was born in New York City as the grandson of an Irish emigrant born in Dublin in 1820.[1] Joseph White displayed an early talent for singing and made his first recordings in 1915. His main voice teacher from about 1920 was E. Presson Miller, a well-known private teacher who lived and worked in the Carnegie Hall building, New York.

From 1925, White took part in a radio show sponsored by the tire company B.F. Goodrich for its Silvertown cord tires, which featured a 'Goodrich Silvertown Orchestra' and an unnamed tenor wearing a silver mask across his eyes. Intended for advertising, the show drew a large number of listeners who were asked to guess his identity, which was not revealed until 1930. He then performed as "Joseph M. White, Radio's 'Silver-Masked Tenor'", making numerous recordings. His repertory largely consisted of well-known Irish songs from traditional sources and light contemporary ballads, and this regard resembled much of the recorded repertoire of John McCormack. In 1943, as White was preparing for a comeback on radio, he slipped on a wet floor and broke his left leg, which was then amputated.[2]

White's son Robert "Bobby" White became a well-known tenor as well, often performing a similar repertoire as his father. Robert White was taught by his father to sing McCormack's repertoire.[3]

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References
  1. Klein, Axel: "White family", in: The Encyclopaedia of Music in Ireland, ed. by Harry White & Barra Boydell (Dublin: UCD Press, 2013), p. 1053.
  2. Klein (2013), as above.
  3. Libby, Ted: "Legacy of the Irish Tenor", in: Crisis Magazine, March 1, 1999.
  • YouTube video of Joseph White performing "The Harp that Once Through Tara's Halls" and "Kathleen Mavourneen" (1925)
  • YouTube video of Joseph White performing "A Little Bit of Heaven"
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