Anna Russell
A musical satirist of genius who dissected opera's grand pretensions with a perfectly pitched wit, leaving audiences helpless with laughter.
1911–2006 (age 95)·English Canadian singer and comedian·Birthday: December 27·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Anna Russell wielded a piano and a witheringly precise soprano as her weapons of mass deconstruction. Trained at the Royal College of Music in London, she possessed the technical chops to execute the music she so lovingly mocked. Her career was built on a series of concert lectures where, with impeccable comic timing and a deadpan delivery, she laid bare the absurdities of classical music and opera. Her 22-minute synopsis of Wagner's 'Ring' cycle remains a masterpiece of comedic condensation, from the opening 'ho-yo-to-ho!' to the explanation of how everyone is related. She similarly dismantled Gilbert and Sullivan, art songs, and folk ballads. Russell wasn't just making fun; she was an insightful educator whose humor came from a deep understanding of the form. For decades, she toured the world, proving that the best way to love something can sometimes be to laugh at it, knowingly and affectionately.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Anna was born in 1911, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Anna Was Born
The biggest hits of 1911
Anna's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1911Born
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1916Started school
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Became a teenager
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1927Could drive
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1929Could vote
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1932Turned 21
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1941Turned 30
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 40
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 50
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 60
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 70
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 80
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2006Died at 95
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
Key Achievements
- Created and performed the legendary comic synopsis 'The Ring of the Nibelungs (An Analysis),' a staple of her repertoire.
- Developed the popular parody 'How to Write Your Own Gilbert and Sullivan Opera.'
- Recorded multiple successful comedy albums, including 'Anna Russell Sings?' and 'Anna Russell's Guide to Concert Audiences.'
- Peranned her one-woman shows to sold-out audiences internationally, including at Carnegie Hall.
- Was inducted into the Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame in 2009 for her pioneering work.
Did You Know?
She was briefly married to artist Charles Goldhamer.
Russell served in the Canadian Women's Army Corps during World War II.
She published an autobiography titled 'I'm Not Making This Up, You Know.'
Her performance style influenced later musical comedians like Victor Borge and Peter Schickele (P.D.Q. Bach).
She became a naturalized Canadian citizen and lived in Canada for much of her later life.
“I am not making this up, you know!”
