Beverly Sills
The Brooklyn-born soprano who brought dazzling coloratura and down-to-earth charm to the opera stage, becoming America's opera superstar.
1929–2007 (age 78)·American operatic soprano·Birthday: May 25·The Silent Generation
Biography
Beverly Sills was not just a voice; she was a phenomenon. Born Belle Silverman in Brooklyn, she was a child radio performer who painstakingly built an operatic career, facing early rejections before finding her home at the New York City Opera. There, her brilliant, agile soprano and vibrant acting in bel canto roles like Donizetti's Tudor queens made her a hometown legend. She achieved international stardom in her late thirties, a rarity in the opera world, and her televised performances brought opera into American living rooms with unmatched warmth and wit. After retiring, she became a formidable arts administrator, steering the New York City Opera and later the Lincoln Center. Sills demolished the stereotype of the aloof diva, her personality as sparkling as her highest notes, and in doing so, she became the art form's most effective and beloved ambassador.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Beverly was born in 1929, placing them squarely in The Silent 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 Beverly Was Born
The biggest hits of 1929
#1 Movie
The Broadway Melody
Best Picture
The Broadway Melody
Beverly's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1929Born
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1934Started school
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1942Became a teenager
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1945Could drive
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1947Could vote
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1950Turned 21
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1959Turned 30
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1969Turned 40
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1979Turned 50
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1989Turned 60
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 70
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2007Died at 78
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
Key Achievements
- Served as the first woman to be General Director of the New York City Opera, revitalizing the company.
- Won a Grammy Award for her recording of 'Music of Victor Herbert' and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
- Starred in a nationally televised production of 'Don Pasquale' on PBS, introducing opera to a massive new audience.
- Mastered a repertoire of over 70 roles, with particular acclaim for her performances in works by Donizetti and Massenet.
Did You Know?
She was known as 'Bubbles' since childhood, a nickname from her mother.
She learned the role of Donizetti's 'Lucia di Lammermoor' in just three weeks for her debut at La Scala.
She hosted her own talk show, 'Lifestyles with Beverly Sills,' in the 1980s.
“I've always tried to go a step past wherever people expected me to end up.”
