Tag Archives: J. Fred Coots

Episode 492. Mommie Dearest, One Year Later

September 23, 2026African American Singers, Broadway, Comic Relief, Forgotten Divas, Full-Figured Baroque, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Great Baritones, In Memoriam, Johann Sebastian Bach, Listeners' Favorites, Needle Drop, Pop Icons, Queer Pride, Renata Scotto, Singers in Old Age, Singers of Color, SpiritualsAlfred de Musset, Alfred Newman, Ángel de Saavedra, Bernie Toorish, Bruno Balz, Carl Boberg, Carmen Dragon, Carmen Miranda, Cecil Sharp, Christfried Bickenbach, Clifton Bingham, Daniel Chorzempa, Edgar, Edwin Greene, Eileen Farrell, Ein deutsches Requiem, Eleanor Steber, Elly Ameling, Erika Köth, Eve Queler, Ferdinando Fontana, Francesco Maria Piave, Frederick Weatherly, Gabriel Faure, George Cory, George Frideric Handel, George Mzlloy, George Szell, Gerald Moore, Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi, Gottfried Heinrich Stölzel, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren, Haven Gillespie, Henriette Louise von Haym, Howard Barlow, Igor Gorin, Irving Berlin, J. Fred Coots, Jean Fournet, Joan Baez, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, John Jacob Niles, John Shirley-Quirk, Johnnie Ray, Johnny Mercer, Kenneth Spencer, La forza del destino, Leigh Harline, Leo Robin, Leontyne Price, Lloyd Arriola, Mabel Mercer, Manfred Hübler, Michelangelo Veltri, Ned Washington, Neville Marriner, Norman Luboff, Odetta, Pinocchio, Renata Scotto, Shirley Verrett, Stuart K. Hine, Sy Mann, The Four Lads, The Holmes Brothers, The Wizard of Oz, Tom Krause, Tom Lehrer, Wilhelm Schüchter, Yip Harburgcountermelody

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Today is the one-year anniversary of my dear mother’s death. Yesterday, in preparing for my own private commemoration, I remembered that almost exactly a year ago, just two days after she died, I recorded the narration for a memorial episode in her honor that at the time I never published. Listening to the raw material for that episode, I realized that today would be the perfect time to publish that episode. I assumed that I would be so choked up with grief that I would not even be able to organize my thoughts, but I think I did a pretty good job of commemorating her in a way that only I could. As I remark, though my mother and I had a sometimes conflicted relationship because of her religious beliefs and conservative politics, we also shared the preternatural bond that mothers sometimes share with their children when they perceive the presence of a kindred spirit. For in spite of all the mutual head-butting in which we partook over the years, we were kindred spirits. And we both had to work extremely hard to keep those channels of love and respect open when, according to all our opposing vantage points, we should have been in enmity. This episode was wrung out of me just as the wave of my grief was cresting, but it’s so much better for that. I supplement my anecdotes and memories with a lot of music, from many different performers: everyone and everything from Bach to Johnnie Ray to “I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb” to Joan Baez to Mabel Mercer to Tom Lehrer to “Danny Boy” to the Brahms Deutsches Requiem and back again. I’m not sure that, after a year as an orphan (what the Germans would call a Vollwaise, , I would have the perspective to delve into my memories in the same way. Please give this episode a listen; maybe it will help you put certain things in perspective as well.

Countermelody is the podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and author yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody’s core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody’s Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly or yearly support at whatever level you can afford.

Episode 475. A Queer Boy’s Favorite Pop Divas

June 26, 2026African American Singers, Alternate Universe Bel Canto, Black History Month, Black History Month 2026, Broadway, Forgotten Divas, Happy Birthday, In Memoriam, Listeners' Favorites, Mezzo Madness, Needle Drop, Pop Icons, Queer Pride, Renata Scotto, Singers in Old Age, Singers of Color, Voiceless WondersABBA, Alain Delon, Alanis Morissette, Alban Berg, Andy Razaf, Angelo Bond, Annie Lennox, Aretha Franklin, Arthur Altman, Barbara Cook, Barbra Streisand, Benny Andersson, Billie Holiday, Billy Rose, Billy Steinberg, Björn Ulvaeus, Bonnie Raitt, Briaan Holland, Burt Bacharach, Carol Hall, Céline Dion, Cher, Cyndi Lauper, Dalida, Dave Stewart, Desmond Child, Diane Warren, Dinah Washington, Dolly Parton, Don Covay, Dusty Springfield, Eartha Kitt, Eddie Holland, Edith Piaf, Edward Eliscu, Edythe Wayne, Erich Leinsdorf, Erie Mills, Eurythmics, Fats Waller, Freda Payne, Georges Bernheim, Giancarlo Del Re, Gianni Ferrio, Harold Arlen, Haven Gillespie, Helen Morgan, Henri Dijan, J. Fred Coots, Jack Lawrence, Jack Yellen, Jackie DeShannon, Jacques Demarny, James Taylor, Jaques Prévert, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Joey Heatherton, Johnny Mercer, Joni Mitchell, Joseph Kosma, Judy Garland, Juliette Gréco, Lamont Dozier, Laura Lee, Leo Chiosso, Les Baxter, Lester Judson, Linda Ronstadt, Lulu, Marlene Dietrich, Michaële, Milton ger, Nan O’Byrne, Nicole Croisille, Norman Luboff, Peter Lucia, Peter Matz, Phil Everly, Raymond Taylor, Renata Scotto, Robbie Robertson, Ron Dunbar, Rosemary Clooney, Sadie Vimmerstedt, Smokey Rogers, Ted Koehler, The Clooney Sisters, The Wizard of Oz, Tom Kelly, Tommy James, Tony Pastor, Van Morrison, Vincent Youmans, William Weatherspoon, Yip Harburg, Yma Sumaccountermelody

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We are still in the midst of our summer holiday. And oh, what a sweltering summer it is turning out to be! Because of this, rather than producing a brand-new episode today, I’m bringing you an episode from nearly six years ago which celebrated a landmark birthday of mine, which is a playlist of a few of my favorite pop divas, my association with some of whom stretches all the way back to my childhood. But what a motley assortment it is! Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Edith Piaf, Barbara Cook, Eartha Kitt, Juliette Gréco, ABBA, Barbra Streisand, Bonnie Raitt, Cyndi Lauper, Billie Holiday, Eurythmics, Jackie DeShannon, Dolly Parton, Laura Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Yma Sumac, the recently departed Nicole Croisille, Linda Ronstadt, Freda Payne, Joey Heatherton, Dinah Washington, Dalida, Aretha, and of course my beloved Dusty. This is a playlist worthy of any diva-loving late-middle aged homosexual that any lover of occasionally good music and usually fantastic singing can enjoy. The episode begins with a memorial tribute to the late Erie Mills.

Episode 469. Muriel and Angela: Together Again for the First Time

June 6, 2026African American Singers, Art Song, Bel canto, Black History Month, Black History Month 2026, Broadway, Forgotten Divas, Honor Your Mentors, In Memoriam, Listeners' Favorites, Muriel Smith, Music for a World in Crisis Series, Needle Drop, Orchestral Songs, Pop Icons, Queer Pride, Singers of Color, Twentieth Century MusicAlan Franks, Alan Freed, Angela Morley, Auyar Hosseini, Ben Weisman, Bert Weedon, Bill Griffiths, Bill McGuffie, Bonnie Benjamin, Buddy De Sylva, Cole Porter, Dave Stephenson, David Climie, Dorothy Fields, Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, Franz Waxman, Fred Wise, Géo Koger, Geoffrey Parsons, George Gershwin, George Weiss, Girl Crazy, Harry Noble, Harvey Fuqua, Haven Gillespie, Hoagy Carmichael, Hugh Martin, Ira Gershwin, J. Fred Coots, Jack Goddard, Jay Livingston, Jimmy McHugh, Joe Muddel, John Turner, Johnny Green, Julian Bream, Jürg Amstein, Kay Twomey, Kim Gannon, Loulou Gasté, Muriel Smith, Ned Washington, Norman Gimbel, Paul Burkhard, Paul Mann, Ralph Blane, Ray Evans, Robert Gilbert, Robert Sour, Ronald Cass, Sonny Miller, Stephan Weiss, Ted Thorne, The French Doll, Three’s a Crowd, Tommy Whittle, Tony Kinsey, Wally Stott, Ziegfeld Folliescountermelody

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Today’s Pride episode foregrounds trans pioneer Angela Morley (10 March 1924 – 14 January 2009), who achieved great fame in her native England as a composer, arranger and conductor of popular music, becoming the music director for the British division of Philips records in 1953. She transitioned in 1970 and went public with her new name in 1972. She subsequently moved with her second wife Christine to the United States, where she was deeply involved in creating and arranging music for some of the most highly acclaimed movies and television shows of that era. She was twice nominated for an Oscar (the first out trans person to be so acclaimed) and won three Emmy Awards. In her association with Philips, she was the arranger and conductor for all the pop records made by African American icon Muriel Smith (23 February 1923 – 13 September 1985), probably best known for creating the title role in Oscar Hammerstein’s musical Carmen Jones. Smith moved to the UK in the early 1950s and achieved enormous acclaim and recognition for her stage portrayals in the West End of the British premieres of South Pacific and The King and I before returning to the United States in the early 1960s. These recordings, made between 1953 and 1955, are noteworthy both for Smith’s unique way of connecting with her musical material as well as for Morley’s lush and varied musical arrangement. When I first discovered Muriel Smith during the first year of Countermelody, I made it a goal to collect all her elusive yet remarkable Philips recordings, promising to celebrate that accomplishment with my listeners once I finally attained it. Just last week, I finally secured my last Morley/Smith 78. So here, finally, is that very special episode, replete with Smith’s intensely personal song stylings backed by the evocative arrangements of Angela Morley (for once identified in these recordings under her post-transition name).

Episode 116. Pop Songs by Lieder Singers

November 19, 2021African American Singers, Behind the Iron Curtain, Broadway, Comic Relief, Crossover, Great Baritones, Mezzo Madness, Needle Drop, Pop Icons, Singers of Color, Sylvia SassA Little Night Music, Allegro (Rodgers & Hammerstein), Andre Previn, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Andrzej Hiolski, Anna Moffo, Anne Sofie von Otter, Anneliese Rothenberger, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Astor Piazzolla, Barbara Hendricks, Brad Mehldau, Brigitte Fassbaender, Broadway, Bryn Terfel, Buddy DeSylva, Claude François, Cole Porter, Consuelo Velazquez, crossover, Dieter Reith, Donald Gramm, Duke Ellington, Eduard Künneke, Elly Ameling, Ennio Morricone, Evelyn Lear, Felicia Weathers, Franz Grothe, Frieder Weissmann, Fritz Wunderlich, George London, Gerard Souzay, Gloria Davy, Grace Bumbry, Guido Masanetz, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren, Heikki Sarmanto, Helen Donath, Hermann Prey, J. Fred Coots, Jacques Revaux, Jean-Louis Rassinfosse, Jean-Philippe Collard-Neven, Jerzy Harald, Johnny Green, Joni Mitchell, José Van Dam, Jule Styne, Jürgen Hermann, Karita Mattila, Kim Borg, Klaus Donath, Kurt Weill, Leonard Bernstein, Leontyne Price, Lotte Lehmann, Louis van Dijk, Mack Gordon, Maxwell Anderson, Monty Alexander, Oscar Hammerstein II, Paul Bonneau, Paul Daniel, Peter Cetera, Peter Schreier, Péter Wolf, pop standards, Regine Crespin, Richard Rodgers, Richard Tauber, Robert Katscher, Roberta Alexander, Roland Shaw, Skitch Henderson, South Pacific, Stephen Sondheim, Sylvia Sass, Thomas Stewart, West Side Story, Willi Stech, Yip Harburgcountermelody

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This week I feature nearly a century’s worth of recordings of pop music by singers who also, and in some cases primarily, were great singers of art song. Many of my favorite singers figure into the mix, including Hermann Prey (who was the inspiration for this episode), Grace Bumbry, Helen Donath, Roberta Alexander, Elly Ameling, Peter Schreier, Lotte Lehmann, Gérard Souzay, Brigitte Fassbaender, Bryn Terfel, Richard Tauber, José van Dam, Peter Schreier, Leontyne Price, Donald Gramm, and many, many others. They perform everything from Broadway standards to jazz to Deutsche Schlager to tangos to the Great American Songbook to 80s power ballads. This episode was such a joy to put together and I hope that you will enjoy this cornucopia of vocal and interpretive bounty.

Countermelody is a podcast devoted to the glory and the power of the human voice raised in song. Singer and vocal aficionado Daniel Gundlach explores great singers of the past and present focusing in particular on those who are less well-remembered today than they should be. Daniel’s lifetime in music as a professional countertenor, pianist, vocal coach, voice teacher, and journalist yields an exciting array of anecdotes, impressions, and “inside stories.” At Countermelody’s core is the celebration of great singers of all stripes, their instruments, and the connection they make to the words they sing. By clicking on the following link (https://linktr.ee/CountermelodyPodcast) you can find the dedicated Countermelody website which contains additional content including artist photos and episode setlists. The link will also take you to Countermelody’s Patreon page, where you can pledge your monthly support at whatever level you can afford. Bonus episodes available exclusively to Patreon supporters are currently available and further bonus content including interviews and livestreams is planned for the upcoming season.