Coe Glade

Coe Glade (August 12, 1900 – September 23, 1985), born Florence Coe Johnston, was an American opera singer, best known for singing the title role of Carmen.^[1][2]

Coe Glade
Coe Glade in costume for "Carmen", from a 1928 newspaper
Born	Florence Coe Johnston August 12, 1900 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Died	September 23, 1985 (aged 85) New York, New York, U.S.
Known for	Mezzo-soprano opera singer

Early life

Glade was born in Chicago,^[1] and raised in Tampa, Florida,^[3][4][5] the daughter of Ira William Johnston and Mabel Caroline Albrecht Johnson.^[6] Her parents divorced in 1907.^[7] Her stepfather was Frederick Glade, who died in 1917.^[8]

Career

Glade sang in the mezzo-soprano^[1] and contralto^[9] ranges. She began singing professionally in St. Louis,^[10] and was discovered by Fortune Gallo.^[11] She joined the Chicago Civil Opera Company in 1929.^[12] She also sang with the Cincinnati Zoo Opera.^[13][14] "She has been hailed by leading critics as an artist of crystalline quality, possessing not only a gorgeous, rich voice but a brain that thinks, that seeks the composer's innermost thought, that grasps his most delicate subtlety", according to one 1931 report.^[9] She sang in the opening program at Radio City Music Hall in 1932^[1] and at the Hiram Walker Canadian Club at the Chicago World's Fair in 1934.^[15]

Glade sang the lead role in Carmen more than 2,000 times.^[15][16][17] Her repertoire also included Amneris in Aida, Delila in Samson and Delilah, and Azucena in Il trovatore.^[3][10][18] She taught voice students in her later years.^[10]

Glade was considered an "exotic" beauty,^[18][19] and her appearance was often reported on, including her hair color, makeup, wardrobe, and jewelry.^[3][9][20] Her braless performances as Carmen in the 1930s were famous enough to be mentioned in at least one obituary, over fifty years later.^[21]

Personal life

Glade lived with her mother until Mabel Glade died in 1959.^[22] Coe Glade died in 1985, at the age of 85, at her home in New York City.^[15][21] Her gravesite is in Myrtle Hill Memorial Park in Tampa, Florida.