The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-02-23
From Cow-Girl to Opera Singer!

interviews hand in q real Western hand
clasp and lifted chair with one hand.
swung II around in the air and thumped
it in front of the writer with a gesture
OF invitation and started her story in a
breezy voice, her eyes alternatively
swapping with earnestness and crinkling
with laughter there was no mistaking
her claims as daughter of the wide.
free stretches of the desert.
Il was born in Belleville. Ark. about
twenty-five years ago." Miss McCormic
began In response to the interviewer's
demand to hear all about her, my fam
lily name is Mccormick. with * Upon
the advice of Miss Garden I dropped the
k In order to avoid confusion in the
public mind with the millionaire family
Of McCormicka who have maintained the
Chicago Onera Company.
MY family was brought TO Belleville
in a prairie schooner: The neighbors
were few, and l never saw piano until
| was 9 years old. But I loved to sing
from the day l was born. / believe. l
gave my first show In the chicken yard,
with sagebrush as stage settings. when
was g. My brothers and sisters and two
little boys that lived three miles away
were the only auditors.
When l was about II the call of the
Southwest took my father, mother. my
brothers and sisters and myself to New
Mexico. Colorado. Texas and Oklahoma.
following the various gold rushes. land
booms and the Ell Dorados of the South
west
Much of the next few years YVES
spent in living in tents or prairie
schooners and provisioning for our
selves. as once did the Indians and later
the boomers
AS fate would have it. l finally
landed in a boarding house where there
was an old grand piano. AS opened it
and played the old desire to sing re-
turned. l sought out former con-
ductor OF the Chicago Opera. who
promised to hear me. The next day he
was fired; again hope went glicmering
But the old longing to sing. once
aroused. would not let me rest. l got
another job as a church singer.
"One day last spring | read In the
newspapers that Mary Garden was going
to hold an addition for American singers
ar the Manhattan Opera House in New
York. Investing all my savings, 1 pur-
sued Miss Garden to New York. logged
her footsteps for several days. / was
getting desperate, my funds were so
low Finally a date for the public
addition was set Although l was one
of the first to arrive at the opera house
l was almost the last one to be heard.
Most of my competitors had chosen
My Little Gray Home in the West. It
- very SlidH66s uul AAOtit lAtc NCA A1iSL
was determined TO sing MicdeiG's first
act aria in 'Carmen'-the role in which
l made my debut with the Chicago
Opera eight months later. 1t seems as
though one must believe in destiny.
81 had scarcely finished singing when
from the darkened auditorium came
hand clapping and BravoP Walking
toward the orchestra pit was Miss
Garden.
You are more like / was when
made my debut at the Opera Comique
in Paris in Louise than any one
ever met. You shall sing Louise" some
day You are mine. / discovered you
IL was in the role of MicdsId that made
my debut eight months later. 1t seems
as though one must believe in destiny"
When the interviewer inquired if she
was scared Miss McCormic replied: IT
got over being scared when 1 threw my
first steer"