Conrad Thibault

Conrad Thibault in 1948

Conrad Thibault (November 13, 1903 – August 1, 1987) was an American baritone vocalist who frequently appeared on radio, recordings, and concert tours.

Biography

Thibault was born and raised in Northampton, Massachusetts, where he was involved with the church choir. Local resident Calvin Coolidge took notice of him and encouraged him to apply for a scholarship at the Curtis Institute of Music, from where he later graduated. He also studied at the Juilliard School and was a student of Emilio de Gogorza, who became his mentor. His professional career began in the late 1920s with the Philadelphia Grand Opera Company.

By the early 1930s, he was a regular performer on radio, appearing on such shows as His Master's Voice of the Air, Showboat, The RCA Victor Show, Music in the Air, and as featured soloist with the Ferde Grofé Orchestra. He made several 78rpm recordings for the RCA Victor Red Seal label. Decca Records released several 78rpm sides by Conrad Thibault in the 1940s. In 1949 he became emcee for the ABC Television show The Jacques Fray Music Room, holding that position from August through October. In the 1950s he sang for the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Thibault's repertoire was varied, including baroque arias, spirituals, Wagnerian opera, art songs, Broadway tunes, and patriotic songs. He was known to be personable in concerts, and was expressive with his hands. In his later years, Thibault taught voice in New York at the Manhattan School of Music and in Florida at Palm Beach Atlantic College. Thibault married the former Elinor Kendall in 1935. The couple divorced in 1939. In 1942, he married the former Mary Clare West, a marriage which also ended in divorce in 1950. His third wife, Dee Thibault died in 1986. The following year, Conrad Thibault died in Far Rockaway, Queens, New York at the age of 83.

Partial discography

Decca Records

• 23346 - The House I Live In / I Spoke to Jefferson at Guadacanal (1944)
• 24126 - Suzanne, Suzanne, Pretty One / Ah, Suzette Dear (1946)
• 24127 - Marianne's Loves / Pity Poor Mam'selle Zizi (1946)
• 24128 - Come Dance, Codaine / When Your Potato's Done (1946)

Montgomery Ward Records

• 6059 - You Alone / Shortnin' Bread (1933)

(RCA) Victor Records

• 1583 - De Captaine Of De Marguerite / Sea Fever
• 1626 - Less than Dust / The Temple Bells
• 1636 - Kashmiri Song / 'Till I Wake
• 1677 - Novembre / Plaisir d'Amour
• 1679 - The Shepherdess / Passing By
• 11829 - Where'er You Walk / Dedication; Our Native Land; Marie (1935)
• 24404 - Last Roundup / Shortnin' Bread (1933)
• 24423 - Love Is the Sweetest Thing / Day You Came Along (1933)
• 24424 - It's Only a Paper Moon / This Is Romance (1933)
• 24465 - Yesterdays / You Alone (1933)

Sources

• Billboard, vol. 56, no. 32, Aug 5, 1944 page 21.
• BroadwayWorld.com "Conrad Thibault". Retrieved June 10, 2010.
• Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present. Ballantine, New York. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
• Curtis Institute of Music, Overtones, 1929, volume 2, page 44.
• Internet Movie Database, "Conrad Thibault". Retrieved June 10, 2010.
• Nauck, Kurt. Catalogue: Vintage Record Auction Number 38.
• New York Times, "Mrs. Thibault Gets Divorce From Singer", October 21, 1939, page 7.
• New York Times, "Conrad Thibault Dies; An Ex-Radio Vocalist", August 4, 1987.
• Settlemier, Tyrone and Abrams, Steven. "The Online Discographical Project - Decca 23000 series". Retrieved June 10, 2010
• Settlemier, Tyrone and Abrams, Steven. "The Online Discographical Project - Decca 24000 series". Retrieved June 10, 2010
• Settlemier, Tyrone and Abrams, Steven. "The Online Discographical Project - Montgomery Ward 6000 series". Retrieved June 10, 2010
• Settlemier, Tyrone and Abrams, Steven. "The Online Discographical Project - Victor 24000 series". Retrieved June 10, 2010
• Upton, Charlotte, "Thibault Wins Huge Audience", The Spokesman-Review (Spokane, WA), April 1, 1955, page 5.

Persondata
Name	Thibault, Conrad
Alternative names
Short description	Singer
Date of birth	November 13, 1903(1903-11-13)
Place of birth	Northampton, Massachusetts, United States
Date of death	August 1, 1954(1954-08-01)
Place of death	New York City, New York, United States