Jerry Hadley...

died this past Wednesday after shooting himself in the head on July 12th. Suicide is always a sad thing when someone takes the ultimate hopeless escape. It's especially unfortunate when it's someone who creates beauty and enjoyment.

I had the privilege of seeing Mr. Hadley many times on stage live. He was always a pleasure and gave great performance. He performed all over the world including La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera. He was a staple at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and a native of Illinois.

The video below is of Leonard Bernstein's operetta Candide. It was the last performance that Bernstein conducted before his death. It is especially poignant because the maestro hand-picked the entire cast, especially Mr. Hadley and soprano June Anderson who is singing with him. Mr. Hadley was 55 years-old.



p.s. If you're a regular reader of this blog, you will understand that I am particularly fond of the last line of the work:

"Any questions?"