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2 unusual facts about Richard Crooks


Richard Crooks

Following several concert seasons as an oratorio and song recital specialist, including the American premier of Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, he traveled to Germany where he made his operatic debut in Hamburg as Cavaradossi in Puccini's Tosca in 1927.

For his work in recording, Crooks was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame; located at 1648 Vine St. The Los Angeles Times, which has documented and photographed every star on the Walk as part of its ongoing Hollywood Star Walk project, has been unable to find Crooks' star (or the one for the film career of Geraldine Farrar).


Oley Speaks

Note: in spite of what is said above about Sylvia not being popular in the age of the gramophone, it was also recorded by a number of other prominent singers, including John Charles Thomas, Richard Tauber, Richard Crooks, Nelson Eddy, Eleanor Steber and Cesare Siepi, all of whom can be heard singing it on YouTube.


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