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OLIVE PALMER
refused an operatic contract — absolutely
A YEAR or so ago when Olive Palmer (whose real name is Virginia Rea) signed an exclusive contract with a commercial company, a contract that restricted her from singing for any other program whatsoever, a great many people thought she was committing professional suicide. They told her the public would forget -her, hearing her only once a week.
Olive Palmer thought otherwise — and she was right. Her association with the Palmolive Company brought her greater prestige and fame than she had ever known.
At the age of five, she wanted to sing. This was in Louisville, Kentucky, during rehearsals for a church con¬ cert. On the night of the concert, a tiny, wee voice piped out in song at an unexpected juncture. Everyone in the church listened. When the ditty was done, they burst into applause — and the girl who was to become famous as Olive Palmer had scored her first triumph.
The years passed and little Virginia developed a voice that became the talk of the blue grass country. She thought occasionally of plans for an operatic career. Her family put its foot down at the mention of the subject. A nice girl might sing for her friends, but the idea of going on the stage for the sake of fame or money was horrifying. The wise little lady kept quiet and went about getting a careful vocal education. When she grad¬ uated from A Middle West university, she went abroad for 22
“finishing.” Noted European voice teachers gave addi¬ tional lessons. She was all ready to come home again when a flattering offer came from the Paris Opera Com¬ pany.
There is no doubt that she could have taken it and gone on to the heights — but she got suddenly homesick. She wanted to go back to Kentucky and that is just what she did.
One of the most delightful things about her is her languorous southern accent. And that is almost the only languorous thing in her make-up. She rehearses a great deal. She gets in two or three rounds of golf each week. Sometimes, when she isn’t terribly busy, she makes plans for another European concert tour, but just now that must wait, for she has sold her voice to the radio — and the radio fans demand that she stay with them.