Opera singer Beverly Sills is reportedly at a Manhattan hospital, gravely ill with cancer and with her daughter by her side. This comes from the Associated Press and while those who know her best neither confirm nor deny the news, Sills did cite health and family reasons when she resigned as chairwoman of the Metropolitan Opera two years ago.Cancer first struck Sills in 1974. She underwent successful surgery and went on to make her Met singing debut in 1975.
Sills, 78, first hit the opera circuit in 1947 in Philadelphia. She had a bit role in Carmen and later became a star with the smaller New York City Opera and was acclaimed for performances in Douglas Moore's The Ballad of Baby Doe, Massenet's Manon, and Handel's Guilio Cesare. Known by the nickname Bubbles -- which some say matches her personality perfectly -- the red-haired diva made many appearances on The Tonight Show and The Muppet Show. She also sang often with her friend Carol Burnett.
Sills retired from the stage in 1980 at the age of 51 and then launched her career as general director of the New York City Opera. She became chairwoman of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in 1994 and the Met's chairwoman in 2002.
1. did she smoke
Posted at 10:30PM on Jul 2nd 2007 by John