Florence Jenkins. His song was called cackling, but the halls were always full

The daughter of a wealthy industrialist, Florence, was born in 1868. At that time, all girls from wealthy families learned to play the piano, and she was no exception. For most, these lessons seemed like a boring obligation, but not for Florence – she decided at the age of 17 that music would become her life’s work.

True, the girl’s father, Charles Foster, was categorically against his daughter’s decision and stopped paying for music lessons. Foster asked her daughter to change her mind and choose another career. But Florence was not going to back down. The girl met a respectable doctor, Frank Thornton Jenkins, and accompanied him to Philadelphia, where they got married.

Florence hoped her husband would sponsor her musical ambitions, but miscalculated – she had to earn money by taking private music lessons. But thanks to Frank, she became his in Philadelphia. However, everything was overshadowed by the fact that her husband infected her with syphilis, and in 1902 they divorced. In 1909, after the death of her father, Florence inherited a large sum which she immediately set up as starting capital for her career.

Florence already did not shine with her talent as a singer and when she started taking the medicine for syphilis, which contained mercury, she completely lost her ear for music. It appears Ms Jenkins’ brain has also been affected by the disease. This is what many explain the disarming self-confidence of the singer. Others attribute it all to the psychological “Dunning-Kruger effect”, which is that insufficiently skilled people are simply unable to reasonably adequately assess their talents.

With the intention of becoming a pianist, Florence said goodbye after breaking her arm. Then she moved to New York and began to take singing lessons from the famous opera singer, whose name was known to no one except Florence herself and her lover Bayfield. Despite the lack of hearing and a voice that did not differ in strength or range, she wanted to perform in the genre of opera.

In 1912, Florence gave her first solo concert. She herself paid for the hall and indeed the audience, most of whom were members of the Verdi Club of Classical Music Fans, and Mrs. Jenkins made generous donations in her favour. After her debut in the song, Florence really became famous, however, such fame did not equal admiration at all. Audiences laughed, critics called it a singsong cackle, and even the accompanist couldn’t help but laugh. But Mrs. Jenkins was sure they were just jealous. She had no doubts about her own genius.

Florence’s voice was hardly brilliant, but definitely unique. She didn’t hit the notes, shout or wheeze, though the accompanist did his best to smooth out his flaws, adjusting to the slowed pace. Jenkins’ repertoire included works by Mozart, Verdi, Brahms, Strauss and songs co-written by Florence and her pianist. Lack of knowledge of foreign languages ​​did not prevent the performer from singing in Italian or French, shamelessly mutilating the lyrics.

The indelible impression of the concerts in Florence was supplemented by costumes created from his sketches. The most famous was the “Angel of Inspiration” outfit – a dress with sequins and cardboard wings on the back. Nevertheless, her performances were sold out and tickets sold like hot cakes.

In 1937, Meloton Recording offered the already aged singer to record an album. Work on the disc was completed in record time, since Florence did not conduct a single rehearsal, recording all the songs from the first time. Clearly, she felt she didn’t need to improve on the already flawless performance. These recordings subsequently became the object of a hunt for collectors willing to shell out a tidy sum for them.

In 1944, Florence gave a concert at Carnegie Hall – the Mecca for all music lovers in New York. The benefit turned out to be a farewell performance, and shortly after, the 76-year-old singer passed away, having achieved all her dreams at the end of her life.

Photo: Getty images, Legion Media