Robert Goulet

Robert Gérard Goulet (November 26, 1933 October 30, 2007) was an American and Canadian singer and actor of French-Canadian ancestry. Goulet was born and raised in Lawrence, Massachusetts until age 13, and then spent his formative years in Canada. Cast as Sir Lancelot and originating the role in the 1960 Broadway musical ''Camelot'' starring opposite established Broadway stars Richard Burton and Julie Andrews, he achieved instant recognition with his performance and interpretation of the song "If Ever I Would Leave You", which became his signature song. His debut in ''Camelot'' marked the beginning of a stage, screen, and recording career. A Grammy Award winner, his career spanned almost six decades. He starred in a 1966 television version of Brigadoon, a production which won five primetime Emmy Awards. In 1968, he won the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for '' The Happy Time'', a musical about a French-Canadian family set in Ottawa.

Early life

Goulet was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, on Haverhill Street, where he also lived. He was the only son of Jeanette (née Gauthier) and Joseph Georges André Goulet. Both of his parents worked in the mills, but his father was also an amateur singer and wrestler. His parents were French Canadian, and he was a descendant of French-Canadian pioneers Zacharie Cloutier and Jacques Goulet. Shortly after his father's death, 13-year-old Goulet moved with his mother and sister Claire to Girouxville, Alberta, and he spent his formative years in Canada.

After living in Girouxville for several years, they moved to the provincial capital of Edmonton to take advantage of the performance opportunities offered in the city. There, he attended the voice schools founded by Herbert G. Turner and Jean Létourneau, and later became a radio announcer for radio station CKUA. Upon graduating from Victoria Composite high school (now Victoria School of the Arts), Goulet received a scholarship to The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where he studied voice with oratorio baritones George Lambert and Ernesto Vinci. Goulet performed in opera productions with other Conservatory vocal students, including Jon Vickers and James Milligan.

In 1952, he competed in CBC Television's ''Pick The Stars'', ultimately making the semifinals. This led to other network appearances on shows like '' Singing Stars of Tomorrow'', '' Opportunity Knocks'', '' Juliette'', and the Canadian version of '' Howdy Doody'' in which he starred as Trapper Pierre opposite William Shatner.

Rise to stardom

Goulet's first U.S. bookings were in summer stock theatre with the Kenley Players. He appeared in eight productions, including '' Pajama Game'' (1959), '' Bells Are Ringing'' (1959), '' Dream Girl'' (1959), ''South Pacific'' (1960), '' Meet Me in St. Louis'' (1960) and '' Carousel'' (1960). John Kenley came to his dressing room after the opening of ''Pajama Game'' and gave him a raise, saying it was "because he knew he could never afford to again", Goulet said in 2006. "He was right." Goulet repeated his role in ''South Pacific'' for Kenley in a 1995 production.

In 1959, Goulet was introduced to librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe, who were having difficulty casting the role of Lancelot in their stage production ''Camelot''. Lerner and Loewe, impressed by Goulet's talent, signed the virtual newcomer to play the part, opposite Richard Burton (King Arthur) and Julie Andrews ( Queen Guenevere).
''Camelot'' opened in Toronto in October 1960. It then played a four-week engagement in Boston, and finally opened on Broadway two months later. Goulet received favorable reviews, most notably for his show-stopping romantic ballad, " If Ever I Would Leave You" which would become his signature song.

After the run of ''Camelot'', Goulet appeared on ''The Danny Thomas Show'' and ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', which made him a household name among American audiences. On December 7, 1962, Goulet made an appearance on ''The Jack Paar Show'' with Judy Garland to promote their animated film, ''Gay Purr-ee''. He also would win a Grammy Award as Best New Artist in 1962.

On May 25, 1965, Goulet mangled the lyrics to the U.S. national anthem at the opening of the second Muhammad Ali–Sonny Liston heavyweight championship fight in Lewiston, Maine in front of the smallest crowd in a heavyweight championship: 2500. It was actually the last fight for Cassius Clay before he chose the name Muhammad Ali. It was supposed to have been held in Boston but there was a mix-up and Lewiston was a last minute site replacement. Goulet had never sung the U.S. anthem in public before; the only anthem that he had ever done publicly was "O Canada". Goulet replaced the lyric "dawn's early light" with "dawn's early night" and also fervently intoned "''gave proof through the fight''." The fans booed, while Howard Cosell chortled thinking it good fun and all part of the spectacle. Now there was something to talk about besides the strange fight that ended in the first round with what has become known in the history books as the "phantom punch". The gaffes were reported in newspapers nationwide the next morning, and Goulet was criticized in opinion columns for a lack of knowledge of the lyrics. As Dorothy Kilgallen had predicted on Goulet's appearance on '' What's My Line?'' a few days before, the anthem lasted longer than the fight, which was over early in the first round. Goulet had his biggest pop hit in this year, when his single " My Love, Forgive Me" reached No. 16 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and No. 22 in Canada.

Entertainment career

In 1966, Goulet starred in the television series ''Blue Light'', in which he played a journalist working undercover in Nazi Germany as a spy on behalf of the Allies. The series ran for 17 episodes between January 12, 1966 and May 18, 1966. In December 1966, a theatrical film starring Goulet, '' I Deal in Danger'', was released, made up of the first four episodes of ''Blue Light'' edited together.

In 1968, Goulet was back on Broadway in the Kander and Ebb musical '' The Happy Time''. He won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his role. John Serry Sr. collaborated as the orchestral accordionist. In 2005, he starred in the Broadway revival of Jerry Herman's '' La Cage aux Folles''. Goulet began a recording career with Columbia Records in 1962, which resulted in more than 60 best selling albums.

He also toured in several musicals, including ''Camelot'' as Sir Lancelot, ''Man of La Mancha'', Rodgers and Hammerstein's ''South Pacific'', Rodgers and Hammerstein's '' Carousel'', where he portrayed Billy Bigelow, a role he also played in 1967 in a made-for-television adaptation of the musical. This version aired only a year after the first television telecast of the 1956 film version.

He also starred in an award-winning 1966 television version of ''Brigadoon'', which won five primetime Emmy Awards, and '' Kiss Me Kate'' in 1968, opposite his then-wife Carol Lawrence. All three were produced by Goulet's company Rogo Productions and aired on ABC, but none have been rebroadcast since the 1960s or released on video. All three were recorded on videotape rather than film.

Goulet guest starred on '' The Lucy Show'' in 1967 as himself and two additional characters who entered a Robert Goulet look-alike contest. In 1972, he played a lead villain in the season finale of television original '' Mission: Impossible''. Goulet was featured in a two-part episode of the sitcom ''Alice'' during the 1981 season, again playing himself. The plot involves Mel ( Vic Tayback) and the girls winning a free trip to Las Vegas, and while there, losing his diner in a gambling spree. Alice ( Linda Lavin) plans to impersonate Goulet in an effort to persuade the casino owner to return the diner to Mel. The real Goulet appears and sings a duet with the (much shorter) fake Robert Goulet portrayed by Alice.

Goulet's first film performance was released in 1962: the UPA (United Productions of America) animated musical feature '' Gay Purr-ee'', in which he provided the voice of the male lead character, 'Jaune Tom', opposite the female lead character, 'Mewsette', voiced by Judy Garland. His first non-singing role was in '' Honeymoon Hotel'' (1964), but it was not until a cameo appearance as "Himself", a singer in Louis Malle's film, '' Atlantic City'' (1980). Understandably, Goulet's performance in the "Frank Sinatra wing" was given critical acclaim. As a result of this film, he recorded the song "Atlantic City (My Old Friend)" for Applause Records in 1981.

In 1988, Tim Burton cast him as a houseguest blown through the roof by '' Beetlejuice'' and also played himself in Bill Murray's ''Scrooged'' (both 1988). He performed the Canadian national anthem to open '' WrestleMania VI'' at SkyDome in Toronto in 1990. Goulet also made several appearances on the ABC sitcom ''Mr. Belvedere'' during its five-year run.

In 1991, Goulet starred, with John Putch and Hillary Bailey Smith, in the unsold television series pilot ''Acting Sheriff''. That same year, he appeared as Quentin Hapsburg, opposite Leslie Nielsen, in the comedy film '' The Naked Gun 2½''. This followed a cameo as a "Special Guest Star" in the episode " The Butler Did It (A Bird in the Hand)" of the 1982 TV series '' Police Squad!'' in which he died by firing squad during the opening credits. The television series spawned ''The Naked Gun'' film series.

In 1992, Goulet made an uncredited appearance as the piano player who suffers agonizing injuries in the "Weird Al" Yankovic video for " You Don't Love Me Anymore". That same year, Goulet guest-starred as country music singer Eddie Larren in an episode of the TV series '' In the Heat of the Night'', "When the Music Stopped".

He starred as King Arthur in ''Camelot'' in a 1992 National Tour and returned to Broadway in 1993 with the same production. In 1993, he played himself in ''The Simpsons'' episode "$pringfield
{{R from move ...