UK society to commemorate Irish tenor

Irish tenor, John McCormack, will be commemorated with an English Heritage Blue Plaque next Monday in London.

Hailed as the "greatest lyric tenor of the twentieth century", McCormack lived at Ferncroft Avenue in London from 1908 to 1913, the period during which he embarked on his international singing career.

John McCormack was born in Athlone, Ireland, in 1884 and became interested in music at an early age.

In 1903, at the age of 19, he won the gold medal in the tenor section of Ireland’s "Feis Ceoil", and in 1905 he went to Milan for vocal studies.

McCormack made his operatic début in 1906 in Mascagni’s "L’Amico Fritz".

After moving to London in 1907, John McCormack became the youngest tenor to sing at Covent Garden Opera House at the age of 23.

In America, McCormack was idolised, and his concerts drew audiences of several thousands at a time.

The warm reception he received from American audiences prompted his application for American citizenship in 1914.

This cost him the support of the British public during the First World War and in 1919 he became a US citizen.

Among his best known folk song renditions were "The Rose of Tralee", "Macushla" and "I Hear You Calling Me".

In the 1930s he was one of the highest paid performing and recording artists in the world.

He retired from the stage in 1938 but he continued to record and perform on the radio until his final retirement in 1942.

He died three years later at his home in Booterstown, near Dublin.