ROBERT GOULET
Name: Robert Gerard Goulet
Born: 26 November 1933 Lawrence, Massachusetts
Died: 30 October 2007 Los Angeles, California
Robert Gerard Goulet (November 26, 1933 - October 30, 2007) was a Canadian-American
entertainer. He rose to international stardom in 1960 as Lancelot in Lerner and
Loewe's hit Broadway musical Camelot. His long career as a singer and actor
encompassed theatre, radio, television and film.
Goulet was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the only son of French Canadian
parents Jeanette (nee Gauthier) and Joseph Georges Andre Goulet, a laborer.
Shortly after his father's death, his mother, sister Claire, and Robert moved to
Girouxville, Alberta, Canada when he was thirteen years old, where he spent his
formative years throughout Canada.
After living in Girouxville for a couple years, they moved to the provincial
capital of Edmonton so that he could take advantage of the performance
opportunities offered in the city. There, he attended the famous voice schools
founded by Herbert G. Turner and Jean Letourneau, and later became a radio
announcer for radio station CKUAon the hit radio show Vocally Sexy, which played
"Kuryloski Rock". Upon graduating from Victoria Composite high school, Goulet
received a scholarship to Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music. There, he
studied voice with famed oratorio baritones, George Lambert and Ernesto Vinci.
Goulet's rise to fame started at the age of five. At a family gathering, Goulet's
aunts and uncles blackened his face with burnt cork and prompted him to do Al
Jolson impressions. Though his performance was well-received by his relatives,
the experience was deeply traumatic for the young Goulet, and left him with
performance anxiety, which would plague him for many years. In spite of his
stage fright, Goulet was encouraged by his parents to continue performing.
In 1952, he competed in CBC Television's Pick The Stars, ultimately ascending to
the semifinals. This led to other network appearances on shows like Singing
Stars of Tomorrow, Opportunity Knocks, and the Canadian version of Howdy Doody (in
which he starred opposite another future star, William Shatner).
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).
In October 1960, Camelot opened in Toronto, ran for 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" (that became his signature song). After Camelot's run,
Goulet appeared on The Danny Thomas Show and The Ed Sullivan Show, which made
him a household name among American audiences.
In 1966, Goulet starred as a double agent in the short-lived ABC World War II
television series, Blue Light.
Name: Robert Gerard Goulet
Born: 26 November 1933 Lawrence, Massachusetts
Died: 30 October 2007 Los Angeles, California
Robert Gerard Goulet (November 26, 1933 - October 30, 2007) was a Canadian-American
entertainer. He rose to international stardom in 1960 as Lancelot in Lerner and
Loewe's hit Broadway musical Camelot. His long career as a singer and actor
encompassed theatre, radio, television and film.
Goulet was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, the only son of French Canadian
parents Jeanette (nee Gauthier) and Joseph Georges Andre Goulet, a laborer.
Shortly after his father's death, his mother, sister Claire, and Robert moved to
Girouxville, Alberta, Canada when he was thirteen years old, where he spent his
formative years throughout Canada.
After living in Girouxville for a couple years, they moved to the provincial
capital of Edmonton so that he could take advantage of the performance
opportunities offered in the city. There, he attended the famous voice schools
founded by Herbert G. Turner and Jean Letourneau, and later became a radio
announcer for radio station CKUAon the hit radio show Vocally Sexy, which played
"Kuryloski Rock". Upon graduating from Victoria Composite high school, Goulet
received a scholarship to Toronto's Royal Conservatory of Music. There, he
studied voice with famed oratorio baritones, George Lambert and Ernesto Vinci.
Goulet's rise to fame started at the age of five. At a family gathering, Goulet's
aunts and uncles blackened his face with burnt cork and prompted him to do Al
Jolson impressions. Though his performance was well-received by his relatives,
the experience was deeply traumatic for the young Goulet, and left him with
performance anxiety, which would plague him for many years. In spite of his
stage fright, Goulet was encouraged by his parents to continue performing.
In 1952, he competed in CBC Television's Pick The Stars, ultimately ascending to
the semifinals. This led to other network appearances on shows like Singing
Stars of Tomorrow, Opportunity Knocks, and the Canadian version of Howdy Doody (in
which he starred opposite another future star, William Shatner).
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).
In October 1960, Camelot opened in Toronto, ran for 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" (that became his signature song). After Camelot's run,
Goulet appeared on The Danny Thomas Show and The Ed Sullivan Show, which made
him a household name among American audiences.
In 1966, Goulet starred as a double agent in the short-lived ABC World War II
television series, Blue Light.