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Mario Lanza (1921-1959) Almost 50 years after his death at age 38, Mario Lanza continues to command a formidable, worldwide following. A brief scan of Youtube alone reveals nearly 20 pages of Lanza videos, from contributors of diverse nationalities. And I receive far more comments about him than any other singer that I've posted on my channel. Yet, Lanza has probably been the subject of more rumors and conjecture than any classically-trained singer in history. Some of this gossip, concerning both the singer's voice and private life, has wormed its way into the video commentary sections on Youtube: Lanza died penniless, Lanza was a drug addict, Lanza's discography was small, he never varied dynamics, his voice was weak and fickle, electronically manipulated, etc. To those of us who have tirelessly sought out biographical material on the singer and, more importantly, listened extensively to his records, such remarks are always irksome in their foolishness. At best, they demonstrate a casual
