That wasn't my fathers "last TV appearance, nor was his "real job was being Judy's boyfriend". He was the musical director for her show. My mother (along with my brothers and myselfl) were moved out to CA because that is where my father worked. She became good friends with Judy...she did not work for her. You were right about Mel Torme, though :0)
He was making the most of his chance to get into the spotlight with a big star, wasn't he. Other than his associations with Judy, he was mostly a cabaret / lounge pianist as far as I know.
They indeed have an affair and he was still married and they traveled on a Plane to a gig somewhere and his Wife was on the same Plane and knew about the affair and she got into a fight with Judy and called Judy and Old bag. I bet that was an interesting flight. But I agree, he was a slime ball and tried to hitch his wagon to Judy's Star. I am glad he didnt become famous and that Karma bit him in the ass.
Whay the thumbs down to my post. It's all true Bobby Cole was using Judy and his wife did call her those horrible names. The wife shoudl have aimed her Venom at her husband and Not Judy. I knwo Judy was only Human but she was used by this gutternsipe.. The wife did call Judy an old bag. I defend Garland because after reading many bios and stories u kind of can tell what is BS and what's not. Judy didnt deserve to have this user in her life.
My Mom used to listen to this every day in my early childhood days...Judy Garland gives this the best rendition...Madame Butterfly would never be the same.
+Michael Roth If you noticed it, then she didn't exactly get away with it. It wasn't phrasing, it was being short of breath. She did the same thing with Moon (breath) River, which certainly had nothing to do with good phrasing.
The breath is almost imperceptible and I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't mentioned it. It doesn't interrupt the flow of the song, which is what matters. She couldn't have been short of breath right at the beginning of the song. Professional singers will tell you how difficult it is to sing sitting down. The short intake was more likely a trick to help her get sufficient air into her diaphragm to enable her to extend the 'poor' and the 'butterfly' while retaining the soft whisper.
It's not almost imperceptible; I perceived it. She audibly gasped for air after these words: poor, blossoms, waiting, passed, years, smiled, low, know, be. The lyrics are interrupted into tiny detached segments that make no sense strung together. Standing up would have helped. Less smoking, too.
Perhaps she was too mesmerised by Mr Cole. I don't think there are any rules here and, for me, the breaths do not detract from what is a beautifully intimate and reflective performance.
That's wonderful if what you're hearing is about Poor Butterfly, the sailor, and blossoms. What I'm hearing is Ritalin, Salem cigarettes and insomnia. Her being mesmerized may actually be taking a pot shot at Mel Torme, whom she had recently fired after a falling out.
This song IS one of my favorites, and it's not an easy song to deliver with brilliance; even some of the greats struggle with this one, but not because of the melody or lyrics.
Well to be honest I like one of Sarah's renditions better, the one she did with only a piano but both singers have done an amazing job with this piece!
Sublime rare Garland combo performance make "Poor Butterfly" a rare treat & Judy's smooth soulful vocal is so fine...nobody could match this amazing performance & Bobby Cole is perfection with Judy...Bravo!
Delores Cole wasn't on salary- many people who did things for Judy weren't - but yes, unless a lot of people are lying, she was for a while, as both many men and women were, a secretary/companion/assistant, doing the things that mere friends do not do. She worked for Judy, and Bobby Cole was, in fact, Judy's boyfriend in 1964. She told her producer about it, and his response was that she should &*$# him, but not hire him. Judy was able to get Cole one more TV date, Ed Sullivan.
