I am referring to Julie Andrews. Here is the news:
http://www.julieandrews.co.uk/article_2020_main.htmJulie Andrews Interview with 20/20In a rare personal interview, entertainment legend Julie Andrews talks for the first time to Barbara Walters about the surgery on her vocal chords nearly two years ago. Since then, she has been unable to sing, and she fears she may never sing again.
On Her Throat Surgery in June 1997:
Julie Andrews: “It was just over 19 months ago, I went in for a routine procedure that I was told would not be threatening to my vocal cords. And … and since then, as you know, and that everybody’s been talking about, I’ve just been unable to sing.”
Barbara Walters: “That’s a big question. Will Julie Andrews be able to sing again?”
Andrews: “Well I can only say I hope so. I have to be optimistic. I think to some degree I’m in … a form of denial about it. Because … because to not sing with an orchestra, to not be able to communicate through my voice which I’ve done all my life and not to be able to phrase lyrics and give people that kind of joy, uh, I think I would be totally devastated So I am in some kind of denial.”
Walters: “You were told this would be routine, that you’d come out and your voice would be fine.”
Andrews: “Yes. That given a certain recuperative time, uh, and it’s certainly wasn’t two years. I … I would be singing just as well or better than ever.”
Walters: “And now you can’t sing at all.”
Andrews: “No.” Walters: “It’s not just that you can’t hit the high notes. You can’t sing.”
Andrews: “No. I simply can’t do a song for you.”
On Her Doctors’ Prognosis:
Julie Andrews “They say that they don’t hold out much hope but that I should continue practicing.”
On the Effect of the Surgery on Her Speaking Voice:
Barbara Walters: “Julie as we talk, your voice sounds hoarse. Is that part of this condition?”
Julie Andrews: “Yes.”
Walters: “So it’s not just the singing.”
Andrews: “No, no, there’s the speaking as well, yes.”
Walters: “You can act in films. You don’t have to project in films.”
Andrews: “Right.”
Walters: “But what if you want to go on the stage, where you do have to project?”
Andrews: “I don’t know. That remains to be seen.”
Walters: “So you don’t know if you can even go on the stage.”
Andrews: “Eight times a week, uh, I would be extremely worried.”
‘If You Heard It, You Would Weep’:
Barbara Walters: “Your throat problems became international news when your husband, who is very frank, Blake Edwards, was quoted as saying of your voice, if you heard it, you would weep. I don’t think she’ll sing again. It’s an absolute tragedy. Does that sum it up?”
Julie Andrews: “Yes. It just about sums it up. Yes, it is a tragedy. Uh, thank God I wasn’t younger, but … at least I’ve had a wonderful career. But … but I’m still, as I say, still hoping that … it … this will reverse itself. But it’s been a long time now. It’s nearly four months short of two years.”
Walters: “The tabloids said that you were furious with your husband for going public about your voice, for saying how bad it was. Were you angry with him?”
Andrews: “You know, I guess because I’m private, very private person. And Blake is completely the opposite and he just says what he feels. And in fact, he was doing an interview about some totally unrelated thing and he thought that the interview was over, and the lady said “How’s your wife?” And he said, you know, she’s not good in terms of her voice. And of course that’s what was quoted. They snuck up on him a bit.”
Walters: “But he was telling the truth.”
Andrews: “He was telling the truth yes. Indeed he was.”
On Her Marriage Being in Trouble:
Julie Andrews: “The tabloids said something like Blake had cancer and that I couldn’t handle it, and our marriage was falling apart … ”
Barbara Walters: “Well, just to get it straight. How’s the marriage?”
Andrews: “The marriage is very healthy, thank you.”
Walters: “Really?”
Andrews: “Really healthy. Yes. ”
Walters: “And how is Blake’s health? ”
Andrews: “Good.”
Walters: “He has a bad back.”
Andrews: “Has a terrible back. And always has had, ever since his mid-twenties.”
Walters: “And no cancer?”
Andrews: “No cancer. The tabloids are insidious And yet somebody, somewhere is going to be sitting under a hair dryer or reading it on a train or something and they will say, well, there must be something to it. And that’s what … what’s so dangerous.”
On How She Will Feel If She Can Never Sing Again:
Julie Andrews: “God, you’ll have to ask me that again another time. Right now as I said, I simply cannot contemplate it. I don’t want to say that I never can. So ask me again in a couple of years, okay?”
Barbara Walters: “And then if it’s still no?”
Andrews: “Oh I think it will change something inside of me forever.”