Dame Nellie Melba was born with an extraordinary talent and an equally extraordinary capacity for hard work. She sold out theatres from London to New York to Mackay in QLD Australia. For over 40 years she wowed audiences, travelling across countries in her luxurious train to perform. Melba was made a Dame of the British Empire for her efforts to fundraise during the First World War, and she was the first live singer to be heard on radio stations.
In this second episode we will look at how she raised money for the war effort and earned her Damehood, how she became the first live singer to perform on radio, and how her retirement tour took so long Australians started a saying - “more farewells than Dame Nellie Melba.”
Sources/Further Reading:
Blainey, Ann: I Am Melba
Verney, Pamela: Melba, A Family Memoir
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