His Eye Is On the Sparrow

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

210

text excerpt

I became more alarmed than ever about my throat while I was appearing in England's most famous music hall. After the first show each day I could hardly whisper. My agents sent me to the Honorable Dr. Cyril Horsford, the great throat specialist. Dr. Horsford examined me and said I had a nodule (in plain language, a wart) on my left vocal cord. He advised an operation, though he warned me it might be dangerous. When I heard his fee for such an operation was £150 ($750), I said I couldn't afford it. He prescribed drops which at one time took my voice away. But the treatments of Professor Drysdale, a colored voice coach, who showed me how I could lift my voice, enabled me to sing in another range. Dr. Horsford questioned me about my work and asked me to bring some of my records to his office. He wanted to hear how I'd sung before I'd had the throat trouble. I played "Trav'lin' All Alone" for him. Before that I'd been just another patient in his busy life. Like many people, he was attracted by my lower register and he now looked upon the saving of my voice as something specially important. He told me he had been Nellie Melba's medical coach.

excerpt from 'His Eye Is On the Sparrow' pp. 210 (212 words)

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1430389393995