Mario Lanza

by Roland L. Bessette

Almost forty years after his premature death, the mystique of Mario Lanza continues: he remains a legendary figure, a crossover icon embraced by an entire generation for bridging the gap between popular and classical music. Roland Bessette's research into Lanza's career includes recollections by his fellow performers and documents business transactions that show how badly Lanza was served by many of his advisors. With a novelist's eye for detail. Bessette captures the inherent tragedy of the singer's life, recounting unblinkingly the contradictory facets of his personality, the generosity and the boorishness, the passion for life and the self-destructive bouts with alcohol. Above all, he recognizes in Lanza one of history's great natural voices, unequalled in its power and immediacy.