Julie Andrews, one of the most incredible singers of all time, was always destined to be a star, as is evidenced by a recently released audio of the icon’s first ever recording.
The clip, posted on Instagram by an Andrews fan account, seems to be from a documentary about the “Sound of Music” star. In it, singer and vocal coach David Grant explains the song is “Polynesia Sweet Tatiana Mignon” by Ambrose Thomas, which he describes as “a very difficult soprano aria.”
Vocally, Andrews is pitch perfect, displaying the technique and control of someone decades older than her. Carrie Grant, another singer and vocal coach, raved about Andrews’ ability, saying, “We are looking at an almost fully-formed singer at 12. That’s very, very rare. It’s stunning. It’s cut glass crystal.”
Later in the clip, Andrews hits an almost-impossibly high note: an F6. As Grant explained it, “you got high F, you got top F, then you got Julie Andrews. It’s hard, it’s really hard. She sings it like it’s nothing. I doubt there has ever been another 12-year-old who could do that.”
Julie Andrews’ Illustrious Career
GettyAndrews, who became a nonagenarian in October, has had an envy-inducing career. Although she’s not an EGOT winner, she has won an Academy Award, three Emmy Awards, three Grammy Awards, and received multiple Tony nominations.
She may be best known for playing Maria in “The Sound of Music,” but her career has spanned many genres. As far as musicals go, Andrews was also the lead in Mary Poppins, for which she won her first any only Oscar. Millenials, meanwhile, may remember her for playing Anne Hathaway’s grandmother and the Queen of Genovia in “The Princess Diaries.” She also voiced characters in “Shrek 2” and “Shrek the Third.”
Julie Andrews’ Tragic Vocal Loss
GettyUnfortunately, as incredible of a singer as she was, Andrews is no longer able to create music in the way she used to. According to an interview with AARP, the award-winner underwent vocal cord surgery in 1997 to remove a cyst. When she awoke, her “singing voice was gone.”
Andrews, understandably, “went into a depression.” As she described it, “I’d lost my identity.”
Luckily, she was able to find a new career path (in addition to continuing to book non-musical acting roles). In her 60s, Andrews became a children’s book author. Although she loves everything she’s been able to accomplish in her life, she admits it’s all bittersweet. “Do I miss singing? Yes, I really do,” she told AARP.
