Florence Foster Jenkins is often regarded as the “worst singer in the planet.” But perhaps the most astounding part is that she has been completely unaware. Her second husband, St Clair Bayfield, helped her retain the idea that she was a genuinely outstanding artist throughout her life. She seemed passionate about what she did as well as thought she was delivering immense joy to her devoted audiences, that she was.
Writers, filmmakers, as well as musicians, have long been fascinated by her unusual narrative. The Broadway operas Precious Few and Souvenir; Goddess of Song, by South African writer Charles J Fourie; Viva La Diva, which debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe; and Glorious!, are centred on Florence’s life. by Peter Quilter, that premiered in London’s West End in 2005 as well as received an Olivier Award nomination for Best New Comedy.
‘Bad with a heart’
Florence’s life has lately always been the focus of two big feature films: Marguerite, a French-language release from late 2015, and so now Stephen Frears’ totally fantastic Florence Foster Jenkins. It features Meryl Streep as well as Hugh Grant and therefore is expected to win an Academy Award.
“I loved the storey I’d been shown, and afterwards I listened to the actual Florence on YouTube,” Frears said when I asked why he is being compelled to create this picture. She was both absurd and touching.” Florence, according to Streep, is “aspirational and dreadful, poignant and hilarious.” “She was horrible with heart,” she adds, noting that Florence wasn’t just bad. And it was this winning blend of laughter and sadness that makes the picture so successful, especially under Frears’ excellent direction.
Darryl W Bullock, whose blog on poor music ultimately led him to “Madame,” as she was frequently called, has written the first thorough biography of Foster Jenkins, which will be published this year.