Hi everyone. This is Andrea Elise coming to you from Amarillo, Texas, to talk about the memoir, Call Me Debbie.
If you have never heard the name “Deborah Voight,” you are probably in the majority.
Ms. Voight, who insists people call her “Debbie,” is a world-renowned opera singer, most famous for her roles in the Wagnerian Ring Cycle and vocal pieces by Richard Strauss.
Debbie sings all soprano roles, but her exceptional interpretation of Wagner and Strauss elevated her to super stardom.
In her memoir, Debbie details the ups and downs of being a woman in a male-dominated industry, and she fearlessly discusses her multiple addictions: first to food, then to men, then to alcohol – and finally, all three.
One of the most remarkable aspects of her decades-long career is that Debbie was able to sing flawlessly after spending a night doing nothing but drinking, throwing up and starting the process over again the next day.
During one performance, she even had to vomit behind the curtains during a scene change. She still earned glowing reviews from the press the following day.
The memoir teaches us behind-the-scenes planning and preparation for vocal performances, especially operas. There are conductors and music directors who are kind and affirming, and there are those who are cruel, unforgiving and misogynistic. A casting couch is also a part of that world.
Debbie informs us about different vocal teaching styles. She also details both the camaraderie and the rivalry among singers. She speaks about the privilege and honor of working with Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo, among other great singers.
Learning about the different aspects of preparation vocabulary and stage planning was enlightening. I had no idea that with each performance, a stand-in called “a cover” was essential. Debbie was a cover several times early in her career, especially when the powers-that-be deemed her not quite ready to headline a performance.
Debbie also discusses the types of breathing and vocal warm-ups necessary prior to any performance. They are long and grueling.
Another fascinating aspect in the world of opera is that in the orchestra pit stands a prompter in case the singer loses her or his place in an aria.
Many times, singers provide “tells” to the prompter by letting the person know they are about to lose the thread of thought. Debbie’s tell was the way she stood and moved her head to alert the prompter.
Her “tell” had to change as she began to lose weight from her highest scale-point of 335 pounds and when her body began to move differently after gastric bypass surgery.
A German word, “fach” (spelled FACH), is a unique trait for any singer. It is touching and sad that, even though her many famous teachers told Debbie that she had “fach,” she was still not convinced she was talented.
Her descent into sex addiction was quick and painful. She chose men who were cruel and as addicted to drugs and alcohol as she was to drinking. We learn the process of getting sober one day at a time.
When Debbie finally went to rehab, she grasped an important truth, one that can apply to all of us. Her truth – our shared truth -- is that we do not have to be defined by our addictions. At the same time, we do not have to be delineated by our talents either.
We can always learn and grow, especially in the knowledge that kindness is the most important and possibly difficult trait to perfect. That should be enough. Our first name may be enough too.
This is Andrea Elise for the HPPR Radio Readers Book Club.
