Florence Foster Jenkins - Bell Song from Lakmé

[NeverisAwesome]

BURN HER! BURNNN THE WITCH!!!!!!

[lisambofoh]

I have to say, Florence Foster Jenkins was a success. She managed to sell out concert halls with that voice...

[parodycreator25]

@PimpyGDawg I know, but remember most of the critics she received were really ambiguous, "I've never heard anything like that before" or "unique" or things like that, she actually thought she was good!

[angelcity6]

Her voice makes me laugh xD it's so horrible it's good!

[parodycreator25]

hey at least she was honest, she didn't alter her voice like a lot of modern-day singers, and the confidence she had in herself is pretty admirable.

[Nushika9]

Due to some strange reasons, people, who usually have no musical pitch at all or, maybe, are paid for their efforts towards me and/or my singing, try to compare me with this singer. I have almost perfect pitch, and I have a good sense of rhythm, but I decided to place here one of my videos to let people decide, if there is any similarity between me and this singer. I think that there is no similarity, but, maybe, I am wrong.

[19Edurne]

The best of the worst... or the other way around ? I'm not sure WHAT it is I'm listening to, but it definitely is SOMETHING !

[qhsperson]

Painful to hear, true, but I do admire her belief in her talent, no matter how wrong she was. She's like every bad American Idol auditioner rolled into one.

[Worrell057]

I am both surprised and amazed. I suppose "stunned" is the word I seek.

[lordsonnyxixi]

i'm sure they use this to torture prisoners at Gitmo

[Melancholie89]

After all she did have a remarkable breath control considering her age.

[Melancholie89]

That note after 4:27 is simply amazing. I don't think that anyone can make such a blessing of a sound.

[BiauaGaua]

BOSKA!

[saagua1953]

Is Katherine Jenkins her heir?

[LordHettrick]

@saagua1953 They don't share a last name by coincidence, I guess!

[InDarknessLight]

LMAO!!!!! crack up!



[jonpret]

Wow... it's worse than Callas!

[DasSchwarzeKorsett]

When i was listening to this i was a bit fearful to look at the comments in fear that they might praise her and therefore lead me to believe that i had bad taste. I'm glad everyone agree's with me :)

[evilnarc]

nickelback of her time

[etap1]

To bad we don't have Mme Jenkins now, we could just send her to Afghanistan and end the war in two days!

[PurpleFlame3]

@etap1 We don't have Mme Jenkins now, but we do have Rebecca Black...

[ovodspb]

omg... it's even not ridiculous.

[boguscwc]

Even the piano sounds off key

[Melancholie89]

@boguscwc It's because her tries to "fit" her voice.

[MaxLuetgendorff]

After 0:18 she sounds like a dog getting tortured...

[JubalCalif]

@MaxLuetgendorff

They'd have found Osama bin Laden much sooner if the captured terrorists were forced to listen to the musical efforts of Ms Jenkins.

[MaxLuetgendorff]

@JubalCalif hehe, that's good xD

[Serchgaldamez]

Is it possible that miss piggy character could be inspired on this woman?

[jetit]

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!

[David50s]

There is no need to have a recording of Lily Pons, Joan Sutherland or Natalie Dessay performinging this because here, we have the definitive rendition.

[JohnFordDanceTroupe]

It's Susan Alexander Kane!

[pheelme]

This is funny, but ultimately sad and unacceptable. She was absolutley delusional. I mean Beaker from the Muppet Show could do ten times better. Hell, I'm a tenor and I can do ten times better. LOL Oh Flo, Flo, Flo.....

[Poet2916]

@pheelme Beaker did amazing singing Hanabera from Carmen.

[88TheOzzy]

AHJAJHAHAAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAAHJHAJHAHAJ­AAJAJHAJJAAHJAJHAHAH

[TheRealBoroNut]

KETTLE'S BOILED!!!

[Tulipgloss]

Holy cow...

[anneayer]

I can't stop laughing.

[Montanarus]

IT´s a pity there isn´t a film or only a fragment with her performance... In this life we can be a legend being the best ones or the worst ones... ¡Thank U Mrs. Jenkins !!!

[Montanarus]

What was that bell made of...?? :P

[ktmggg]

Now I have to clean out my brain with some Klaus Nomi.

[TheFunkifized]

I don't know whether to "like" or "dislike" this...it's like looking at the sun and then a car wreck...wtf

[SunshineIsDaShit]

3:15

DA FUQ IS DAT?!

[NEBESHIKU]

This intrepid woman puts Callas and Sutherland to shame! JAJAJAJAJAJAJAJA Never! This is a joke and makes me laugh every time i listen to it, but my Pug and my Rottweiler always gicve me the evil eye after the aria has ended!

[phytophile7]

Honnêtement, j'ai du mal à me prononcer... Serait-ce une blague (pas trop mauvaise), une cantatrice asthmatique et parkinsonienne de 153 ans qui aurait bu trop d'acide chlorydrique récemment (pas très en forme), une mouette en rut (visiblement BIEN motivée pour se reproduire)? J'hésite encore... En attendant, j'aurai bien ri^^.

Petit coucou de Nice

[goodguysdoll]

Make sure you all see an excellent play called "Souvenir" about her life with her pianist. It's superb. And every moving. It was once on Broadway.

[AbsGuy]

murder on the high c's

[starspace]

this lady was lady gaga without a vocoder!

[3F93]

0:38 Someone prove me it's not a dog barking "ARF, WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF"! I can't believe it's a woman.

[goodguysdoll]

@3F93 2:00 also sounds like a total dog barking. you can't believe it would be otherwise.

[phytophile7]

@3F93 Hahahahahahahahhahahahhahaa You made my dayyyyyyyyyyy!!!!^^

Seriously, what the [whatever you like] is that?

Oh man, I just can't stop laughing^^

Cheers from Nice, France

[3F93]

@phytophile7 I wonder if someone's stepped on her foot while she was bark- ehm singing...

[timsuffolk]

I have puppies here and she sounds like them!

[bearcub410]

i had an antique shop and i used to play this album in the background and see how long it would take customers would catch on !!!! LOL if their is a heaven i hope dear Florence is singing in key and very very happy . GOD BLESS HER , SHE DID TRY TO MAKE HER DREAMS COME TRUE !!!!!!

[belcunto]

well at least she has the good sense not to go for the E6 !

[necrogoddess]

jajjaaj dios mio....... si ahora sí puedo decir que yo canto mejor que ella :D

[iSadistHauenkua]

This exquisite rendition brought tears to my eyes.

[ivantwill]

baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­aaa

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­aaa

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­aaa

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa­aaa

[muskivicci]

Her "trill" at 4:27 sounds just like Rudolphs' nose from the Christmas special...all her songs induce stomach knots and tears from laughter...Bless her deluded heart...

[jeffbrak]

This is considerably worse than her interpretation of Queen of the Night Aria.

[phytophile7]

@jeffbrak Nooooo kidding???^^ LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL

I think that's the worst thing I have ever heard^^, It's fantastically hilarious!!!

[MATTDUNCAN1]

if ever anyone lacks confidence to give anything a try..i have 3 words...FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS

[gjc82071]

William Hung's great great grand mother.

[stjepanskrinjaric]

Excelent, realy better than Callas !!!

[Poet2916]

@stjepanskrinjaric lmao! I really quite enjoyed Callas Itallian rendition and her staccato notes at the end are superb!

[Operalover12002]

She sings like a hen being strangled.

[BenMcCormack91]

@Operalover12002 As a hen who has been strangled, I find your comment insulting.

[Bluejeans0701]

@BenMcCormack91

Thank you for your comment. I changed my username last year. And this is the new one. Insulting as my comment may be to you, six people have liked what I wrote. At least those six people are with me.

[farinelly712003]

@Operalover12002

yes u are definitely right...like hen..being strangled ...mmm i dont know....but maybe like a hen after a lobotomy....

[herakles120]

Is this available on Amazon? I want to buy all her albums, hah!!!

[ipmoic]

With the late, great, Cosme McMoon at the piano.

Some say he purposely played in keys out of this poor woman's reach.

Occasionally she comes remarkably close.

The fact that all her friends allowed her to delude herself is the bigger crime.

I hope, as a recent theatrical play on her life suggests, that she NEVER knew how wretched she was.

[jewelmarkess]

@ipmoic Her parents and her husband discoraged her, but as soon as she was rich and alone, she could do what she wanted. I read she didn't believe anybody criticizing her: she thought they are just envious. After records appeared and she made one of herself, she asked at a party in her house to say who was better in singing Bell Song - she or Amelita Galli-Curci. Everyone choose her but one woman. She said to this woman ""How could you mistake that! My tones are much fuller than that!"

[lilrowyravenclaw]

I know a woman who sings exactly like this woman.

[toruser01]

Oh well. Someone told Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift that they could sing, too.

[ZVEREVA55555555]

эта че за фигня???

[bandchickusus]

OH MY GOD! This is hilarious!

[musicalgeniusaxo]

@bandchickusus THANK YOU for sending this to me! XD

OMG... there are very, very few words... (and hilarious is one of them)

As... um, UNIQUE as this is, overall, I think it's MUCH better than her Queen of the Night aria- she actually manages to hit some of these high notes (esp. after halfway)

[bodiloto]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha­hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha­hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha­hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha­hahahaha  ineguagliabile ,grazie !

[dreamwind55]

Wonderful. This is a real treasure for rainy gray days. Cracks me up every time!

[gayo72]

the first 25 sec. No more Callas, Bartoli, Sutherland, Te Kanawa, Jo, Damrau etc......Only my new hero Florence Foster Jenkins.

[Nungirl238]

Uhm, I like to listen to opera, but I am not very educated in this genre of music...why does this sound so weird?

[TedinNY]

@Nungirl238:

The first thing you have to learn about opera is that it isn't as stuffy as you might have imagined..

It's a very difficult art form to pull off in the best of circumstances.

You need a SENSE OF HUMOR!

If you really need a clue, listen to this sung by someone else - ANYONE else! Then listen to this again and it should crack you up!

:))

Ted

[Nungirl238]

@TedinNY I was actually being sarcastic! I am a avid opera fan. When I first heard this, I laughed till the tears rolled down my face!!

[TedinNY]

@Nungirl238

OOPS! Well then, it looks like I am the one in need of a sense of humor, HUH?

:))

[christineannemarsden]

O.M.G!!!

I can't cope!!!

[serRudyll]

Deslibes is more in her repertoire than Mozart, I think.

[eugenelohks]

@serRudyll Indeed... great of her to sing the most difficult arias in the coloratura soprano fach, her 'brilliance' can 'radiate' upon us all the more!

[Nativechica]

:D jajajajajajajajajajajajajajaja­jajajajaja

[russradicans]

Surely this would get rid of the Taliban ?!

[charmedandnightwishl]

shes not that bad c'mon!!!!!!!!

[Rocket7910]

i laughed and cried through the entire thing.

she kills me every time.

[juancarlos01234]

Can someone get tired of Florence?

She's that perfect joke that never, ever! gets old

[gabriellecorinne]

The pianist was amazing.

I can't say anything about Florence but oh poor woman.

[ScOttSpace]

thanx 4 this great experience

danke für die veröffentlichung.

ScOtt

;O)

[dstonline]

Since decades its always a great pleasure to listen this elysien voice.

I cant help I always have loved Florence Foster Jenkins

[motobmwr756]

Beats working.

[EmmaRoseRoberts1]

HORRIBLEEEEE!!!!!

[bachorg]

Poor pianist!!!

[soami2u]

Let's hope the pianist was being paid well.

[xmetbass]

Just in case you don't know it, the pianist was a world class accompanist. Ive forgotten his name.

[didgegirl6]

It's Cosme McMoon.

[xmetbass]

That's the name he picked for the recording. Give me time and I'll probably come up with the real name.

[didgegirl6]

It seems there was another accompanist named Edwin McArthur but I have also seemed to have stumbled on a mystery that McMoon (McMunn) was also McArthur. Not sure about this one. Perhaps you know more?

[xmetbass]

No It's not McArthur, There were only 2 accompanists of note. I'm going to look at my recordings,. I'll find it for you (and me too) lol

[blueberries4ever]

@didgegirl6

Edwin McArthur would make faces behind her back, while she was singing and he was fired.

[didgegirl6]

That's what I kept reading too.

[didgegirl6]

Cosme McMoon

[xmetbass]

@didgegirl6 The pianist/accompanist was Gerald Moore. He wrote a book titled,"Am I playing too loud?"

[LFLORESful]

@xmetbass thanks for the info

[talmadge1926]

Its just wonderful the way her voice not only wanders blithely off key .. it wanders out of the theater and starts selling hotdogs on the sidewalk! She was wealthy enough and brave enough to acheive her dream. How many of us would rent the Carnegie Hall and have the courage to stand up and er.. sing like this.?!!

[LeCoconut]

@talmadge1926 hahahaha that's gotta be the funniest thing i've read in a while.

you're totally right too!!

[Jazzdog40]

brilliantly said!

[lexaling]

@talmadge1926 LOL!

Give a listen to Anna Russell.

[TheStevewhelan]

@talmadge1926 - oh my lordy!! you hit it on the head full stop :D Blessings all over to you and the fabulously bold Florence :D

[TheStevewhelan]

@talmadge1926 - oh my lordy!! You've hit it on the head full stop :D Blessings all over to you and the fabulously bold Florence :D

[sazji]

@talmadge1926 Haha, one of the best comments I've ever read. :) Thanks for the laugh!

[onieshka]

@talmadge1926 She was crazy enough yes !

I can't even reconize the aria !

[amsterm8]

@talmadge1926 Your comments are as hilarious as this poor rich woman's voice, ROTFL till I cried.

[tranurse]

@talmadge1926 you made me laugh out loud

[dziady1]

I wouldn't wish anyones death as a writer above does,the Times obit carried a salient point -that as awful she was and to much laughter,she gave "her all" to the music, no pretence at being a "diva" always true to the music - something a few of our celebrated opera stars could make note of =Florence served the music ,while many opera stars use the music as a vehicle to serve their fleeting talents - a profound difference. So when laughing do it with a bit of kindness .She really tried.

[zzindorf]

She is supposed to have been so laughably bad, she is actually an okay amateur singer.

[KLawlor]

Bless that taxi driver who got her into that accident, because it was the best thing that could have happened to her singing! ...you know, besides her death.

[xmetbass]

You should be ashamed of yourself for being glad that happened. You only wish you were good enough to sing in Carnegie Hall. And to a packed house no less.

[luckylangerie]

here here > ))

[DreiKnaben1]

I admire her courage. And that's about it! :)

[AAErikCO]

lol

[amsterm8]

@DreiKnaben1 Courage??? I think truly tone deaf.. Flo really thought she could sing!

[doncarlo84]

actually admirable!!

[WolligesHangschaf]

Oh is terrible that. If one pulls to a cat on the tail, sounds still more beautiful than the Foster the Jenkins

[georgirella]

oh, god...............

[NKWIAM]

Finally ! Someone I sound better than! In March of this year Ricciarelli starred in a stage play about Jenkins in Italy.

[Axel23632]

!Que bueno que no tenía 18 años, lloraba y ventilaba sus intimidades en TV nacional en el siglo 21, porque hubiera sido la ganadora de cualquier reallity show de busca seudo cantantes. Mientras Caruso, la Callas, la Ponselle y demás CANTANTES, se mueren 3 veces al ver a lo que ahora se le dice "tener voz". !Viva la Jenkins!

[yodavidnavarro]

Florence Foster, Maria Callas, Leontyne Price and Monstserrat Caballé...

[totallyclassic411]

This video disappoints me - I watched this video for the purpose of hearing an awesomely awful high E at the end, which she failed to deliver :(

[SqueakyIri]

Noting how fast the pianist was playing, i'm guessing he/she wanted the torture to end as quickly as possible! lol

The shame in the matter is that her voice, with lots of training, could've possibly been an amazing instrument. *possibly*

[lulyscap]

si que no le importa nada de lo que opinen los demas...solo por eso la amo...la admiro...

o sea le importaba un carajo lo que opinaban y eso la hizo una gran artista

[Rollie80]

What she lacks in talent she made up for with guts. I think I heard a couple good notes in there somewhere, but I can't be sure since I was laughing so hard.

By the way.....what was the duet she sang with the bass that sounded like Elmer Fudd?

[pjdonagh]

I don't think she ever dueted with any one.... however on my 1960's LP of "The Glory (????) Of the Human Voice, the B side has2 other singers? called Jenny Williams and Thomas Burns performing, what the sleeve calls "A Faust Travesty". Their final offering on this disk is the final trio from that opera sung as a duet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is just as exquisitely awful as any of Madam Jenkins renditions.

[fontana2k]

Florence, sos lo ++++!!! God te tenga en su afinada gloria!!

[grotti]

A VOZ MAIS AFINANDA DO MUNDO!!!!!!

[xav71176]

Too bad she does not try the high E at the end.

Otherwise it's perfect.

[Bease80]

muito, muito, muito, pessimamente horrível... rs...

[petshopgirl72]

Could somebody tell this horrid woman to stop singing please She sounds terrible....

[BenitoAdolfScala]

Le titre du disque annonce bien ce qui suit. C'est la plus grande voix du monde. Ce jugement est sans appel.

[brentjohnpalmer]

I think I need new tweeters for my '70s Sanyo speakers

[BorisCr]

No, brentjohnpalmer, you don't need new tweeter, she realy sang like that!

[SweetFiness]

HA...LISTEN TO THE INCREDIBLE TRILL @ 4:06!!! AGAIN AT 4:30!!!! No one will come close to singing this aria the way Florence did!!! She is the greatest of them all!!

Sorry Callas & Sutherland...you were not as good as FloJo!!

I cant even write this with a straight face!!!

[hervedavid77]

encore un petit effort .......

[OkazakiAkane]

Don't feed the trolls.

[1deretz]

mon chat vient de se suicider mon chien hurle à la mort, ou est la carabine ?

[Marizuza]

Terrible!!!

[Gabriel13187]

In the psychiatric I heard something of the sort... but of course, she hat to be an american idol....

[blueeyesandmudpies]

wait... what happened to her voice at 4:27 ?

[keelan111]

At least she's hot

[srmerched]

meu deus que coisa mais horrorosa, essa tia engole as palavras , a vóz nao gira!! puta que pariu!! tirem essa poluição sonora daqui!!!

[dulcicantor]

She's pretty much the best opera singer who ever lived. I like her better than Angela Gheorghiu, Joan Sutherland, Lucia Popp, Kiri Te Kanawa, all those opera divas. There is no one I like better than Florence Foster Jenkins. She is ridiculously talented.

[dulcicantor]

Beautiful. She is my favorite opera singer, ahhh, I could listen to her voice all day. Stunning.

[Cantormatis]

another aria for mirandasings08 to massacre...

[SiEtIn1]

Brava La Foster-Jenkins

[miCeciliaBartoli]

O.M.G c'est hOrible!!!

mais faite la taire!!!!

S.O.S

[flicfan416]

the "high e" at the beginning is priceless.

[fifthera]

i cant believe no one has sampled the beginning!!

XD

[sascha1984dd]

oh damn

[Ransyh]

It sounds as if she's in serius pain or something XP

God, I love her.. can't stop laughing..

[srevoldaed]

Her interpretation of the Queen of the night is a crime, but this is just unrecognizable! XD

[nzlove]

yes I understand now.....bask in the majestic glory of this miracle of nature!!! There shall never be anyone (at least lets hope so XD) like Florence Foster Jenkins...

[ReDbEaN87]

Oh the humanity...

[NewJersey5858]

so glorious

[blackhoumor]

i have to say that i really dont like this! this is so bad! sounds weak to me. but just my opinion

[sisterspure]

It is because it is so bad, that it is so good!

[blackhoumor]

how dou you mean?

this sounds just terrible to me lol

[sisterspure]

You are quite right. This is terrible!

It is so terrible that it helped to earn American "opera singer" Florence Foster Jenkins the infamous reputation as the world's worst singer. Her one and only major concert was presented to a packed Carnegie Hall in 1944.

Amazingly, she built up a number of loyal fans who loved to "roll themselves silly" with laughter whenever they attended her private concerts around America in the 1940s. No one took her seriously - it was all just for fun.

[blackhoumor]

okay, i thought there were people who really think she can sing!

but okay, its for fun lol

[giroscoptero]

The Glory (??????) of the Human Voice.

Bravo, Bravíssimo!!!!! :P

Ps: Sabe briga de gatos na rua? Pois é, igualzinho.

[ishhf]

wow...pero... el audio sin duda esta editado.... no es humanamente posible cantar asi....