James A. Drake is the author of seven books and more than fifty articles for academic and lay audiences. Two of his biographies, Ponselle: A Singer’s Life (Doubleday & Company), and Richard Tucker: A Biography (E. P. Dutton Company), with forewords by tenor Luciano Pavarotti, were selected as Books of the Month by the National Book Clubs of America. His other books include Rosa Ponselle: A Centenary Biography; Teaching Critical Thinking; Popular Culture and American Life; and Lily Pons: A Centennial Portrait (with K. B. Ludecke). He was also a contributing author to the 24-volume American National Biography (Oxford University Press, 1999) and The International Dictionary of Opera (St. James Press, 2000) and served on the editorial board of The Opera Quarterly.

This anthology was compiled from edited transcriptions of his taped interviews, most of which were published for the first time by Mainspring Press.

Irving Berlin

Artie Shaw

Gus Haenschen: The Brunswick Years – Part 1

Gus Haenschen: The Brunswick Years – Part 2

Gus Haenschen: The Brunswick Years – Part 3

Gus Haenschen: The Brunswick Years – Part 4 (Conclusion)

Gus Haenschen: The Radio Years – Part 1

Gus Haenschen: The Radio Years – Part 2

Gus Haenschen: The Radio Years – Part 3

Gus Haenschen: The Radio Years – Part 4 (Conclusion)

Gus Haenschen: The St. Louis Years — Part 1

Gus Haenschen: The St. Louis Years — Part 2

Gus Haenschen: The St. Louis Years — Part 3

Gus Haenschen: The St. Louis Years — Part 4 (Conclusion), and Final Thoughts

COMING SOON: Rosa Ponselle