New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Robert Merrill
(1917 - 2004)
| | New Rochelle Walk of Fame | |
Richard Tucker described Robert Merrill's voice as "the greatest natural voice that America created." He was unequalled among baritones of his generation at the Metropolitan Opera where he made his dιbut as Germont in La Traviata in 1945 and where he celebrated his 500th operatic performance in 1973.
Robert Merrill sang with popular stars as well ranging from Frank Sinatra to Louis Armstrong. He performed for every president from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Ronald Regan, and was presented the National Medal of the Arts by President Clinton in 1993. His lifelong enthusiasm for baseball led to his long tenure at Yankee Stadium, where he sang the national anthem on opening day and on special occasions for three decades.
Born Moishe Miller in Brooklyn, New York, he was the son of an immigrant tailor. As a teenager, he dreamed of either playing professional baseball or becoming America's next Bing Crosby. This did not thrill his mother Lillian, a soprano trained in Poland, who was her son's first voice teacher. During the Depression, Moishe helped his family pay the rent by pushing a dress cart in Manhattan's garment district. One day he decided to check out the Metropolitan Opera next door. La Traviata was playing, and the 16 year-old Moishe was thunderstruck. The rest, as they say, is history.
Robert Merrill lived at 79 Oxford Road in New Rochelle for over 40 years with his second wife, Marion. His first wife was Met soprano star Robert Peters. Urged to live in New Rochelle by his good friend and fellow opera singer Jan Peerce, he was a familiar face around the city's north end. The Wykagyl Post Office was renamed in his honor in 2008, and he was supportive of the New Rochelle Opera Company and the New Rochelle Opera Company and the New Rochelle Council on the Arts. He died at his home while watching Game 1 of the 2004 World Series between the Boston Red Sox and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Erected by City
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1945.
Location. 40° 54.624′ N, 73° 46.982′ W. Marker is in New Rochelle, New York, in Westchester County. It is at the intersection of Library Plaza and Huguenot Street (U.S. 1) on Library Plaza. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Library Plaza, New Rochelle NY 10801, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Hudson Valley and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Thomas Paine (here, next to this marker); Carrie Chapman Catt (here, next to this marker);
Credits. This page was last revised on April 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 23, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 163 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 23, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
