Robert Goulet(1933-2007)
- Actor
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Robert Gerard Goulet was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, to a family
of French-Canadian origin. He was the son of Jeanette (Gauthier) and
Joseph Georges André Goulet. After hearing his son sing "Lead Kindly
Light", in their church hall, his father told him, "I'm proud of you,
son". A few weeks later, his father, lying on his death bed, called
Robert to his side and told him the Lord had given him a beautiful
voice and he must go and sing. His father died when Robert was 13 and
he moved to Edmonton, Canada, a year later. Goulet won a singing
scholarship to the Royal Conservatory of music in Toronto and, in 1951,
made his concert debut at Edmonton in
George Frideric Handel's
"Messiah". Goulet was also a DJ on Canada's CKUA in Edmonton for two
years. In 1960, he landed one of his biggest roles as "Lancelot" in
Broadway's "Camelot", opposite
Richard Burton and
Julie Andrews. He received a Tony
award in 1968 for his role in "Happy Time". He and his first wife,
Louise Longmore, had one daughter,
Nicolette Goulet (aka Nikki). His
second wife, actress and singer
Carol Lawrence, produced two
sons, Christopher and Michael. In 1982, with
Glenn Ford giving the bride away, he
was married in Las Vegas to Vera Goulet (aka
Vera Novak), a Yugoslavian-born writer, photographer and artist. When
not living at their home in Las Vegas, they reside on their yacht,
"Rogo", in Los Angeles. Goulet has performed at the White House for
three presidents, as well as a command performance for
Queen Elizabeth II.
On September 30, 2007, he was hospitalized in Las Vegas, where he was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, "a rare but rapidly progressive and potentially fatal condition". On October 13, he was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after it was determined that he "would not survive without an emergency lung transplant".
Goulet died on October 30, 2007 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, while awaiting a transplant.
He is survived by his wife, Vera Goulet, and three children, sons Christopher and Michael, and daughter Nicolette Goulet, who is the mother of his grandchildren, Jordan Gerard and Solange.
On September 30, 2007, he was hospitalized in Las Vegas, where he was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, "a rare but rapidly progressive and potentially fatal condition". On October 13, he was transferred to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after it was determined that he "would not survive without an emergency lung transplant".
Goulet died on October 30, 2007 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, while awaiting a transplant.
He is survived by his wife, Vera Goulet, and three children, sons Christopher and Michael, and daughter Nicolette Goulet, who is the mother of his grandchildren, Jordan Gerard and Solange.
