Opera Legend Beverly Sills Considered the People's Diva (1/2)

Sills began her career early in Brooklyn, New York, performing on local radio stations and in laundry soap commercials. By seven years of age she was singing at ladies luncheons and at community parties, on the radio and in a short film.

Sills opera career took off in 1947 with the Philadelphia Civic Opera. By 1955, she joined the New York City Opera, singing almost 90 roles and establishing an international reputation.

As her operatic success mounted, Beverly Sills accomplished the seemingly impossible: demystifying the world of opera for average Americans. She became a familiar face on popular television shows like the Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson and the international television puppet show, The Muppets.

Sill's sense of humor fit into prime time television as easily as her vibrato fit on the stage. Brian Kellow is a reporter with Opera News, a monthly, New York-based opera magazine. He explains why Beverly Sills became America's beloved diva.

"She gave the appearance of being an average, warm, funny, gregarious lady from Brooklyn, I think it helped the general public see that opera singers weren't necessarily completely a breed apart."