After a failed suicide attempt left him in a coma for eight days, American tenor Jerry Hadley died on Wednesday, July 18, 2007.
He studied with the likes of Dame Joan Sutherland and her husband Richard Bonynge. He played roles in Puccini's La Bohème, Mozart's Don Giovanni, and John Harbison's The Great Gatsby, appearing in such prestigious venues as the Metropolitan Opera and in Vienna, London, and Milan. Though his career had slowed down somewhat in recent years, American tenor Jerry Hadley was still appearing in works such as Madame Butterfly.
His ability to morph into whatever character he was playing made his workshops at alma mater Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. unusual and dynamic. Not only did Hadley have a "rich, full voice," but he was able to adapt it to whatever part he chose to play.
However, July 10, 2007 brought all that to a close when Hadley was found with a gunshot wound in the head. He remained unconscious for eight days before passing away on Wednesday, July 18. He was 55 years old. Friends cite impending bankruptcy and depression as possible causes for Hadley's suicide attempt.
For a sample of Hadley's voice, please listen to Leonard Bernstein's 1989 revival of Candide.
