Sutherland To Stop Singing

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29783, 28 March 1962, Page 13

Sutherland To Stop Singing

-Reuter—Copyrtght> LONDON, March 27. The world famous Australian operatic soprano, Joan Sutherland, has been ordered by her doctors to stop singing “or she would have to spend the rest of her life in a wheel

chair.” Miss Sutherland’s private secretary, Mr Walter Price, told the Australian Associated Press this morning that Miss Sutherland would complete a few engagements in England and then retire. "She will not sing again before December at the very earliest," he said.

Mr Price said that there was no danger of Miss Sutherland giving up opera completely, but “she would have to be very careful.” He said she was suffering from an arthritic condition which could deteriorate dangerously.

"Miss Sutherland has a disc completely worn aw'ay at the bottom of the spine and rhe is in pain all the time.

“She has to wear a steellined surgical corset all the time. She cannot sit still for any length of time and this precludes her from singing any role where she has to remain motionless or sitting.” Commenting on the fact that Miss Sutherland had cancelled her Australian tour, Mr Price said that “it was

impossible for her to make the plane journey—she can't even travel in her own car. She can’t even sit for a short period without suffering extreme discomfort. “If she had made the 36hour plane trip to Australia she would have been dead when she got . there,” he said.

Mr Price said that Miss Sutherland’s condition had been deteriorating for some time and a recent fall in Antwerp had worsened the condition.

Tw-i specialists had advised her that unless she followed their advice and had at least four months’ complete and total rest, sh "would be in a wheel-chair for the rest of her life.”