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Robert Goulet was not only a Las Vegas perfomer. He is truly a Vegas icon. Goulet was one of the original Las Vegas lounge singers. However, the difference between him and many other lounge singers in Vegas is Goulet was actually extremely talented. Lounge singing is notoriously known as the consolation price for artists who can’t make it as headliners. Robert Goulet was more than a singer; he was a talented entertainer who went on to win both Grammy and Tony Awards.
Goulet was born in Lawrence, Massachussetts. It was apparent early on that Goulet was blessed with natural talent. He was given a scholarship to Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music upon graduating high school. Here he honed his vocal technique and his rise to stardom had begun. Unbeknownst to many, Goulet suffered from performance anxiety and was pushed onto the stage by his parents during his very first performances. In 1952, he appeared on an episode of Pick the Stars, a televised talent competition. Goulet got his big break when he was cast in the stage version of Camelot when it opened on Broadway. After singing his signature song “If Ever I Would Leave You” on the The Ed Sullivan Show, Robert Goulet became a household name.
In 1962 he was offered a recording contract with Columbia Records. He also appeared in musicals such as Carousel, Brigadoon, and Kiss Me Kate. He also took on a prominent film career with guest roles in big budget films such as Beetlejuice, Scrooged, and Naked Gun 2 ½.
Rumors circulated for many years that Elvis Presley was jealous of Goulet’s success and shot his television with a rifle on several occasions while watching his broadcasts. The rumors were later proved to be true by those who knew Presley.
Robert Goulet was married several times. He and his first wife Louise Longmore had one daughter, Nicolette. They later divorced and Goulet married actress Carol Lawrence and they had two sons together, Christopher and Michael. However, this marriage did not last either. In 1982, Robert Goulet was married for the third time to Vera Novak, they were married right here in Las Vegas. They also built a home in Vegas were Goulet was performing at the time. In September of 2007, Robert Goulet was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a very rare and fatal disease that rapidly deteriorates the lungs. Goulet died in October of 2007 while awaiting a lung transplant.
Goulet was not only a Las Vegas icon but also a national one, as well. He recorded almost two dozen albums and made numerous television appearances. He was often parodied on Saturday Night Live by actor Will Ferrell who mostly made fun of his smooth sounding voice and quick charm that was reminiscent of an old Las Vegas performer.
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