James Melton was born January 2, 1904 , in Moultrie, Georgia but was raised on a farm in Citra, Florida, where his parents grew melons and raised hogs. After graduating from high school at the age of 16, he attended college at the University of Florida, Vanderbilt University and the University of Georgia, studying voice with Gaetano de Luca from 1923 - 1927, when he moved to New York where he studied with Beniamino Gigli's teacher, Enrico Rosati. Playing saxophone with Francis Craig's Orchestra in 1926, he sang solo ballads and joined the Revelers vocal quartet. When the tenor voice became unfashionable in the early thirties, he continued in a more classical vein, appearing in movies and on radio. Jane Froman was his frequent vocal partner in the thirties. In 1934 on an American and Canadian concert tour along with George Gershwin, his popularity grew. In 1938, voice training with Angelo Canarutto led to his operatic career taking off , and he joined the cast of Madame Butterfly with the Cincinnati Zoo Opera Company, playing Pinkerton. La Traviata followed with the St. Louis Opera Company, when he played Alfredo. In 1939, with the Philadelphia La Scala Opera Company he reprised his role of Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly. With the Chicago Civic Opera from 1940 to 1942, he appeared again in Madame Butterfly with Helen Jepson, with Lily Pons in Lucia di Lammermoor, with Risë Stevens in Mignon and in Martha. His debut at the Met came in 1942, playing Tamino in Mozart's Magic Flute, and he continued at the Met through 1950. In the 1950s he made records, entertained in nightclubs, made television apperances, such as the Ford Festival (1951–1952) also known as The James Melton Show, and was featured on The Firestone Hour in 1933, on Ward's Family Theater in 1935, The Sealtest Sunday Night Party (1936), The Palmolive Beauty Box Theater (1937), The Song Shop (1938), the Bell Telephone Hour (1940), Texaco Star Theater (1944) and Harvest of Stars (1945). His final show was Sigmund Romberg's The Student Prince.
DEAR,ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS COL 1238-D 12/14/27 145408 CAESAR-CONRAD
AMONG MY SOUVENIRS COL 1238-D 12/14/27 145407 LESLIE-NICHOLLS
IN MY BOUQUET OF MEMORIES BEN SELVIN COL 1337-D 03/31/28 145896 LEWIS-YOUNG-AKST
RAMONA BEN SELVIN COL 1337-D 03/31/28 145895 GILBERT-LESLIE
MY ANGEL (ANGELA MIA) COL 1493-D 06/20/28 146563 SCHIPA-RAPEE-POLLACK
NEAPOLITAN NIGHTS COL 1493-D 06/27/28 146588 KERR-ZAMECNIK
I LOVED YOU THEN COL 1614-D 10/17/28 147132 BALLARD-MACDONALD-AXT-MENDOZA
SALLY OF MY DREAMS COL 1614-D 10/17/28 147133 KERNELL
UPS-A-DAISY ARDEN-PHIL OHMAN OR.LEWIS JAMES-ELLIOT SHAW VIC 21774 10/30/28 47797 SIMON-GENSLER
MARCHETA COL 1760-D 12/10/28 147404 SCHERTZINGER
ROSES OF PICARDY COL 1760-D 12/10/28 147405 WOOD-WEATHERLY
SLEEPY VALLEY COL 1797-D 12/28/28 147736 STIRLING-HANLEY136
DAWN COL 1797-D 12/28/28 147737 HARBACH-HAMMERSTEIN-STOTHART-KALMAN
MACUSHLA COL 1932-D 12/18/28 147716 OLCOTT
BECAUSE COL 1932-D 12/18/28 147717 D'HARDALOT
THERE'S DANGER IN YOUR EYES,CHERIE VIC 22335 02/07/30 58622 RICHMAN-MESKILL-WENDLING
YEAR FROM TODAY VIC 22335 01/24/30 58623 JOLSON-DREYER-MACDONALD
BLUE IS THE NIGHT NAT SHILKRET VIC 22290 01/20/30 58506 FISHER
NOW YOU'RE IN MY ARMS COL 2465-D 05/15/31 151553 WRUBEL-DOWNEY
BEAUTIFUL LOVE COL 2465-D 05/15/31 151554 YOUNG-KING-VAN ALSTYNE
WHERE AM I? VIC 25185 10/31/35 95684 DUBIN-WARREN
CARRY ME BACK TO THE LONE PRAIRIE VIC 25185 10/31/35 95685 CARSON ROBISON
LITTLE HOUSE THAT LOVE BUILT DEC 1093 12/16/36 61485 DUBIN-WARREN
SUMMER NIGHT DEC 1093 12/16/36 61487 DUBIN-WARREN
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