Born to wealthy parents in Wilkes-Barre Pennsylvania Narcissa Florence Foster wanted to study opera in Paris and her father being of sound mind and hearing said no he wouldn't pay for it. So she eloped with Frank Jenkins a Philadelphia physician. They were married for nearly 20 years. One can only take so much off tune singing in ones life.
After her divorce in 1902 Mrs. Jenkins taught piano. she then took up with a (gasp) man, a stage actor named St. Clair Bayfield. He later became her manager. It was upon her wealthy father's death she was able to support her new musical career. With her "manager" Florence was able to get herself booked into a few parties and smaller society shows even though she was obviously tone deaf and had little sense of rhythm. Her performances were considered a must see as they were so awful. Even though people left in droves and openly laughed during performances the delusional Florence dismissed these people as "jealous".
Her coup d'etat was her performance at New York's Carnegie Hall that she produced. She was known for wearing elaborate and extreme costumes that she designed herself. It seemed her sense of design was on par to her singing. Mrs Jenkins was also known to throw flowers into her audiences and once accidentally threw the basket into the audience. Her assistant would then go out and collect the flowers for later performances.
Florence was aware of the critics and their derision of her "talent" and their backhanded reviews. " People may have said I can't sing, but they can't say I didn't sing"
After a taxi cab accident Mrs. Jenkins found she could sing a higher F than ever. She rewarded the cabbie with a box of expensive cigars.
Florence Foster Jenkins voice was silenced in 1944 at age 76.
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