Beverly Sills Quotes

Powerful Beverly Sills for Daily Growth

About Beverly Sills

Beverly Sills (May 25, 1929 – July 27, 2007), born Belle Miriam Silverman in Brooklyn, New York, was an iconic American soprano known for her vibrant voice, quick wit, and indomitable spirit. Affectionately referred to as the 'Prima Donna Strarina,' Sills began her musical journey at a young age, demonstrating exceptional vocal talent. She started performing with the New York City Opera (NYCO) at the tender age of 19, after winning their auditions and becoming their youngest principal ever. Sills' career soared as she excelled in operatic roles such as 'The Elixir of Love,' 'Lucia di Lammermoor,' and 'La Bohème.' In 1970, Sills was appointed the General Manager of NYCO, making her one of the highest-ranking women in American arts administration. During this time, she continued to perform, even as she navigated the complexities of running a major opera company. In 1975, Sills made her Metropolitan Opera debut in 'The Pirates of Penzance,' marking a significant milestone in her career. She went on to perform there until her retirement in 1980. Throughout her distinguished career, Sills received numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom and multiple Grammy Awards. Post-retirement, Sills remained active in opera, serving as a mentor to young singers and working tirelessly for arts education. Her autobiography, 'Beverly Sills: An Autobiography,' published in 1974, offers a candid glimpse into her life and career. Quotes like "There are no small parts, only small actors" and "If you're going to be crazy, you might as well get up early" encapsulate her infectious enthusiasm for life and the stage. Beverly Sills continues to inspire generations of singers and audiences alike with her unparalleled artistry and indomitable spirit.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"One's company is fine; two is such a crowd."

This quote suggests that Beverly Sills preferred solitude or one-on-one interactions to larger groups, finding comfort in personal connections rather than being surrounded by multiple people. It implies a preference for intimacy over socializing in crowds, reflecting an introverted or selectively sociable nature.


"There are no small parts, only small actors."

Beverly Sills' quote, "There are no small parts, only small actors," emphasizes that every role, regardless of its perceived significance, has the potential to be impactful if the actor brings their full passion, skill, and dedication to it. In essence, the size or prominence of a role doesn't define an actor's talent; rather, it is the actor who makes the part significant through their performance.


"I was given my talent and I must use it for the good of society."

Beverly Sills, the renowned opera singer, expresses that her inherent gift - her talent - is not just for personal gain or self-satisfaction but should be utilized to benefit society. This quote reflects a deep sense of social responsibility, implying that one's abilities are bestowed with an obligation to contribute positively and make a difference in the world. In essence, Sills encourages the use of talents for the betterment of humanity.


"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm having a wonderful time making mistakes. It's all part of success, part of learning."

This quote by Beverly Sills emphasizes the role of errors or mistakes in personal growth and success. She suggests that avoiding mistakes implies a lack of action or initiative, which is counterproductive to progress. Instead, she advocates for embracing mistakes as an essential part of the learning process. In other words, making mistakes is a necessary step towards achieving success. The "wonderful time" she mentions reflects her positive outlook on the educational value of these missteps. Overall, this quote encourages individuals to take risks, learn from their errors, and view failure as a stepping stone rather than an obstacle.


"The only thing that can kill a dream is hopelessness, and the only thing that brings hopelessness is forgetting."

This quote suggests that dreams can be sustained only when they are nurtured with hope, and the absence of hope leads to hopelessness. Hopelessness, in turn, threatens to extinguish our dreams. Forgetfulness, or neglecting our dreams, can lead us to forget the reasons we once held them dear, causing a loss of motivation and hope, thus potentially killing our dreams. To preserve our aspirations, it's essential to remember their significance and nurture them with hope.


I began by listening to my mother's collection of Amelita Galli-Curci and Lily Pons records, and then was taken (at age eight) to hear Pons at a Met performance of Lakme. It was at that moment that I decided to become an opera star. Not just an opera singer, but an opera star!

- Beverly Sills

Opera, Singer, Records, Collection

You see why we play so many crazy ladies. We have to be crazy to start with.

- Beverly Sills

Start, Play, See, Ladies

My parents never told me about Papa's lung cancer or the desperate nature of the operations he was about to undergo, which were a last-ditch effort to contain the spread of his cancer.

- Beverly Sills

Desperate, Which, Contain, Undergo

I lived through the garbage. I might as well dine on the caviar.

- Beverly Sills

Garbage, Through, Might, Dine

A happy woman is one who has no cares at all; a cheerful woman is one who has cares but doesn't let them get her down.

- Beverly Sills

Woman, Her, Cares, Cheerful

I've always tried to go a step past wherever people expected me to end up.

- Beverly Sills

Motivational, Always, Tried, Wherever

I never breathe through the nose, not when I'm singing. In the opera, you don't have so much time. That's fine at the beginning of an opera or after somebody else has been doing an aria, and you want to get a good fresh start.

- Beverly Sills

Doing, Through, Been, Aria

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.

- Beverly Sills

Disappointed, Fail, May, Doomed

I was always the first person in the theater all the time. If it was an eight-o'clock curtain, I was here at five-thirty, and it wasn't that I needed to vocalize, because I was all warmed up. I couldn't wait for it to begin.

- Beverly Sills

Wait, Here, Always, Curtain

In a sense, I revolutionized the operatic scene because I proved you can make a great international career without the Metropolitan. I'm the only singer who's done that, and I'm proud of that, so it's all worked out for the best.

- Beverly Sills

Best, Career, Singer, International

I think you have to take everything that looks like a blow and turn it into a triumph. This is where my energy comes from: I just won't be licked.

- Beverly Sills

Think, Triumph, I Think, Blow

My voice had a long, nonstop career. It deserves to be put to bed with quiet and dignity, not yanked out every once in a while to see if it can still do what it used to do. It can't.

- Beverly Sills

Voice, Career, Bed, Nonstop

Opera became popular in Texas the same way it did in a lot of previously isolated regions of the nation. It started with money. In the case of Texas, it was oil money, and it made a lot of people very rich, very fast.

- Beverly Sills

Opera, Very, Became, Case

My father died five days before I returned to New York. He was only fifty-three years old. My parents and my father's doctor had all decided it was wiser for me to go to South America than to stay home and see Papa waste away. For a long time, I felt an enormous sense of guilt about having left my father's side when he was so sick.

- Beverly Sills

Away, Before, South, Papa

You can't imitate; all our faces are constructed differently... and the vocal cords; otherwise, we'd all sound alike. I don't think anybody should ever teach by imitating.

- Beverly Sills

Think, Anybody, Otherwise, Faces

The 'Daughter of the Regiment' that I did in Boston was vintage Sarah Caldwell, which is to say it was brilliant. Before my career was over, I'm sure I sang the role of Marie at least a hundred times, often in productions that cost a fortune, but none touched hers.

- Beverly Sills

Career, Boston, Hundred, Marie

This joyfulness that I felt when I sang, and this need to communicate with people, these are my two strongest points. I've always been a people person. I love people; I like to be with people, and when I got on stage, I was home free.

- Beverly Sills

Love, Communicate, Been, Strongest

I frequently say that I never share blame, I never share credit, and I never share desserts!

- Beverly Sills

Never, Desserts, Frequently, Credit

I love Massenet - 'Manon' had been a wonderful role for me - and the music he wrote for 'Thais' is quite enjoyable and not terribly demanding in a vocal sense.

- Beverly Sills

Love, Role, Been, Enjoyable

When I was general director of City Opera, we were pioneers in the practice of projecting supertitles so that American audiences finally could know what all the singing was about.

- Beverly Sills

Practice, Opera, Pioneers, Projecting

I got out while they were still fighting to buy tickets to hear me. I believe in getting out when you're on top, and that's what I did.

- Beverly Sills

Buy, Still, Tickets, I Believe In

There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.

- Beverly Sills

Place, Going, Any, Shortcuts

There is a growing strength in women but it's in the forehead, not the forearm.

- Beverly Sills

Strength, Women, Growing, Forehead

At the beginning, I thought, 'Oh, I can't criticize a singer who's doing a role that I adored... even a role I didn't do.' And then I thought, 'The heck with that! Thirty years of experience... ask the girl who did it!' And I feel that if they're not willing to take what I have to say, that's fine! But I'm going to say it.

- Beverly Sills

Beginning, Doing, Role, Heck

Art is the signature of civilizations.

- Beverly Sills

Art, Civilizations, Signature

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