Florence Foster Jenkins

The remarkable story of America's best-known - and least-talented - soprano, Florence Foster Jenkins, tieing-in with the major feature film starring Meryl Streep

Despite having no pitch, no rhythm and no tone, Florence Foster Jenkins became one of America's best-known sopranos, giving a sell-out concert at Carnegie Hall. Born in Pennsylvania in 1868, Florence Foster adored music and as a girl was a talented pianist, but her wealthy father refused to allow her to study in Europe. In retaliation she eloped with Dr Frank Jenkins, but the marriage soon foundered, not least because the eighteen-year-old bride contracted syphilis on their wedding night. Moving to New York, Florence became a piano teacher, but after her father's death in 1909 she inherited a considerable sum, and it was then that she vowed to become a great soprano and began to take singing lessons. That same year she met the man who would become first her manager and then her common-law husband, St Clair Bayfield. Over forty years later, after a lifetime supporting New York's classical musical societies - and even founding her own - Florence's greatest dream was finally realized. At the age of seventy-six, she gave a recital - by public demand - at Carnegie Hall. Her extraordinary story is now a film, starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, and directed by Stephen Frears.

People may say that I couldn't sing. But no one can say that I didn't sing.'

Despite lacking pitch, rhythm or tone, Florence Foster Jenkins became one of America's best-known sopranos, celebrated for her unique recordings and her sell-out concert at Carnegie Hall.

Born in 1868 to wealthy Pennsylvanian parents, Florence was a talented young pianist but her life was thrown into turmoil when she eloped with Frank Jenkins, a man twice her age. The marriage proved a disaster and, in order to survive, Florence was forced to abandon her dreams of a musical career and teach the piano. Then her father died in 1909 and, newly installed in New York, she used a considerable inheritance to fund her passion. She set up a prestigious amateur music club and began staging operas. Aided by her English common-law husband, St Clair Bayfield, she worked tirelessly to support the city's musical life. Many young singers owed their start to Florence, but she too yearned to perform and began giving regular recitals that quickly attracted a cult following. And yet nothing could prepare the world for the astonishing climax of her career when, at the age of seventy-six, she performed at the most hallowed concert hall in America.

In Florence Foster Jenkins, Jasper Rees tells her extraordinary story, which inspired the film starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant, and directed by Stephen Frears. This remarkable book also includes Nicholas Martin's funny, moving and inspirational screenplay.