Jenny Lind Made Her American Debut in New York City
September 11, 1850
By the time of Lind's American debut, she had already changed from opera singer to recitalist and included many popular songs in her performance.
Even without the benefit of radio and MTV, Lind was a hit. New dances were choreographed and named after her. If you were alive then, you and your friends could dance the "Jenny Lind Polka" or the "Jenny Lind's Set of Waltz Quadrilles" (square dances). When you were not dancing, you would probably be trying to sing exactly as she did, just as you do with your favorite singers today.
AUDIO CREDIT: Selleck, John, performer. "Jenny Lind polka." Recorded by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Camino, California on October 2, 1939. California Gold: Northern California Folk Music from the Thirties. Collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell, Library of Congress.
