KEMBLE, ADELAIDE

born 1814?, London died Aug. 4, 1879, Warsash House, Hampshire, Eng. celebrated singer and member of the famous theatrical family Kemble. Born to Charles and Maria Theresa Kemble, Adelaide turned her interests to music instead of acting and sang professionally from 1835 to 1842. She studied in Italy and was a brilliant success in her operatic debut as Norma in Venice. She toured the Continent and appeared in England in concert and opera to consistently great acclaim. She withdrew from the stage with a brief speech after a concert in 1842, married John Sartoris, and never again appeared in public. Her fame lingered, reinforced by private performances she gave from time to time for friends.