"Luigi e Rinuccio" at Covent Garden, supervised by Puccini

Tom Aspinall Burke

Born: 1890; 7 Mather Lanel, Leigh, Lancs
Died: 13th Sept 1969; Surrey
Quote: "There's No Business Like Show Business."?


Famous Operatic Tenor, Known As The Lancashire Caruso. He Was The First Of Nine Children Of An Irish Immigrant Collier, Vincent James Burke And His Wife Mary Josephine Aspinall. At 23 "The Minstrel Boy", Has He Was Known To His Friends, Moved To London To Sing And Study Music. He Did A Number Of Shows At Covent Gardens Including At Least One With An Audience With King George V. During WWI He Entertained The Troops. In August 1920 Burke Was Lured To New York By An Offer Of £400 Per Night For Concert Appearances, At The Time This Was The Highest Fee Ever Paid To A British Artist In The United States. His Newfound Wealth And Fame, Began To Cause Problems For Though, He Was Shot In The Leg By A Jealous Husband And Beaten Up By The Mafia. So When He Was Offered A Chance To Return To England In 1927 He Jumped At It. He Starred In A Few Films In The 1930s.