Thelma Dudley

Thelma Dudley was born in Savannah Georgia to Phil and Judy Dudley. She was the oldest of six children and although she grew up with her father's insistent pressures for her to take over the family butcher shop, she dreamed of becoming a singer on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera house in New York City.

Mozart, Verdi, and Puccini were foreign names to her growing up, sounding more like pasta dishes than anything else--yet their music worked their way into her brain long bfore their names had any significance to her.

It all stated the summer of her sophomore year in high school, when she had to work the back of the butcher shop, running and i and out of the freezers, wearing athick winter jacket whilst her friends ran around outside barefoot in shorts and tanks. She found an old radio in the back to play to keep time from jolting to a stop, unfortunately or fortunately, the only station she could get reception from, way back in the freezer was 97.5--the only classical radio station in all of Georgia.