| Toqa Hesham |
An American tenor and actor, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, on January 31, 1921, as Alfred Arnold Cocozza. He received several awards and honors during his life and after his death. He married Betty Lanza (1945-1959), and they had 4 children. He is known for The Great Caruso (1951), Serenade (1956), and For the First Time (1959). Lanza's Italian parents pushed him to start classical singing at an early age, and he studied at the Berkshire Music Center. After a concert at the Hollywood Bowl in August 1947, Lanza was signed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and in 1948, he sang the role of Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly in New Orleans.
His operatic career stopped after he was assigned to Special Services in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, and after the war, he returned to his career, giving concerts in USA, Canada, and Mexico. His health continued to decline, suffering from phlebitis and high blood pressure as a result of overeating and drinking. He died in Rome, Lazio, Italy, on October 7, 1959, due to a heart attack.
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