Emma was of the finest coloratura soprano
opera singers who was born in California and has her portrait on Bellini’s
monument in Naples. Strangely she now lies here at the back of a graveyard in Crosby
in Merseyside.
Born in
California Emma Wixom spent her early childhood in Nevada (from which she took
her stage name). With an absorbent ear she studied languages (including sign
language) at college in California as well as music. It was the latter that
claimed her though and she made her stage debut aged 21 in an opera at Her
Majesty's Theatre in London. With a sublime voice she performed in Milan in
1881 and Paris in 1883. From here she toured America with an opera company.
Having seen
most of the world she ended up here through love. Aged 55 she met an English
physician who later became her manager. The married in Paris and made a home
there though after her last performance in Berlin in 1910 she retired from the
stage after five decades and moved to Merseyside. She taught singing and died
aged 81. There's a steam locomotive train named after her. She
seems to be buried alone so I'm not sure why her husband hasn't joined her.
The grave is a few feet from the soap opera actress
Pat Phoenix.