Limmie Pulliam

Tenor Limmie Pulliam, who had just turned 50, died on May 19 (gift link to NY Times obituary).

I heard him just once, singing Otello at Livermore Valley Opera about four years ago. He was an exciting, committed singer with a great voice, a real dramatic tenor. Of the several tenors I've seen in that role, he and the late Johan Botha were the best vocally. Pulliam was more involved and interesting than Botha.

Both Pulliam and. Botha were big guys, but their career trajectories were very different. Pulliam was body-shamed by people in the opera world and was basically driven from the field for a number of years. He worked in other professions, then found the heart and encouragement to go back to singing.

I don't think he was hired for a lot of stage performances – he sang at the Met once, clearly as a cover; there was a run of Il Trovatore at LA Opera around 2021 or 2022. From various obituaries and memories I've read, I think he was doing mostly concert work. I'm glad he had that work – he sang at the Dallas Symphony just two days before he died – but he should have had more stage work. I mean...I saw Die Walküre at Bayreuth and Act I was obviously staged so that Johan Botha could sing a chunk of it sitting down, so. (Do I think the fact that Botha was white and Pulliam Black might have something to do with this disparity? You bet.)

There was an enormous outpouring of online love for Pulliam, and everyone remembered him as a wonderful person, kind-hearted and hard working. I'm sorry that I never got to see him again. Deepest condolences to his family and friends and all who loved him.