Intermission

In the late 1960s, Veronica Tyler traveled abroad. In 1969, she made her Italian Opera debut at the Teatro la Fenice in Venice where she performed as Liú in Puccini's Turandot. Tyler is pictured above outside the theater with the opera's composer, and a frequent collaborator, Julius Rudel.

By the people around her, Tyler is remembered as a woman who built lasting friendships. One such friendship was with President Lyndon B. Johnson and First Lady Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson. On one occasion, Tyler was invited to a White House dinner, not as a singer or performer, but as a guest of Lady Bird, where she was given a seat of distinction.

During her time in New York, Tyler cultivated friendships with many up-and-coming young artists as well as established musicians. She spoke of Miles Davis, Ossie Davis, Cicely Tyson, and Marian Anderson as contemporaries that she both knew and had ties to. In fact, once when Marian Anderson was unavailable to accept a prestigious award, Tyler gladly accepted it on her behalf.