The Heartbreaking Story of How Julie Andrews Lost Her Iconic Singing Voice
If you’ve ever seen The Sound of Music, you know that Julie Andrews, who turns 90 on October 1, 2025, had a voice was nothing short of magical. From other films and theater productions including Mary Poppins to Victor/Victoria, her four-octave range instantly wowed audiences. However, by the late 1990s, years of singing had begun to take a toll, and in 1997, Andrews underwent surgery to remove what was thought to be a benign lesion on her vocal cords. Instead of offering relief, however, the procedure changed her life forever, leaving her unable to sing and forcing Andrews to figure out how to move forward in her career.
The decision had not come lightly. Andrews had been experiencing vocal problems in the mid-’90s, during her run in the Broadway version of Victor/Victoria. Doctors diagnosed a lesion on her vocal cords, sometimes described as a cyst, polyp, or benign nodule. With her Broadway contract ending, she could have just rested her voice. However, her husband Blake Edwards and the show’s production team hoped she would continue with a touring company. Surgery seemed like the fastest way to get back on stage. Her doctor assured her there was no danger to her voice, so in June 1997 she had the operation at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.
20th Century-Fox Film Corp./Everett Collection
The procedure unfortunately left her vocal cords scarred. Healthy cords vibrate with ease, producing sound, but scar tissue stiffens them and alters the way the voice works. By December 1999, Andrews filed a malpractice lawsuit against the doctors and hospital, stating she had not been warned of the risks. Her statement read, “Singing has been a cherished gift, and my inability to sing has been a devastating blow.” The following year, the case was resolved in a confidential settlement.
Still, Andrews did not give up hope. She worked with renowned surgeon Steven Zeitels in later years, undergoing procedures to remove scar tissue and improve her speaking voice. Zeitels was able to help, but he also discovered that much of her vocal tissue was missing. Her singing range was reduced to about an octave, leaving her able to manage some lower notes but struggling with anything in the middle or higher register.
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Her heartbreaking journey led her to become an advocate for vocal health. She has supported research, helped organize symposiums and even served as an honorary chair for the Voice Health Institute over the years. Scientists have explored treatments such as injectable gels to restore pliability, but so far no option has allowed her singing voice to return to what it once was.
Coming to terms with this loss was not easy. She even sought grief counseling in Arizona in 1999. In her 2008 memoir Home, Andrews described the exhilaration of live performance: “When the orchestra swells to support your voice, when the melody is perfect and the words so right there could not possibly be any others, when a modulation occurs and lifts you to an even higher plateau … it is bliss.”
Despite her grief, Andrews found ways to keep performing. In 2004 she sang a piece written to fit her new range in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement and went on to write children’s books and focused more on acting. Now, she is celebrating her 90th birthday on October 1, 2025.
Remind 
1950s Musicals
November 2020
Bright and brassy, toe-tapping musicals from the 1950s
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