Our Person of the Year: Betty Buckley!

Betty Buckley

All of our nominees for "Person of the Year" are exceptional in their own way, each of them bringing something unique and beautiful to the world of the arts and humanities. However, our winner was clearly the frontrunner—the outstanding and talented Miss Betty Buckley!

Miss Buckley’s multiple-award-winning career on stage and screen has been well-documented. A visit to her Web site will give you a detailed curriculum vitae. Instead, let’s focus on the ethereal nature of Betty Buckley’s influence on our world and culture. As a teacher, she has given dozens of individuals the power that they need to express themselves. What could be a better gift to the world?

Furthermore, her talent has moved and affected thousands upon thousands of people. The integrity of an artist’s work is measured by her ability to bring her audience to a new emotional level. Who could possibly listen to Miss Buckley’s clear voice without becoming overwhelmed by its power and magnificence? More important than all of the awards that she’s won, Betty Buckley’s greatest achievements stay in the hearts of those who have heard her, who have seen her and who have experienced those much-needed moments of brilliance which all of our souls desire.

Our digital age makes the sharing of artistic moments all the easier. If you’d like to bring Betty Buckley into your home this winter, I’d certainly recommend her new album, Bootleg: Boardmixes From the Road which is now available on iTunes. For those of you in the Dallas, Texas area, you’ve got a chance to see Miss Buckley perform in Arsenic and Old Lace at the Dallas Theater Center from February 4 to March 13. I know that I intend to be there.

I leave you with two performances which I think truly sum up Betty Buckley’s artistic triumph. The first is one of her memorable performances of Memory from Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Cats. Recorded as part of the 2006 Kennedy Center Honors tribute to Lloyd-Webber, Miss Buckley delivers the song which made her, “The Voice of Broadway.” As I previously mentioned, I had the pleasure of seeing Betty Buckley perform last year. For her encore, she returned to the stage to sing Memory. I’ve never heard such applause in a theater before.

The second video clip shows a scene from the former AMC program, Remember WENN, in which Miss Buckley guest-starred. This Christmas song, written for the show, is one of my favorites—scintillatingly performed and stirring.

As a fan of her work, I’m proud to name Betty Buckley Stalking the Belle Époque’s first “Person of the Year.” I offer my sincere thanks for all that she’s contributed to the arts and look forward to what she’ll bring next.

Reminder: You Can Still Vote for Person of the Year

For the remainder of this week, voting is still open for our Person of the Year. Simply look to the right side of this page. There, you’ll find (under the “Blog Archive”) a box where you can vote for your choices for both Person of the Year and Humanitarian of the Year.


The nominees are all people—both living and dead—who have made indelible contributions to our society by their efforts in the arts and humanities. This is our way of honoring their achievements.

Your choices are: John Alderton and Pauline Collins, Susan Lucci, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Robert Verdi, Robert Osborne, Diana Princess of Wales, Tim Gunn, Ann Curry, Leigh Keno, Joan Fontaine, Catherine Tate, Louis Van Amstel, Julie Harris, Betty Buckley, Matt Lucas, Patti LuPone, Rod Taylor, Yeardley Smith and Martha Stewart.

I look forward to seeing who you’ll pick.

Submit Your Nominations for Person of the Year

As you know, each week here at Stalking the Belle Époque, I highlight two people—one is the “Humanitarian of the Week” and one is the “Person of the Week.” The “Person of the Week” is always someone (living or dead) who has made a great contribution to the arts or humanities. Our “people of the week” have ranged from actors and comedians to singers and fashion experts. As with our “Humanitarian of the Year,” I’m inviting all of you to submit your nominations for “Person of the Year.” I’ll be taking nominations until November 30th. The person you nominate must have made a significant contribution to the arts or humanities. In December, along with Humanitarian of the Year, we’ll vote for Person of the Year based on my list and your submissions.

To date, the people I’ve already selected are:

John Alderton and Pauline Collins, OBE: actors, performers
Susan Lucci: Actor, Entrepreneur
Kitty Carlisle Hart: Actor, Singer, Patron of the Arts
Robert Verdi: Style Expert
Robert Osborne: Film Historian
Diana, Princess of Wales: Patron of the Arts, Activist
Tim Gunn: Fashion Executive, Style Expert
Ann Curry: Reporter, Anchor
Leigh Keno: Historian, Antiques Expert
Joan Fontaine: Actress
Catherine Tate: Actor, Comedienne
Louis Van Amstel: Dancer, Instructor
Julie Harris: Actress
Betty Buckley: Singer, Teacher, Actress
Matt Lucas: Actor, Comedian, Writer

Each of these people has made a significant contribution to our quality of life. I look forward to seeing your suggestions. I’m curious to know who you would like to see named “Person of the Year.”