Ormon Fernandez (1971–1976; divorced; 1 child) Andrew William Smith (2001–2018; his death)
Musical artist
Wilhelmenia Fernandez (sometimes billed as Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez; January 5, 1949 – February 2, 2024) was an American soprano. She appeared in Diva, the 1981 film by French director Jean-Jacques Beineix, credited as "Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez".[1]
Wilhelmenia Wiggins was born in Philadelphia on January 5, 1949, to Ernest and Vinelee (Clayton) Wiggins.[2] As a child she sang with the choir of the Main Street Baptist church.[3] In her teens, she sang with the choir of the William Penn High School for Girls and received formal training under soprano Tillie Barmach at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia.[2]
French film director Jean-Jacques Beineix saw her Musetta performance and cast her as the title character of his 1981 film Diva, which proved an art-house success and became a cult favorite. In the film Fernandez performed the aria『Ebben? Ne andrò lontana』from Alfredo Catalani's opera La Wally.[2] Its New York run lasted more than two years and it was the official French nominee in the Academy Awards.[5]New York Times critic Vincent Canby disliked the film and wrote that Fernandez "is no actress yet, though she has great film presence".[6]
She performed the role of Musetta at the New York City Opera in 1982.[7] She debuted at the Detroit Opera that year and returned to sing Marguerite in Faust the next year.[8]
For her work in Carmen Jones on the London stage she received the Laurence Olivier Theatre Award in 1992 as Best Actress in a Musical.[9]
Fernandez' 1981 recording of『Ebben? Ne andrò lontana』for Diva was included on the soundtrack of Ridley Scott's 1987 film Someone to Watch Over Me. She also sang as part of a number of television appearances.
