Gladys Swarthout, born on December 25, 1900, in Deepwater, Missouri, was an American mezzo-soprano opera singer and actress. While studying at the Bush Conservatory of Music in Chicago, she secured a contract with the Chicago Civic Opera Company after an audition arranged by friends. Her debut performance included over half of the season's operas. Swarthout sang for the Ravinia Opera Company of Chicago for three seasons and made her debut with the New York Metropolitan Opera Company in 1929, where she performed until 1945. She was particularly noted for her role as Carmen. In addition to her operatic career, Swarthout appeared in five films for Paramount Pictures. During World War II, she was a regular on Armed Forces Radio. Notable recordings include Sings Your Favorites (1956) and The Art Of Gladys Swarthout (1970). She died on July 7, 1969, aged 68, in Florence, Italy, from heart disease.
