'Singing cop' from N.Y. releases his first single
By Verena Dobnik
Associated Press
NEW YORK — He has become the voice of New York's grief and strength since Sept. 11 — a voice heard around the world.
And now Daniel Rodriguez, the "singing cop," has a record.
EMI's new Manhattan Records label has released Rodriguez's first single, a rendition of "God Bless America."
"While the storm clouds gather, far across the sea, let us swear allegiance to a land that's free," says former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, an opera fan and enthusiastic booster of Rodriguez, in a recorded introduction to the single.
The 37-year-old tenor is among a half-dozen police officers who sing at city functions — but he has catapulted to the most prominence.
Since the terrorist attacks, he has performed at a Yankee Stadium prayer service, a World Series game and the lighting of the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center — all of which got TV exposure nationally.
He has appeared on television in Brazil, South Korea, Canada and Britain, and he helped open the Carnegie Hall season this fall, performing with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Three EMI publicists help him handle his newfound fame, which includes guest spots on "Late Show with David Letterman" and "Good Morning America."
The truth, he admits, is "I'm a ham."
