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Before September 11th, a New York City police officer entertained friends and Yankee fans with his passion for singing. In the days since the attacks, though, his soaring voice has been heard by millions at memorial services, also now by the legends of the opera world, too. As EARLY SHOW national correspondent Thalia Assuras tells us, she's got more on one of New York's finest.

 

Mr. DANIEL RODRIGUEZ: Once you understand opera and the poeticism of this language, it becomes like a blossoming flower. And now, to me, opera has blossomed.
THALIA ASSURAS reporting: At 37 years old, Daniel Rodriguez is now where he's always wanted to be: in training for a career he's always wanted to pursue. Among his tutors is one of the world's greatest tenors and one of his idols, Placido Domingo, founder of the Vilar/Domingo Young Artist Program in Washington, DC.

ASSURAS: Rodriguez has performed whatever, wherever, whenever he could.But in recent years, he became a fixture singing at center field for the Yankees, a role that propelled him to center stage in a national tragedy. After September 11th, he became a source of strength at the Prayer for America memorial service. Mr. RODRIGUEZ: It was the call to sing at Yankee Stadium that kind of opened my eyes to the call to sing.
ASSURAS: And at dozens of colleagues' funerals.
Mr. RODRIGUEZ: Everyone always says, `Well, God gave you a gift. You should share it. That's what you should do.' I never really believed that until the tragedy occurred and I was called to do that.
ASSURAS: And he was called to audition for Domingo after that prayer service.
Mr. RODRIGUEZ: And I sang for him at the Met the same day that the Yankees won the pennant.
It was just a really good day.
ASSURAS: And today, he's back in school.
Mr. DOMINGO: It's just like when you have a diamond and you just take it from the mines. And after the jeweler has to do all the polishing and making the stone really bright and so on, he has a phenomenal material. You know-the voice is there.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ: I thought I was going to be in a classroom with teen-agers, and you know, `What's this guy doing here?' As it turned out, it's one of the greatest experiences of my life.
ASSURAS: And challenging...Most of the students have music degrees. Rodriguez is catching up. Days are filled with Italian, French and German classes, acting and sword fighting, voice training. Even yoga.
Ms. MICHELE GUTRICK (Opera Student): We're all learning together, so there's no--there hasn't been any kind of ego trips from anyone.
ASSURAS: Life has taught him to laugh at himself.
Mr. RODRIGUEZ: It wasn't until I came here and actually took the words apart and translated them, so that I understood everything they were saying that I realized it was so--such a beautiful, beautiful aria. There were times when I was looking at the ground when I was singing about the moon.
ASSURAS: And to never give up on a dream.
Mr. DOMINGO: All this is going to help you. You will thrill the people even more, because it's going to be not only this wonderful voice, but the total interpretation and, you know--and the preparation.

Mr. RODRIGUEZ: My dream is to be able to do what I do best, to sing, forever
ASSURAS: Thalia Assuras, CBS News, Washington.

BERGERON: What a voice. What a story, too. Daniel's taken a leave of absence from the force. He's already booked for concerts around the country. He'll continue at opera school as often as his schedule permits.

   Oprah Winfrey Show

"Dreams Come True" Show. March 14, 2002 

Oprah; Today we're hearing stories of dreams come true. As it did for all Americans, life 

changed for us on Sept. 11. Daniel Rodriguez was one of those people that after Sept 11th 

his life changed. Just six months ago, he was working as a New York City police officer. 

Now he is fulfilling a lifelong passion. Daniel has been singing almost as long as he's 

been talking.

2001 Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer & Charles Gibson

CNN NEWSROOM: Aired June 14, 2001 - 04:30 ET
 
RUDI BAKHTIAR, Co-host: Next stop, Carnegie Hall in New York City. The historic 

concert venue opened in 1891. It's named after Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist 

who built it and first owned it. It's world renowned as a site for concerts and other 

musical events. The famous Russian composer, Peter Tchaikovsky, was a guest 

conductor its first  week. And since then, musicians from around the world have 

performed there, including stars and wannabes. Jeanne Moos has more on one 

of the latest celebrities to take the stage.

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Have you ever had a cop pull you 

over and say,
OFFICER DANIEL RODRIGUEZ, (singing): Be my love!

MOOS: Me neither.
POLICE OFFICER: We call him the singing cop, the blue tenor.
MOOS: When his coworkers at the 13th Precinct tell officer Daniel Rodriguez to break 

a leg...They don't mean some suspect's leg, they mean at Carnegie Hall.
RODRIGUEZ: Tonight, tonight, I'll be at Carnegie Hall tonight
MOOS: For years, Daniel struggled to make a living as a singer, then opted for financial 

security by joining the NYPD. You never sing to any perps, do you?
RODRIGUEZ: No.
MOOS: But he's always singing a song made famous by Mario Lanza.
MOOS: And now, he's about to rehearse it at Carnegie Hall, for a benefit featuring 

Skitch Henderson and the New York Pops.
RODRIGUEZ: I'm flabbergasted just to hear that sound coming from behind me and 

knowing that the next sound you hear is my voice.

MOOS: A voice Skitch Henderson describes this way.
SKITCH HENDERSON, NEW YORK POPS: It's incredible and it's natural.
MOOS: Whether he's singing to workers on the sidewalk or singing along to the s

quad car radio.
MOOS: Who needs an opera house when you can sing at the station house?
RODRIGUEZ (singing): Eternally.
MOOS: That night at Carnegie Hall, Daniel started out fine, but halfway through 

got lost in the orchestration. There was a quick conference with Skitch, and then 

a strong finish.

RODRIGUEZ (singing): My love.
MOOS: Followed by a standing ovation.
MALE AUDIENCE MEMBER: His voice was spectacular. I had no idea New York's 

finest were so fine.
RODRIGUEZ: When I got out there, I just got so involved with the moment I forgot 

about the song.

MOOS: You don't have to be a jailbird to sing like a canary.
RODRIGUEZ (singing): Be my love
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

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