Julie Andrews On Losing Her Voice and Finding Another

In an exclusive interview for PEOPLE Magazine, THE SOUND OF MUSIC star Julie Andrews spoke about losing her voice after undergoing surgery in 1997.

Andrews had noncancerous nodules removed from her vocal chords that year and woke up from surgery to find her iconic voice had disappeared.

Before the procedure, the actress had climbed to fame with roles in THE SOUND OF MUSIC and MARY POPPINS. She told PEOPLE, "If it had happened earlier, it would have been really devastating. As it was, it was devastating."

"For a while, I was in total denial," she said, but decided she "had to do something." The singer began co-writing a series of children's books with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton.

Andrews told the magazine, "What I say in The Sound of Music is true: a door closes and a window opens. I would never have written this number of books. I would never have discovered that pleasure."

She added: "I thought at the time [of the surgery,] my voice was what I am. But it seems it's not all that I am."

This year is the 50th Anniversary of the 1965 five-time Academy Award-winning THE SOUND OF MUSIC. The film just released a special edition DVD set, Andrews and company just appeared in "THE UNTOLD STORY OF 'THE SOUND OF MUSIC", a special edition of "20/20", earlier this week, and the movie is returning to select theaters next month.

Photo Credit: ABC/ Ida Mae Astute