UPDATE 2-Actor and singer Robert Goulet dies at 73

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By Arthur Spiegelman

LOS ANGELES, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Singer-actor Robert Goulet, whose rich baritone voice made him an instant success when he played Lancelot in the original 1960 Broadway hit "Camelot," died on Tuesday at age 73.

The performer, who suffered from the lung disease pulmonary fibrosis, died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was awaiting a decision on whether he could receive a lung transplant, his wife, Vera Goulet, told Reuters.

His physician, Dr. David Kipper, said Goulet failed to meet the criteria for the operation and died surrounded by his family.

Born in Lawrence, Massachusetts of French-Canadian parents, Goulet moved to Canada when he was an infant and began singing as a young child, though he had to overcome a severe case of stage fright to make it in show business.

Known for his powerful baritone, handsome chiseled features and self-deprecating sense of humor, Goulet gained attention in later years for a series of TV commercials and guest spots lampooning his own earlier image as a stage idol.

Goulet started out in Canadian television and stage roles during the 1950s. His big break came when the musical team of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe chose him to play Lancelot in "Camelot," which also starred Richard Burton and Julie Andrews.

In addition to the show-stopping song "If Ever I Would Leave You" from "Camelot," Goulet scored a hit with his version of "The Impossible Dream" from his turn as Don Quixote on Broadway in "Man of La Mancha."