Hadley, a native of Manlius, Ill., began his career in regional
companies around the country. In the late 1970s, he was noticed by the
late Beverly Sills, then general director of the New York City Opera,
and was hired.
His career included creating the title role in composer John Harbison's
"The Great Gatsby" and playing the main role in the 1989 production of
Leonard Bernstein's musical, "Candide."
On 10 July 2007, he shot himself in the head with an air rifle and was
put on life support. After it was determined that he had sustained
irreparable brain damage, his family had the life support removed.