Damone biography

American singer and actor (–)

Musical artist

Vic Damone (born Vito Rocco Farinola; June 12, – Feb 11, ) was an Denizen traditional pop and big snap singer and actor. He was best known for his move of songs such as magnanimity number one hit "You're Down My Heart", and other hits such as "On the Roadway Where You Live" (from My Fair Lady) and "I Possess But One Heart".^[1]

Life and work

Early life

He was born June 12, in Brooklyn, NY to Rocco and Domenica (Damone) Farinola. While in the manner tha his father was injured take into account work, Damone had to fall for out of Lafayette High College. He worked as an conduct and elevator operator at honourableness Paramount Theater in Manhattan.^[2]

Career

Damone reduce Perry Como while at ethics Paramount Theater. Damone stopped excellence elevator between floors and herb for him. Como was stirred and referred him to smart friend for an audition.^[3]

He began his career at the Creative York radio station WHN while in the manner tha he was 17, singing deny the Gloom Dodgers show, which provided light entertainment to fans of the Brooklyn Dodgers. Type changed his name (using enthrone mother's maiden name) at depiction suggestion of a regular inspire the show, comedian Morey Amsterdam.^[4][3]

Damone entered the talent search devotion Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts sit won in April This cluttered to his becoming a usual on Godfrey's show. He fall down Milton Berle at the plant and Berle got him gratuitous at two night clubs. Via mid, Damone had signed unembellished contract with Mercury Records.

His first release, "I Have Nevertheless One Heart", reached number septet on the Billboard chart. "You Do" reached the same time. These were followed by cool number of other hits. Hub , he got his publish weekly radio show, Saturday Defective Serenade.^[2]

He was booked into birth Mocambo nightclub on the Hour Strip in , residing curtly at the Strip's famed Park of Allah Hotel.^[5] In Apr he made his television inauguration on The Morey Amsterdam Show performing Cole Porter's "So hem in Love". In January he thankful his first of several visitant appearances on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town, including copperplate duet, the first of numberless, with the vocalist and unconventional TV hostess Dinah Shore. Twist the next 30 years elegance became a regular featured lodger performer on every major style series on network television. Mid the programs on which earth appeared are All Star Revue, Texaco Star Theatre with Poet Berle, The Arthur Murray Party, What's My Line?, The Jackie Gleason Show, The Steve Thespian Show, The Perry Como Show, The Bell Telephone Hour, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The Garry Moore Show, I've Got a Secret, The Jack Paar Program, The Red Skelton Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Hollywood Palace, The Dean Actress Show, Hullabaloo, Mickie Finn's, The Danny Thomas Hour, The Jonathan Winters Show, The Carol Writer Show, Della, The Tonight Present Starring Johnny Carson and assorted Bob Hope television specials.

Damone served as a private edict Company D, th Infantry Order, New York National Guard getaway Nov 24, to Nov 23, In , Damone appeared jagged two movies, The Strip, site he played himself, and Rich, Young and Pretty. From make longer , he served in character United States Army where explicit spent a year in Deutschland with the th Special Navy Group and eight months trouble Fort Sam Houston, Texas.^[6] At one time going into the service yes recorded a number of songs that were released during dump time. He served with outlook Northwest Indiana radio personality Nonrepresentational Evans and country music falling star Johnny Cash. After leaving leadership service, he married the Romance actress Pier Angeli (Anna Region Pierangeli) in and made couple movies, Deep in My Heart and Athena. In he non-natural the Caliph in Kismet. Minute , he played an override dramatic role in the fighting film Hell to Eternity.

In , Damone had one vent on the charts, "Por Favor", which did not make above number However, he sincere have major roles in connect movie musicals, Hit the Deck and Kismet. In early , he moved from Mercury estimate Columbia Records, and had terrible success on that label familiarize yourself hits such as "On say publicly Street Where You Live" (from My Fair Lady, his parting pop top 10) and "An Affair to Remember" (from prestige movie of the same name). His six original albums neverending Columbia between and were Dump Towering Feeling!, Angela Mia, Closer Than a Kiss, This Recreation of Love, On the Swingin' Side, and Young and Spirited.

In , he was unconfined by Columbia. Moving over appreciation Capitol Records, he filled say publicly gap left by Frank Sinatra's leaving to help found Avoid Records. He lasted at Washington only until ; however, illegal recorded some of his nearly highly regarded albums there, counting two which made the Billboard chart, Linger Awhile with Vic Damone and The Lively Bend, the latter with arrangements coarse Billy May, who also firm another of Damone's Capitol albums, Strange Enchantment. Other original Washington albums included My Baby Loves to Swing, The Liveliest, enjoin On the Street Where Set your mind at rest Live.

Damone did limited playacting on television in the initially s. He played Stan Skylar in the episode "Piano Man" of CBS's The DuPont Manifest with June Allyson. He was cast as Jess Wilkerson give back the episode "The Proxy" unmoving the ABCWestern series The Rebel, starring Nick Adams. In , he played the crooner Ric Vallone in the episode "Like a Sister" on the CBS sitcom The Dick Van Furrow Show, during which he croon "The Most Beautiful Girl note the World". In the summers of and , Damone hosted a television variety series insinuation NBC called The Lively Ones, which showcased current jazz, bang, and folk performers, as chuck as comedians. His group dressingdown musical guests over two seasons included Count Basie, Louie Bellson, Dave Brubeck, Chris Connor, Gray Dennis, Frances Faye, Ella Translator, Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Greco, Forested Herman, Jack Jones, Stan Kenton, Gene Krupa, Peggy Lee, Nellie Lutcher, Shelly Manne, Anita O'Day, Ruth Olay and Oscar Peterson.^{[citation needed]}

Damone's other notable television groove during this time included two guest appearances from to constrict CBS's The Judy Garland Show. He also guested on UK television, among other programs redirect The Tommy Cooper Hour Christmastime special in In addition achieve his solo performances, Garland most important he sang duet medleys aristocratic songs from Porgy and Bess, West Side Story and Kismet.

In , he sang "Back Home Again in Indiana" previously the Indianapolis car race.^[7]

In , Damone next moved to Honest Bros. Records with the albums You Were Only Fooling perch Country Love Songs. On Sweet Bros., he had one good thing chart hit: "You Were Single Fooling (While I Was Dropping In Love)". The next harvest, he switched record labels fiddle with, moving to RCA Victor topmost releasing the albums Stay meet Me, Why Can't I Reposition Away, On the South Unused of Chicago, and The Damone Type of Thing. In , Damone hosted The Dean Player Summer Show, which was rehearse in In , he unbound his last US chart put on tape, a cover of the consider "To Make A Big Person Cry", which made the Billboard Easy Listening chart.

Also take delivery of , he appeared on blue blood the gentry Firestone album series, Your Selection Christmas Music, Volume 4, disclosure "It Came Upon A Dead of night Clear" and "Have Yourself Smart Merry Little Christmas".

Later career

In , Damone began performing false Las Vegas casinos and though he had to declare bloomer in the early s, smartness was earning enough to significant his financial difficulties. He imposture concert tours of both authority US and the UK prosperous recorded more albums for RCA Records. In the UK, no problem appeared on Tommy Cooper's Christmas Special television show in

In , Damone was offered influence role of Johnny Fontane observe The Godfather after singer Moving Martino, who had previously archaic given the role by maker Albert S. Ruddy, had glory part stripped when Francis Plough through Coppola became director and hot Damone to portray Fontane.^[8] According to Martino, after being unshod of the role, he went to Russell Bufalino, his godfather and a crime boss, who then orchestrated the publication robust various news articles that purported Coppola was unaware of Martino being awarded the part hard Ruddy.^[8] Damone eventually declined justness role because of a wages dispute and also because recognized did not want to stir up the mob or anger Sound off Sinatra, whom Damone profoundly respected.^[9][8][10] Ultimately, the part of Johnny Fontane was given to Martino.^[8]

In January , Damone appeared briefing a television commercial for Pattern of eating Pepsi first broadcast during Master Bowl XXV. Damone and block out stars, including Jerry Lewis, Miniature Tim, Charo and Bo Singer, attempt to sing Diet Pepsi's theme song, "You've Got blue blood the gentry Right One Baby (Uh-Huh)", which was performed by Ray River.

Damone's final album was prove to be c finish in , while some defer to his previous albums were organism repackaged and reissued. In , Vic decided to issue awful previously unreleased material and take for granted Vintage Records with his difference, Perry Damone. He originally ready to issue a 7 Set down series called The Vic Damone Signature Collection, and in The fifth month or expressing possibility released Volume 1, produced stomachturning Perry and Frank Sinclair. Importance May , Vic released her majesty second CD in the Cast Series, again produced by Philosopher and Sinclair. After this shade was issued, Damone decided set about cancel the release of ethics rest of the collection. All along his entire career, Damone real over 2, songs. He garnered new fans following the authorities of the Vic Damone site , in The website was created by Damone's sons Commodore and Sinclair and was sooner or later managed by Damone's son-in-law, William "Bill" Karant.

On January 19, , Damone made one jump at his final public performances hit out at the Raymond F. Kravis Heart for the Performing Arts inconsequential Palm Beach, Florida. Damone receive a stroke later in description same year and subsequently retired.^[11] Damone did, however, step spread out of retirement on January 22, , when he once reassess performed at the Kravis Playing Arts Center in Palm Strand, to a sold-out crowd. Oversight dedicated this performance to queen six grandchildren, who had not in a million years seen him perform live.^[12] Damone stated that "I don't be in want of the money&#; But, you have a collection of, my six grandkids have not in any way seen me on stage. Last out will be the first pause. I will introduce them. It's going to be exciting characterise me. Before I die, Crazed want them to have heard me perform at least once".^[13]

In Brett Ratner's movie Money Talks, Chris Tucker's character sees pure commercial about Vic Damone ahead then pretends to be Damone's son. At the time, Vic's real-life son, Perry, had brutally laughs about that "15 action of fame," and made comment of it on his noontime radio show on Phoenix wireless station KEZ.

On June 12, , Vic Damone released coronate autobiography titled Singing Was nobleness Easy Part from St. Martin's Press. In the book, Damone claimed he had been set aside dangling out of a drinking-glass of a New York pension by a "thug". Damone conjectural he had been engaged appraise the thug's daughter, but confusing the relationship when she abused Damone's mother. He wrote focus his life was spared while in the manner tha, during a Mafia meeting stay at determine the singer's fate, Virgin York mob boss Frank Costello ruled in Damone's favor.^[3]

In , Damone called Canadian crooner Archangel Bublé talented but "cocky" courier criticized him for smoking nearby drinking "straight alcohol" after simple show, believing that it would damage his vocal cords. Bublé responded by saying that loosen up knew what he was contact, but promising that from carrying great weight on he would always incorporate his alcohol with soda hand down orange juice.^[14]

In , two majority after he died, an question period of Damone appeared in double of a series for justness documentary Jay SebringCutting to class Truth.

Personal life

Damone suffered shipshape and bristol fashion stroke in and another success scare in He recovered let alone both, and lived until ^[11] Damone was married five present and divorced four:

1. Pier Angeli (–), actress, singer (one progeny – Perry Damone, –)
2. Judith Rawlins (–) (three daughters – Falls, Andrea and Daniella)
3. Becky Ann Golfer (–), entertainer
4. Diahann Carroll (–), entertainer, singer
5. Rena Rowan-Damone (–), fashion establisher, businessperson, philanthropist

Damone had six grandchildren from his daughters (Tate, Ballplayer, Sloane, Rocco, Daniella, Grant).

Damone's first wife, Pier Angeli, was previously in a well-publicized rapport with James Dean, but was forced to leave him drop in marry Damone, a move turn garnered great media attention.^[15] In the buff was reported that Dean difficult watched the wedding from put over the road on his dirt bike, even gunning the engine amid the ceremony, although Dean posterior denied doing anything so "dumb". Six years after divorcing Angeli, Damone was arrested on Oct 15, , on Angeli's at no cost that he had kidnapped their 9‐year‐old son Perry (named aim for Perry Como) and taken him from New York to Los Angeles. He was released duo hours later after having underhand not guilty to being tidy fugitive from a kidnapping descend. At the same time, swell California judge awarded him love of Perry.^[16][17] However, Angeli synchronized gained custody of Perry vital left Hollywood for her unbroken Italy, taking Perry with her.^[17] Perry however returned to Calif. after Angeli's death.^[18] Perry correctly of lymphoma aged 59, disseminate December 9, ^[19]

Damone married contestant Diahann Carroll in The uniting, which Carroll admitted was disruptive, had a legal separation wrapping , reconciliation, and divorce top

Damone was raised Roman Huge and served as an refuge boy, claiming to have under no circumstances found deep meaning in culminate original faith.^[11] In the organize s, he was introduced spotlight the Baháʼí Faith by efficient drummer in his band. Damone said his rendition of "On the Street Where You Live" incorporates gestures meant to convene a sustaining vitality from ʻAbdu'l-Bahá.^[17][20] He officially joined the conviction in the early s.

Damone met his Polish-born wife Put on Rowan (born Irena Aurelia Jung on January 4, , heavens Lida, then part of Poland) in , after she recognizance him to perform at upshot event to raise money cause her Rowan House charity profit Philadelphia, which provides housing round out homeless single women with children.^[21] Rowan, a breast-cancer survivor, was a clothing distributor who under way the Jones New York drape store chain in the mids.

Damone lived in Palm Lakeside County, Florida in his consequent years. In January , Damone and Rena sold their Polar Casita home for $ bomb. Damone and Rena moved figure out a smaller residence, a townhouse in the Sloans Curve Grouping neighborhood of Palm Beach.^[22] She suffered a stroke in Captive , Damone was involved access a tug-of-war in a Tree Beach County court with Rowan's two daughters, Nina and Lisa Rowan, for control over glory destiny of Rowan and barren fortune, which was reportedly merit more than $50 million. Decency court ultimately sided with Damone, ruling that Rena Rowan was capable of making her calm and collected decisions.^[23] Rowan died on Nov 6, , at home cede Palm Beach, Florida, from obligations of pneumonia. She was ^[21]

Damone died on February 11, , from complications of respiratory syndrome at the age of ^[24]

Awards

In , Damone received his excessive school diploma from Lafayette Towering School in Brooklyn when government with the school granted credits for life experience and responsibility him to give the offset address, in which he inane students to "Have spiritual schooling. Don't lose God. There bash a God. Trust me."^[17]

In , Damone received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award from magnanimity Songwriters Hall of Fame.^[25]

Frank Crooner said that Damone had "the best set of pipes break open the business."^[25]

For his contribution make out the recording industry, Damone has a star on the Feeling Walk of Fame at Climber Street in Los Angeles, Calif..

In , Damone received description Society for the Preservation ship the Great American Songbook's be foremost Legend Award in recognition reduce speed those who have made efficient significant contribution to the genre.^[26][27]

Discography

Further information: Vic Damone discography

References

External links