Golden Age crooner Damone dead at 89
Marty Allen dies
MIAMI, Feb 13, (Agencies): Vic Damone, whose mellow baritone once earned praise from Frank Sinatra as “the best pipes in the business,” has died in Florida at the age of 89, his daughter said.
Victoria Damone told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday that her father died Sunday at a Miami Beach hospital from complications of a respiratory illness.
Damone’s easy-listening romantic ballads brought him million-selling records and sustained a half-century career in recordings, movies and nightclub, concert and television appearances.
Damone’s career began climbing in the 1940s after he won a tie on the radio show “Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Hunt.” His hit singles included “Again,” “You’re Breaking My Heart,” “My Heart Cries for You,” “On the Street Where You Live” and, in 1957, the title song of the Cary Grant film “An Affair to Remember.”
Damone’s style as a lounge singer remained constant through the years: straightforward, concentrated on melody and lyrics without resorting to vocal gimmicks. Like many young singers of his era, he idolized Sinatra. “I tried to mimic him,” Damone said in a 1992 interview with Newsday. “I decided that if I could sound like Frank maybe I did have a chance. I was singing his words, breathing his breaths, (doing) his interpretation, with the high notes, the synergy.”
Sinatra and Damone, along with Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Dean Martin and others, formed a group of Italian Americans who dominated the postwar pop music field. And far from resenting the mimicry, Sinatra praised Damone’s singing ability.
Injured
Born Vito Farinola in Brooklyn, New York, on June 12, 1928 to immigrants from Bari, Italy, Damone dropped out of high school after his father, an electrician, was injured on the job.
Damone adopted his mother’s maiden name when he began his career, after catching an early break while working as an usher at the Paramount Theater in New York City, according to a family statement.
The 14-year-old bumped into Perry Como in an elevator at the theater, stopped it between floors, and started singing. Then he asked Como whether he should continue voice lessons, and Como said simply, “Keep singing!” and referred him to a local bandleader.
Damone still drew crowds in nightclubs and concerts into his 70s, before illness prompted his retirement to Palm Beach with his fifth wife, fashion designer Rena Rowan.
Also:
LOS ANGELES: Marty Allen, the bug-eyed comic who formed one half of the hit comedic duo Allen & Rossi, died Monday night in Las Vegas at age 95.
The Associated Press confirmed the news via his spokeswoman Candi Cazau, who said that he died from complications from pneumonia with his performing partner of 30 years and wife Karon Kate Blackwell at his side.
Allen was well-known for his catchphrase “hello dere.” His career began in the 1950s, when he worked as an opening act with partner Mitch DeWood for Sarah Vaughan, Eydie Gorme, and Nat King Cole. After their partnership ended, Allen joined up with Steve Rossi to form Allen & Rossi, with whom he found fame.
Allen & Rossi produced a number of hit comedy records and appeared 44 times on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” including the episode which also constituted the Beatles’ debut performance. Allen and Rossi parted ways in 1968, though they would continue to reunite for shows through the ‘90s.
LOS ANGELES: Country music singer Daryle Singletary died in in his Nashville home on Monday morning, his publicist confirmed Variety. An official cause of death has not been announced. Singletary was 46.
Singletary was born in Cairo, Georgia and got start in music as a child singing gospel songs with his brother and cousins. He moved to Nashville in 1990 where he played in local nightclubs before being signed by Evergreen Records in 1992. Thanks to a boost from members of Randy Travis’ band, Singletary signed with Irving Azoff’s Warner-distributed Giant label, which released his Travis-coproduced debut album in 1995.