54 Regis Philbin praises the legacy of beloved crooner Perry Como.
AS A NEW PBS SPECIAL PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE SWEATERWEARING CROONER, HIS BIGGEST FAN SINGS HIS PRAISES
The first time I heard Perry Como on the radio was in 1944 or 1945 when he had big hits like “Temptation” and “Prisoner of Love.” I was 13 years old, and I could tell right away this guy was terrific. His voice really got to me. It was so powerful and wonderful. I used to sing all his songs to myself and to my mother. I just couldn’t stop!
After I graduated from Notre Dame and got out of the Navy, I came back to New York City in 1955 and my uncle Mike was working at NBC, where Perry was doing his TV variety show. Uncle Mike knew I loved Perry, and he said, “You can work as a page, and you’ll get to meet him.” I did, and Perry was great. It was such a privilege.
He had a very relaxed demeanor. It was fascinating to watch him perform with such ease. You’d think he was singing to someone in his living room. Perry wore casual clothes like sweaters and started a real fashion trend. They made him feel and look comfortable.
The guy was popular for 40 years. Everybody fell in love to a Perry Como song over the years. He had a certain way about him that was different from all the other singers — Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and the rest.
When we were first doing Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee in 1988, I never thought we could get Perry to come on our show. He was very private. But the staff told him what a big fan I was, so he came out and surprised me, and I was overwhelmed. After that, we got to be friends and went golfing sometimes.
The last time I saw him, he was appearing in Atlantic City. I went backstage and we had a nice visit. I took a little walk with him on the boardwalk. That’s the kind of guy he was. I just loved him, and I’ll always remember him like that. — as told to Bruce Fretts