Vic Damone (born June 12, 1928) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer and entertainer.
Early life
Damone was born
Vito Rocco Farinola in Brooklyn, New York to Italian immigrants Rocco and Mary (Damone) Farinola. His father was an
electricianAn electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure...
; his mother taught
pianoThe piano is a musical instrument which is played by means of a keyboard. Widely used in Western music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music, and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. Inspired by his favorite singer,
Frank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers." His professional career had stalled by the...
, Damone began taking voice lessons. He sang in a choir at St. Finbar's Church in Bath Beach Brooklyn for Sunday Mass under organist Anthony Amorello. When his father was injured at work, Damone had to drop out of high school. He worked as an usher and elevator operator in the Paramount Theater, in
ManhattanManhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.New York County, which has the same boundaries as the Borough of Manhattan , is the most densely populated county in the United States, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795...
. He met
Perry ComoPierino "Perry" Como was an Italian-American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with it in 1943. "Mr...
, who asked him into his dressing room to sing for him. Impressed, Como referred him to a local bandleader. Farinola decided to call himself Vic Damone, using his mother's maiden name.
Career
Damone entered the talent search on
Arthur Godfrey's Talent ScoutsArthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts was a radio and television variety show which ran on CBS from 1946 until 1958...
and won in April 1947. This led to his becoming a regular on Godfrey's show. He met
Milton BerleMilton Berle was an Emmy-winning American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , he was the first major star of US television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
at the studio and Berle got him work at two night clubs. By mid 1947, Damone had signed a contract with
Mercury RecordsMercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Music Group in the US, and are both subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal Music...
.
His first release, "
I Have But One Heart"I Have But One Heart" is a popular song.The music was written by Johnny Farrow, the lyrics by Marty Symes. The song was published in 1945.The song was also sung by the character Johnny Fontane played by Al Martino in the movie The Godfather, during Connie's wedding, and was on the soundtrack of...
", reached #7 on the Billboard chart. "You Do" (released November 1) reached the same peak. These were followed by a number of other hits. In 1948 he got his own weekly
radioRadio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
show,
Saturday Night Serenade.
In
1951The year 1951 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati-Top grossing films : After theatrical re-issue
...
, Damone appeared in two
movieFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
s:
The Strip and
Rich, Young, and Pretty. From 1951 to 1953 he served in the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
, but before going into the service he recorded a number of songs which were released during that time. He served with future Northwest Indiana radio personality Al Evans, and also country music star
Johnny CashJohnny Cash , born J. R. Cash, was an American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
. After leaving the service, he married an
Italian AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actressAn actor or actress is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, Anna Maria Pierangeli, and in
1954The year 1954 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*May 12 - The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces wife Marion Benda. The two were married in 1927.* A reproduction of "America's First Movie Studio", Thomas Edison's Black Maria, is constructed...
made two more movies:
Deep in My Heart and
AthenaAthena is a romantic musical comedy, starring Jane Powell, Edmund Purdom, Debbie Reynolds, Vic Damone, Louis Calhern, and Norma Varden, and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Not a great success on its release, this motion picture has an unusual and somewhat campy appeal.The film tells the story of...
. He also made some guest appearances on
Milton BerleMilton Berle was an Emmy-winning American comedian and actor. As the manic host of NBC's Texaco Star Theater , he was the first major star of US television and as such became known as Uncle Miltie and Mr...
's
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
show in 1954. He appeared as Stan Skylar in the 1960 episode "Piano Man" of CBS's anthology series
The DuPont Show with June AllysonThe DuPont Show with June Allyson is an American anthology drama series which aired on CBS from September 21, 1959 to April 3, 1961 with rebroadcasts continuing until June 12, 1961...
.
In 1955, Damone had only one song on the charts, "Por Favor," which did not make it above #73. However, he did have a major role in the movie musical,
KismetKismet is an American musical film in Cinemascope and Eastman Color released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It is the fourth movie version of Kismet -- the first was released in 1920 and the second in 1930 by Warner Brothers-- and the second released by MGM...
. In early 1956, he was dropped by Mercury, but was able to sign with
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label founded in 1888.Columbia is the oldest surviving brand name in pre-recorded sound, being the first record company to produce pre-recorded records as opposed to blank cylinders. Columbia Records went on to release records by an array of notable singers,...
and had some success on that label with hits like "On the Street Where You Live" (from
My Fair LadyMy Fair Lady is a musical based upon George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion and with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons from professor Henry Higgins so that she can pass as a lady...
, his final pop top ten) and "An Affair to Remember" (from
the movie of the same nameAn Affair to Remember is a 1957 film starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, and directed by Leo McCarey.The film is considered one of the most romantic of all time, according to the American Film Institute. The movie was a remake of McCarey's 1939 film Love Affair, starring Irene Dunne and Charles...
).
In 1961, he was released by Columbia, moving over to
Capitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Los Angeles and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group...
, where he filled in the gap left by Frank Sinatra's leaving to help found
Reprise RecordsReprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra, which is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Company history:...
. He lasted at Capitol only until 1965; however, he recorded some of his most highly-regarded albums there, including two which made the
Billboard chart,
Linger Awhile with Vic Damone and
The Lively OnesThe Lively Ones were an instrumental surf rock band active in Southern California in the 1960s. They played live mostly in California and Arizona....
, the latter with arrangements by
Billy MayWilliam E. May, better known as Billy May was an American composer, arranger and trumpeter. He composed film/TV music, such as for The Green Hornet and Batman , Naked City & many TV series, plus collaborated on films, such as Pennies from Heaven...
, who also arranged another of Damone's
CapitolCapitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Los Angeles and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group...
albums,
Strange Enchantment.
Damone moved next to
Warner Bros. RecordsWarner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label that operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. It is also affectionately known as Warners or the Bunny, based on the Bugs Bunny cartoons released by Warner Bros. Pictures.-History:...
. On Warners he had one chart hit: "You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling In Love)." The next year he moved again, to
RCA RecordsRCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1983 and a partner from 1983 to 1986.-The RCA family of labels:RCA is the name of three different co-owned record...
, but in 1969 he released his last US chart record, a cover of the 1966 song "To Make A Big Man Cry", which made the
Billboard Easy Listening chart.
Later career
In 1971, Damone started touring
Las VegasLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada, the seat of Clark County, and an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, fine dining, and entertainment. Las Vegas, which bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, is famous for the number of...
casinos as a performer, and although he had to declare bankruptcy in the early 1970s, he earned enough as a casino performer to clear up his financial difficulties. He extended his geographical range, touring through the United States and the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, and as a result of his popularity decided to record some albums again, releasing them on the RCA label.
His final album was issued in 2002, with other albums being re-packaged and re-released. He has recorded over 2,000 songs over his entire career.
He has garnered new fans following the launch of The Vic Damone website in 2002 (www.vicdamone.com), managed by his son-in-law, William "Bill" Karant.
His final performance was on January 19, 2002 at the Raymond Kravits Performing Arts Center in Palm Beach, Florida.
In
Brett RatnerBrett Ratner is an American filmmaker and music video director. He is best known for his films such as The Family Man, Red Dragon, the Rush Hour series, and X-Men: The Last Stand...
's movie
Money TalksMoney Talks is a 1997 action/comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen.-Plot:This film is about a car wash hustler named Franklin Hatchett , who gets dimed out to the police by an investigating news reporter named James Russell , from channel 12 News. After...
,
Chris TuckerChristopher "Chris" Tucker is an American actor and comedian, Tucker is best known for his roles as Smokey in Friday and Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour trilogy.-Early life:...
's character sees a commercial about Vic Damone and then pretends to be Damone's son.
On June 12, 2009 Vic Damone released his autobiography titled "Singing was The Easy Part" from St. Martins Press.
Personal life
Damone has married five times and divorced four:
- 1) The Italian
Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
actress Anna Maria PierangeliPier Angeli was an Sardinian-born television and film actress.-Early life and career:Born Anna Maria Pierangeli in Cagliari, Sardinia. Her twin sister is the actress Marisa Pavan. Angeli made her film debut with Vittorio de Sica in , after being spotted by director Léonide Moguy...
(Pier Angeli) (1954–1958) (one son)
- 2) Judith Rawlins (1963–1971) (three daughters - Victoria Damone-Cooper, Andrea Damone-Karant, Daniella Damone-Woodard)
- 3) Becky Ann Jones (1974–1982), the American
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
entertainer
- 4) Diahann Carroll
-Early years:Carroll was born Carol Diahann Johnson in The Bronx, New York, to John Johnson and Mabel Faulk. Her family moved to the Harlem neighborhood of New York City when she was an infant...
(1987–1996) (This relationship is referenced in the 1997 film Money TalksMoney Talks is a 1997 action/comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen.-Plot:This film is about a car wash hustler named Franklin Hatchett , who gets dimed out to the police by an investigating news reporter named James Russell , from channel 12 News. After...
, in which Chris TuckerChristopher "Chris" Tucker is an American actor and comedian, Tucker is best known for his roles as Smokey in Friday and Detective James Carter in the Rush Hour trilogy.-Early life:...
's character claims to be Vic Damone Jr., the son of Damone and Carroll)
- 5) Rena Rowan (1998 to date), the fashion designer and co-creator of Jones New York (Jones Apparel Group). Damone has 6 grandchildren from his daughters.
In the late 1950s, Damone was introduced to the
Bahá'í FaithThe Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories.The Bahá'í Faith teaches a doctrine of...
by a drummer in his band. Damone relates his rendition of "On the Street Where You Live" incorporates gestures meant to summon a sustaining vitality from
`Abdu'l-Bahá‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born `Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith...
. He officially joined the religion in the early 1960s.
Awards
In 1997, Damone received his high school diploma from Lafayette High School in Brooklyn when officials with the school granted credits for life experience and asked him to give the commencement address - advising students to "Have spiritual guidance. Don't lose God. There is a God. Trust me."
In 1997, Damone received the "Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award" from the
Songwriters Hall of FameThe Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. It was founded in 1969 by songwriter Johnny Mercer and music publishers Abe Olman and Howie Richmond. The goal is to create a museum but as of April, 2008, the means do not yet exist and so instead it is an online...
.
Frank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became a successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, being the idol of the "bobby soxers." His professional career had stalled by the...
said that Damone had "the best set of pipes in the business".
For his contribution to the recording industry, Vic Damone has a star on the
Hollywood Walk of FameThe Hollywood Walk of Fame is a sidewalk along Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, that serves as an entertainment museum...
at 1731 Vine Street in Los Angeles, California.
Songs
The following songs recorded by Damone made the Billboard charts:
- "An Affair to Remember" (#16) (1957)
- "Again
"Again" is a popular song, recorded by many singers.The music was written by Lionel Newman, the words by Dorcas Cochran.It was in the movie Road House...
" (#6) (1949) (bigger hit for Doris DayDoris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff , known by her stage name Doris Day, is an American singer and actress.With the versatility to sing, dance, and play comedy and dramatic roles, she became one of America's biggest box-office stars. Day has 39 movies to her credit, even though she retired from films in...
, but a gold record for Damone)
- "April in Portugal
"April in Portugal" is a popular song, also named "The Whisp'ring Serenade." The music and lyrics were written by Solón Guimarães as a fado named "Coimbra", about the city of that name. In 1947. English lyrics written by Teige Claire were set to the music, though many of the most popular versions...
" (#10) (1953)
- "Calla Calla" (#13) (1951)
- "Can Anyone Explain? (No! No! No!)
"Can Anyone Explain? " is a popular song.It was written by Bennie Benjamin and George David Weiss and published in 1950.The biggest hit version of the song was recorded by The Ames Brothers. The recording was made on May 17, 1950, and released by Coral Records as catalog number 60253...
" (#25) (1950) (bigger hit for The Ames Brothers)
- "Cincinnati Dancing Pig" (#11) (1950)
- "Do I Love You (Because You’re Beautiful)" (#62) (1957)
- "Ebb Tide" (#10) (1953)
- "Eternally (The Song From Limelight)" (#12) (1953)
- "Four Winds and Seven Seas" (#16) (1949)
- "Gigi
Gigi is the title song from the 1958 multi-Academy Award winning film, directed by Vincente Minnelli. It was written by Frederic Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner, sung by Louis Jourdan in the film. It then went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1959....
" (#88) (1958)
- "God’s Country" (#27) (1950)
- "Here in My Heart
"Here in My Heart" is a popular song, written by Pat Genaro, Lou Levinson, and Bill Borrelli, and published in 1952.A recording of the song by Al Martino was a #1 hit single on the United States pop chart. The Martino version also made history as the first number one on the UK Singles Chart, on 14...
" (#8) (1952) (bigger hit for Al MartinoAl Martino was an American singer and actor. Allmusic journalist Steve Huey states, "Martino was one of the great Italian American pop crooners, boasting a string of hit singles and albums that stretched from the early 1950s all the way into the mid 1970s...
)
- "If
"If " is a popular song.The music was written by Tolchard Evans, the lyrics by Robert Hargreaves and Stanley J. Damerell. The song was written in 1934, but the most popular versions were recorded in 1950-1951...
" (#28) (1951) (bigger hit for Perry ComoPierino "Perry" Como was an Italian-American singer and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century he recorded exclusively for the RCA Victor label after signing with it in 1943. "Mr...
)
- "I Have But One Heart
"I Have But One Heart" is a popular song.The music was written by Johnny Farrow, the lyrics by Marty Symes. The song was published in 1945.The song was also sung by the character Johnny Fontane played by Al Martino in the movie The Godfather, during Connie's wedding, and was on the soundtrack of...
" (#7) (1947)
- "It’s Magic" (#24) (1948) (bigger hit for Doris Day
Doris Mary Anne von Kappelhoff , known by her stage name Doris Day, is an American singer and actress.With the versatility to sing, dance, and play comedy and dramatic roles, she became one of America's biggest box-office stars. Day has 39 movies to her credit, even though she retired from films in...
)
- "Jump Through the Ring" (#22) (1952)
- "Just Say I Love Her
"Just Say I Love Her" is a popular song, adapted from the Italian song "Dicitencello vuie." The original music was written by neapolitan composer Rodolfo Falvo;arrangement in USA by Jack Val and Jimmy Dale; the original Italian lyrics by Enzo Fusco, and English lyrics by Martin Kalmanoff and Sam...
" (#13) (1950)
- "Longing for You
"Longing for You" is an American song performed by a number of popular artists in the 1950s.Vic Damone and Teresa Brewer had chart hits with the song in 1951....
" (#12) (1951)
- "Music By the Angels" (#18) (1950)
- "My Bolero" (#10) (1949)
- "My Heart Cries for You
"My Heart Cries for You" is a popular song, adapted by Carl Sigman and Percy Faith from an 18th century French melody.It was recorded toward the end of 1950 by Guy Mitchell with Mitch Miller and his orchestra, in a recording issued by Columbia Records as catalog number 39067, which sold over a...
" (#4) (1950) (bigger hit for Guy MitchellGuy Mitchell was a American pop singer, successful in his homeland, the U.K. and Australia. As an international recording star of the 1950s he achieved record sales in excess of 44 million units and this included six million-selling singles.In the fall of 1957, Mitchell starred in his own ABC...
)
- "My Truly, Truly Fair
"My Truly, Truly Fair" is a popular song written by Bob Merrill. It was published in 1951. The song was one of a number of Bob Merrill songs popularized by Guy Mitchell. Mitchell recorded it with Mitch Miller and his orchestra on April 30, 1951. The song was released by Columbia Records as catalog...
" (#4) (1951) (bigger hit for Guy MitchellGuy Mitchell was a American pop singer, successful in his homeland, the U.K. and Australia. As an international recording star of the 1950s he achieved record sales in excess of 44 million units and this included six million-selling singles.In the fall of 1957, Mitchell starred in his own ABC...
)
- "On the Street Where You Live
"On the Street Where You Live" is a song with music by Frederick Loewe and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner from the 1956 Broadway musical My Fair Lady. It is sung in the musical by the character Freddy Eynsford-Hill, who was portrayed by John Michael King in the original production...
" (#4) (1956)
- "Por Favor" (#73) (1955)
- "Rosanne" (#23) (1952)
- "Say Something Sweet to Your Sweetheart" (#23) (1948) (duet with Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music...
)
- "Sugar" (#13) (1953)
- "Sitting By the Window" (#29) (1950)
- "Take My Heart" (#30) (1952)
- "Tell Me You Love Me" (#21) (1951
-Events:*July 11 - Disc jockey and music promoter Alan Freed broadcasts his first Rhythm and blues radio programme from station WJW in Cleveland, Ohio. Freed uses the term rock and roll to describe R&B, in an effort to introduce the music to a broader white audience....
)
- "Tomorrow Never Comes" 1952
- "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena
"Tzena, Tzena, Tzena" is a song, originally written in Hebrew by Issachar Miron , a Polish emigrant to what was then Palestine but is now Israel, and Jehiel Hagges .-History and development:...
" (#7) (1950) (bigger hit for The WeaversThe Weavers were an American folk music quartet based in the Greenwich Village area of New York City. They sang traditional folk songs from around the world, as well as blues, gospel music, children's songs, labor songs, and American ballads, selling millions of records at the height of their...
)
- "Vagabond Shoes" (#17) (1950)
- "War and Peace" (#59) (1956)
- "Why Was I Born?
"Why Was I Born?" is a 1929 song composed by Jerome Kern, with lyrics written by Oscar Hammerstein II.It was written for the show Sweet Adeline .-Notable recordings:*Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Jerome Kern Songbook...
" (#20) (1949)
- "Wonder Why
Wonder Why? is a Canadian educational television program for children, produced by ATV in Halifax, Nova Scotia and aired nationally by CTV between 1990 and 1992. The program starred then-ATV chief meteorologist Richard Zurawski as the host and Liam Hyland as the young detective Question Mark...
" (#21) (1951)
- "You Do" (#7) (1947)
- "You're Breaking My Heart
"You're Breaking My Heart" is a popular song.The song was published in 1948. Though credited to Pat Genaro and Sunny Skylar, the song is just an American version of the famous Italian song 'Mattinata' written by Ruggero Leoncavallo in the beginning of 20th century.Popular versions on the charts in...
" (#1) (1949) (Damone's 2nd gold record and his biggest hit)
- "You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling in Love)" (#30) (1965)
External links