"For the amount of talent I had - and I couldn't dance, act, or tell a joke - I enjoyed a tremendous career."
Today we have a centenary to celebrate - Mr Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como!
One of the most successful vocalists of the 20th century, Perry Como went from small-town band singer with the Freddy Carlone and Ted Weems Orchestras in the 30s to become a multi-million-selling worldwide solo superstar, with one of the top-ranking television shows in US TV history and chart-topping albums in six separate decades.
His myriad hits over the years included such gems as Catch a Falling Star, It's Impossible, And I Love You So, Papa Loves Mambo and For the Good Times, among many many more standards. However this must rank as his all-time classic - Magic Moments:
Mr Como's comfy cardigans and sleepy crooning baritone voice were his signature style, and of course led to many lampooning impersonations over the years - my personal favourite is Perry Como - Still Alive from Canadian cult show SCTV, which takes a direct dig at Perry's ill-considered venture into the disco sound in the 70s:
And here, for your delectation, is the genuine disco remix of his great 30s/40s hit Temptation:
[Thank Disco It's Friday - again!]
Facts about Perry Como:
- He famously began his career as a barber. He was apparently so successful he had his own shop at age 14.
- His singing career almost ended before it had really begun, when in 1933 a studio executive wanted him removed from orchestra recordings as he sounded too much like Bing Crosby.
- Canonsburg, Como's home town, has a street named after him, and festivals in his memory have been held both there and in Paleno in Italy, where his parents originated. He also had an annual golf tournament in his name.
- He and his wife Roselle were married for 65 years until her death in 1998.
- His final television show was a Christmas special recorded in Ireland in 1994. He died peacefully in 2001.
Perry Como (18th May 1912 - 12th May 2001)