Russ Columbo
b. Eugenio Ruggerio de Rudolpho Columbo, 14 January 1908, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, d. 2 September 1934, Hollywood, California, USA. The son of an Italian theatre musician, Columbo played accordion and violin while still at school. In 1927 he joined Gus Arnheim's band at Hollywood's Coconut Grove as one half of a two-violin string section with future film star Fred MacMurray. A later addition to the band was Bing Crosby, who proved to be Columbo's main rival along with Rudy Vallee. Following a few appearances in a couple of insignificant movies, including dubbing Gary Cooper's singing voice in the film, WOLF SONG (1929), Columbo formed his own band in 1931. It was an immediate success both in person and on records. The band's hits included, Sweet And Lovely, Guilty, As You Desire Me, Goodnight Sweetheart, You Call It Madness and Prisoner Of Love, the latter two composed by Columbo. His dark, good looks and romantic baritone voice prompted Hollywood to star him in several movies including BROADWAY THROUGH A KEYHOLE (1933) and MOULIN ROUGE (1934). By 1934 he also had his own NBC radio series, and his total earnings for the year were estimated at $500,000. His brief career came to an end when he and a friend, Lansing V. Brown Jnr., were handling a pair of antique duelling pistols. Brown accidentally lit the powder which was still in one of the guns, and Columbo died, shot in the head. The rivalry, epitomized by the song, Crosby, Columbo And Vallee, ultimately remained unresolved.