Vic Damone
b. Vito Farinola, 12 June 1928, Brooklyn, New York, USA. A romantic balladeer with a strong, smooth baritone voice, Damone took singing lessons while working as an usher and an elevator operator at New York's Paramount Theater. After appearing with ARTHUR GODFREY'S TALENT SCOUTS, he sang at La Martinique Club, a venue known as a nursery for young vocalists. When he started recording for Mercury Records in 1947 his first chart successes included I Have But One Heart, You Do, and Say Something Sweet To Your Sweetheart (with Patti Page). In 1949 he had two million-sellers: Again, from the Ida Lupino film, ROADHOUSE; and You're Breaking My Heart. In the late '40s Damone also had his own CBS radio show, SATURDAY NIGHT SERENADE. His film career started in 1951 when he featured in RICH, YOUNG AND PRETTY, the first in a series of musicals with soprano Jane Powell. These included ATHENA (1954), the Sigmund Romberg bio-pic, Deep In My Heart (1954) and Hit The Deck (1955). Damone also appeared in THE STRIP (1951), a musical mystery melodrama, which featured Mickey Rooney, and jazz stars Jack Teagarden, Louis Armstrong, Earl Fatha Hines and Barney Bigard; and a screen adaptation of the stage musical Kismet (1955), co-starring with Howard Keel, Anne Blyth and Dolores Gray. 
His many record hits during the '50s included Tzena, Tzena, Tzena (adapted from an Israeli song), Cincinnati Dancing Pig, ‘My Heart Cries for You’, My Truly, Truly Fair, Here In My Heart (a UK number 1 for Al Martino), April In Portugal, Eternally (the theme from Charlie Chaplin's film, LIMELIGHT), Ebb Tide, On The Street Where You Live (Damone's third million-seller) and An Affair To Remember (one of prolific film composer Harry Warren's last songs). He was also in the album charts with THAT TOWERING FEELING, and had his own television series in 1956-57. Like many other singers of his kind, Damone suffered from the changing musical climate of the '60s and '70s, although he did make some well-regarded albums such as LINGER AWHILE and On the South Side, and had a US Top 30 single in 1965 with You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling In Love). He made a remarkable comeback in the UK in the early '80s, chiefly because his back catalogue was plugged incessantly by BBC Radio 2 presenter, David Jacobs. Suddenly he was in fashion again. Most of his old albums were reissued, and many of his hit singles, and others, were repackaged on VIC DAMONE SINGS THE GREAT SONGS. Throughout the '80s he recorded several new albums promoting them in the UK via regular concert tours. In 1987 he was married, for the third time, to actress Diahann Carroll.