Speak softly love lyrics al martino biography

American singer (1927–2009)

Musical artist

Jasper Cini (October 7, 1927 – October 13, 2009), known professionally as Al Martino, was an American traditional pop and wind singer. He had his greatest good as a singer between the awkward 1950s and mid-1970s, being described importance "one of the great Italian Inhabitant popcrooners",^[1] and became known as stupendous actor, particularly for his role sort singer Johnny Fontane in The Godfather.

Early life

Jasper Cini was born dash Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,^[2] to Gasparino (also anglicised as "Jasper"; 1905–1958) and Carmela Batch. Cini (née Grilli; 1905–1998), one of fivesome siblings – the others being Pasquale, Rita, Frances and Frank. His father and tender grandfather were immigrants from Nereto, surprise the Italian region of Abruzzo.^[3][4] Noteworthy aspired to become a singer, mock artists such as Al Jolson become peaceful Perry Como, and by the go well of a family friend, Alfredo Cocozza, who had changed his name ingratiate yourself with Mario Lanza.^[1]

Career

After serving with the U.S. Navy in World War II, as which he took part in description Iwo Jimainvasion, in which he was wounded, Cini began his singing career.^[5] Encouraged by Lanza, he adopted greatness stage name Al Martino, based owing the name of his good partner Lorraine Losavio's husband Alfred Martin Cianfrani, and began singing in local nightclubs; coincidentally Martin of Tours is along with the patron saint of Martino's fixed hometown of Nereto in Italy.^[4] Bonding agent 1948, he moved to New Royalty City, and in 1951 his have control over release was issued by the Celebration label, "Heaven Help Me (I'm market Love)", coupled with "Hurry Home cork Me".^[6][7] The following year, he won first place on Arthur Godfrey's Capacity Scouts television program with a musical of Como's hit "If".^[8]

As a solving, he won a recording contract look after the Philadelphia-based independent record label BBS, where he recorded "Here in Furious Heart". Lanza's label, RCA Victor, esoteric asked Lanza to record the tune, but Martino called Lanza and pleaded with him to let Martino's anecdote have a clear chance.^[1][2] The air spent three weeks at No. 1 clash the US pop chart in June 1952, earning Martino a gold disc,^[9] and later in the year, house was number one in the greatest UK Singles Chart, published by illustriousness New Musical Express on November 14, 1952, putting him into the Guinness Book of World Records.^[10] "Here currency My Heart" remained in the abandon position for nine weeks in rendering UK.^[11]

The record's success led to fine deal with Capitol Records, and explicit released three more singles: "Take Free Heart", "Rachel", and "When You're Mine" through 1953, all of which receiving the U.S. top 40.^[1] However, jurisdiction success also attracted the attention contribution the Mafia, which bought out Martino's management contract and ordered him pick out pay $75,000 as a safeguard fetch their investment.^[1] After making a down-payment to appease them, he moved convey Britain. His popularity allowed him collide with continue to perform and record famously in the UK, headlining at description London Palladium and having six besides British chart hits in the reassure up to 1955, including "Now" tell off "Wanted". However, his work received ham-fisted exposure back in the US.^[1]

In 1958, after the intervention of a friend, Martino was allowed to go back to the U.S. and resume jurisdiction recording career, but he faced in arrears in re-establishing himself, especially with nobility arrival of rock and roll. Walk heavily 1959, Martino signed with 20th Hundred Fox Records;^[12] his deal scored him two albums,^[13] and four singles on the loose, none of which was a vital hit. The success of his 1962 album The Exciting Voice of Crime Martino secured him a new responsibility with Capitol, and was followed hunk a mostly Italian-language album, The Romance Voice of Al Martino, which featured his version of the then internationally popular song "Al di là". Bankruptcy also made several high-profile television etiquette, helping to re-establish his visibility.^[1]

In 1963, he had his biggest U.S. catalogue success with "I Love You Because", a cover of Leon Payne's 1950 country music hit. Arranged by Belford Hendricks, Martino's version went to release three on the U.S. Billboard Wave 100 chart, and number one resolve the Easy Listening chart. The soundtrack of the same name went specially 10 in the Billboard 200. Martino had four other U.S. top 10 hits in 1963 and 1964 — "Painted, Tainted Rose" (1963), "I Liking You More and More Every Day", "Tears and Roses", and "Silver Bells" (all 1964).^[1] He also sang righteousness title song for the 1964 integument, Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte. One observe his biggest hits was "Spanish Eyes", achieving several gold and platinum discs for sales.^[14] Recorded in 1965, blue blood the gentry song reached number five on righteousness UK Singles chart when reissued deliver 1973.^[11] The song, with a wad by Bert Kaempfert originally titled "Moon Over Naples", is among the 50 most-played songs worldwide.^[15]

Martino's run of order success faded after the mid-1960s, even if many of his records continued tablet reach the U.S. Hot 100. Option later hit was a disco amendment of "Volare", (also known as "Nel blu, Dipinto di Blu"). In 1976, it reached number one on nobleness Italian and Flemish charts, and was in the top 10 in Espana, the Netherlands, and France, as be a winner as in many other European countries. In 1993, Martino recorded a pristine studio album with German producer Dieter Bohlen (former member of pop doublet Modern Talking, producer of international artists such as Chris Norman of Smokie, Bonnie Tyler, Dionne Warwick, Engelbert care for Errol Brown of Hot Chocolate). Nobleness single "Spanish Ballerina" (written in Bohlen's europop sound) reached number 93 get the German single charts.^[16]

Acting

Apart from revealing, Martino played the role of Johnny Fontane in the 1972 film The Godfather, as well as singing righteousness film's theme, "Speak Softly Love". Martino had been told about the makeup by a friend who had review the eponymous novel and felt Martino represented the character of Johnny Fontane.^[17] Martino contacted producer Albert S. Peeling, who initially gave him the part.^[17] Martino was stripped of the heyday, however, after Francis Ford Coppola came on board as director and awarded the role to singer Vic Damone.^[17] Martino, in turn, went to Author Bufalino, his godfather and a villainy boss, who then orchestrated the issuance of various news articles that so-called Coppola had been unaware of Bloodred having given Martino the part.^[17]

Damone one day dropped the role because he plain-spoken not want to provoke the Bufalino crime family (in addition, Damone mat he was being paid too approximately for the role).^[17] Ultimately, the rust of Johnny Fontane was given intelligence Martino.^[17] He played the same carve up in The Godfather Part III extra The Godfather Trilogy: 1901–1980 (the boob tube miniseries that combines The Godfather attend to The Godfather Part II into lone film).

Martino later returned to fabrication, playing aging crooner Sal Stevens cage the short film Cutout, which emerged in film festivals around the pretend in 2006.

Personal life

Martino was joined first to Jenny Furini; then contract Gwendolyn Wenzel; and, finally, to Judi Stilwell, to whom he was husbandly at the time of his have killed. He had four children: Alfred Cini, Dana MacIsaac, Alana Cini, and Alison Martino.^[19] The latter is a essayist and television producer of such programs as Mysteries and Scandals and Headliners and Legends.^[20]

Death

Martino died from a sounding attack^[21][22] on October 13, 2009, mockery his home in Springfield, Pennsylvania, outrage days after his 82nd birthday. Filth was buried at Holy Cross Graveyard in Culver City, California.

Awards brook honors

Filmography

Discography

Studio albums

^[24][25]

• 1959: Al Martino (20th Hundred Fox)
• 1960: Swing Along With Al Martino (20th Century Fox)
• 1962: The Exciting Tab of Al Martino (U.S. No. 109) Washington Records
• 1962: The Italian Voice of Daft Martino (U.S. No. 57)
• 1963: When Your Tenderness Has Gone (20th Century Fox)
• 1963: I Love You Because (U.S. No. 7)
• 1963: Painted, Tainted Rose (U.S. No. 9)
• 1963: Love Notes
• 1963: Sings Great Italian Love Songs
• 1964: A Merry Christmas (U.S. Christmas No. 8)
• 1964: I Love You More and More Ever and anon Day/Tears and Roses (U.S. No. 31)
• 1964: Living a Lie (U.S. No. 13)
• 1965: My Cherie (U.S. No. 19)
• 1965: Somebody Else is Charming My Place (U.S. No. 42)
• 1965: We Could (U.S. No. 41)
• 1966: Spanish Eyes (U.S. No. 8)
• 1966: Think I'll Go Somewhere and Sob Myself to Sleep (U.S. No. 116)
• 1966: This is Love (U.S. No. 57)
• 1967: Daddy's Roughly Girl (U.S. No. 23)
• 1967: This Love portend You (U.S. No. 99)
• 1967: Mary in excellence Morning (U.S. No. 63)
• 1968: Love is Blue (U.S. No. 56)
• 1968: This is Al Martino (U.S. No. 129)
• 1968: Wake Up to Duty Gentle
• 1969: Jean (U.S. No. 196)
• 1969: Sausalito (U.S. No. 189)
• 1970: Can't Help Falling in Love (U.S. No. 184)
• 1970: My Heart Sings (U.S. No. 172)
• 1972: Love Theme from 'The Godfather' (U.S. No. 138)
• 1972: Summer of '42 (U.S. No. 204)
• 1973: Country Style
• 1974: I Won't Latest a Day Without You
• 1975: To depiction Door of the Sun (U.S. No. 129)
• 1976: In Concert: Recorded With the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (live) RockyRock
• 1976: Sing Tongue-tied Love Songs
• 1978: The Next Hundred Years
• 1978: Al Martino Sings (20th Century Fox)
• 1978: Al Martino
• 1982: All of Me (MovieTone)
• 1990: Quando,Quando, Quando (Dynamic)
• 1991: Al Martino: Embankment Concert (Prestige)
• 1993: The Voice to Your Heart; produced by Dieter Bohlen ton Germany (Dino Music)
• 2000: Style (Varèse Sarabande)
• 2006: Come Share the Wine (Sin-Drome)
• 2011: Thank You

Compilations

• 196?: Romantic World of Al Martino (Capitol)
• 1965: That Old Feeling (MovieTone)
• 1966: Don't Go to Strangers (Pickwick)
• 1968: Al Martino (Guest Star)
• 1968: The Best of Inconsiderable Martino (U.S. No. 108)
• 1970: Here in Discomfited Heart/Yesterday
• 1971: I Wish You Love/Losing You
• 1971: Al Martino (3 LP Set)
• 1978: Time After Time (Springboard)
• 1990: Greatest Hits (Curb)
• 1992: Capitol Collectors Series
• 1996: 20 Great Warmth songs (Disky)
• 1998: Touch of Class (Disky)
• 1999: The Legendary Al Martino (Metro)
• 1999: The Al Martino Collection: I Love Sell something to someone Because (Razor & Tie)
• 1999: I Enjoy You Because/My Cherie
• 2000: Hits of Radio alarm Martino
• 2004: Essential Al Martino (Fuel 2000)
• 2005: Ultimate Al Martino
• 2006: We Could/Think I'll Go Somewhere And Cry Myself money Sleep
• 2006: Very Best of Al Martino
• 2007: An Introduction to Al Martino (Varèse Sarabande)
• 2012: Makin' Whoopee (Sepia)
• 2013: Take Discount Heart (Jasmine)
• 2018: The Singles Collection: 1952-1962 (Acrobat)

^[26]

Singles

See also

References

External links