Bing Crosby and Dean Martin
Irish / Italian Medley

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Martin was nicknamed “The King of Cool” for his seemingly effortless charisma and self-assurance.

Dean Martin was born in Steubenville, Ohio, to an Italian father, Gaetano Alfonso Crocetti and an Italian-American mother, Angela Crocetti. His father, a barber, was originally from Montesilvano, in Abruzzo, and his maternal grandparents’ origins are believed to be also from Abruzzo.  Dean’s first language was an Abruzzese dialect of Italian, and he did not speak English until he started school at the age of 5.

 

Dino Paul Crocetti (June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) known famously as Dean Martin, was an American singer, actor, comedian and producer. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed “The King of Cool” for his seemingly effortless charisma and self-assurance.

He and Jerry Lewis formed the immensely popular comedy duo Martin and Lewis, with Martin serving as the straight man to Lewis’ slapstick hijinks. A member of the “Rat Pack“, Martin went on to become a star of concert stages, nightclubs, audio recordings, motion pictures and television.

Martin was the host of the variety programs The Dean Martin Show and The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts. His relaxed, warbling, crooning voice earned him dozens of hit singles, including his signature songs “Memories Are Made of This“, “That’s Amore“, “Everybody Loves Somebody“, “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You“, “Sway“, “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head?“, and “Volare“.

 

In 1948, American polls declared Bing Crosby the “most admired man alive”, ahead of Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII.

Bing Crosby  was the fourth of seven children: His mother was a second generation Irish-American. His father was of English descent; some of his ancestors had emigrated to America in the 17th century, and included Mayflower passenger William Brewster.

 

 

Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby (/ˈkrɒzbi/; May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer and actor. The first multimedia star, Crosby was a leader in record sales, radio ratings, and motion picture grosses from 1931 to 1954. 

His early career coincided with recording innovations that allowed him to develop an intimate singing style that influenced many male singers who followed him, including Perry Como, Frank Sinatra, Dick Haymes, and Dean Martin. Yank magazine said that he was “the person who had done the most for the morale of overseas servicemen” during World War II. In 1948, American polls declared him the “most admired man alive”, ahead of Jackie Robinson and Pope Pius XII. Also in 1948, Music Digest estimated that his recordings filled more than half of the 80,000 weekly hours allocated to recorded radio music.

 

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