Frankie Laine

Frankie Laine
Singer

Francesco Paolo Lovecchio was born on March 30, 1913 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. His parents moved to Chicago's Near West Side from Monreale, Sicily region in Italy. Frankie Laine got his first taste of singing as a member of a church choir. In the 1920s, he was invited to parties and local dance clubs. At the age of 17, he sang in front of 5,000 people at The Mary Garden Ballroom.

Singers who influenced Frankie Laine during this time were Al Jolson and Gene Austin. Laine worked in a drug store after school. A record store across the street was constantly playing Gene Austin's hit records on loudspeakers. He listened to Austin's music. After graduating from high school, Laine signed on as a member of Mary Garden's Marathon Dance Company. Singers who began to influence him during this time were Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Mildred Bailey, and later, Nat "King" Cole.

Frankie Laine replaced Perry Como in Cleveland's Freddie Carlone Band in 1937. Como was Laine's friend. Como called Carlone about him. But Laine and Carlone soon parted. Laine spent the next 10 years singing in small jazz clubs and working, for example, in a leather factory. He first began writing the song "It Only Happens Once" while working at a defense station during World War II. During this time he was often homeless, sleeping on a bench in Central Park.

He changed his professional name to Frankie Laine in 1938 when he got a job singing for New York City radio station WINS. He got a job on a radio show at NBC. As he was about to begin, Germany invaded Poland and all broadcasts were stopped. Laine later got a job at a munitions plant. He gave up singing.

While working at the plant, he met a group of 3 girl singers and became the lead singer of the group. The group was noticed by Capitol Records and convinced Laine to move to Hollywood as their agent. In 1943, he moved to California, where he sang background music for several films. In 1944 in Los Angeles he met composer/pianist Carl T. Fischer. They started writing songs together.

In late 1946, Hoagy Carmichael heard him singing at Billy Berg's club in Los Angeles, and that was when success finally came. Laine made his first recorded recording in 1944, "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning". The company soon folded, and Laine was picked up by Atlas Records, which initially hired him to imitate his friend Nat "King" Cole. After two records, Laine recorded the rest of his songs for Atlas in his own style.

Frankie Laine's next big breakthrough came in 1946 when he recorded a fifteen-year-old song, "That's My Desire", for the fledgling Mercury label. It quickly took over the R&B charts and listeners initially thought Laine was black. It became Laine's first gold record and established him as a force in the music world. He released one hit single after another. Laine has had over 70 charted records, 21 gold records and sold over 100 million records worldwide.

Laine's style paved the way for many artists in the late 1940s and early 1950s, including Kay Starr, Tony Bennett, and Johnny Ray. Laine married actress Nan Gray in June 1950, and their 43-year marriage lasted until Nan Gray's death in July 1993. Laine began recording for Columbia Records in 1951. During this time, Laine became more popular in the UK than in the US.

Mitch Miller has paired Laine with many major artists. such as with Patti Page ("I Love You For That"), Doris Day ("Sugarbush"), Joe Stafford ("Hey Good Looking"), and Johnny Ray ("Up Above My Head (I Hear Music In The Wind)". Columbia Laine recorded a total of 39 chart hits during his stay. In 1953, Laine recorded his first long-playing album, "Mr. Rhythm", a compilation of previously released singles.

In 1954, Laine gave a performance for Queen Elizabeth II in London, which he cites as one of the highlights of his career. By the end of the decade, he was ahead of Elvis Presley as the most successful artist in the British charts. On television, he hosted variety shows: "The Frankie Laine Show" (1954-55), "Frankie Laine Time In" (1955-56). His best selling album, released in 1957. Late in his career, Laine recorded two straight country albums ("A Country Laine" and "The Nashville Connection").

Laine left Columbia for Capitol Records in 1963, but produced only one album and a few singles during his two years there. He continued to perform regularly during this time, including a tour of South Africa. In 1965, Laine joined several African American artists who gave a free concert for supporters of Martin Luther King Jr. during the Selma to Montgomery March. After switching to ABC Records in the late 1960s, Laine found himself back at the top of the charts.

Laine left ABC in 1968 for the much smaller Amos Records, founded in Los Angeles, California. In which Laine released two albums. Amos closed in 1971 due to lack of funding. Laine started his own label, Score Records, which is still producing albums today. Laine performed at the Academy Awards in 1975. In 1976, Laine recorded The Beatles' song "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" for the documentary "All This and World War II".

On June 12, 1996, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 27th Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony at the New York Sheraton. The 86-year-old singer 2nd married to Marcia Ann Kline in June 1999. This marriage lasted for the rest of his life. He recorded his last song "Taps/My Buddy" shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in America in 2001. Laine stipulated that the profits from the song be donated, in perpetuity, to the New York Fire Department.

Frankie Laine died on February 6, 2007 at a hospital in San Diego. He was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2010, a Golden Palm Star, Walk of Stars in Palm Springs, California was dedicated to him. For his contributions to the music and television industries, Frankie Laine has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The music star is on the north side of the 1600 block of Hollywood Boulevard, the television star is on the west side of the 1600 block of Vine Street.

Frankie Laine Songs

* Cry of the Wild Goose (1950)

* High Noon (1952)

* I Believe (1953)

* Jezebel (1951)

* Moonlight Gambler (1957)

* Mule Train (1949)

* Rose Rose I Love You (1951)

* Tell Me a Story (1953)

* That Lucky Old Sun (1949)

* That's My Desire (1947)

working on below songs
* I'll Take Care of Your Cares (1967)

* I'm Gonna be Strong (1963)

* Making Memories (1967)

* To Each His Own (1968)

* You Gave Me a Mountain (1969)

* You No One But You (1967)

* You Wanted Someone to Play with (1967)

More about Frankie Laine

Frankie Laine during a tour in France in the fifties.

Peggy Lee, Jeff Chandler, Carl T. Fisher, Frankie Laine at CBS Studios on June 26, 1952.

Queen Elizabeth II is shown shaking hands with Frankie Laine on 3rd November 1954.

Frankie Laine in 1955.

Frankie Laine and Swedish actress Anita Ekberg sit on folding chairs during rehearsal for an episode of the television series 'Frankie Laine Time,' on July 30, 1956.

Frankie Laine and Anita Ekberg CBS musical variety show on August 1, 1956.

Frankie Laine and Patti Page at CBS musical variety show on August 1, 1956.

Frankie Laine at Bachelor Father - 'A Party For Peter' - Season 5 on 24th October 1961.

Frankie Laine images in 1970.

Frankie Laine gets an assist from pretty actress Maura Hayden as he attempts to blow out candle on birthday cake during celebration of his 60th birthday at Waldorf Astoria March 6th 1973.