Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987.
"Mr. C.", as Como was nicknamed, reportedly sold over 100 million records worldwide and pioneered a weekly musical variety television show. His weekly television shows and seasonal specials were broadcast throughout the world. Como recorded primarily vocal pop and was renowned for recordings in the intimate, easy-listening genre pioneered by multimedia star Bing Crosby. In the official RCA Records Billboard magazine memorial, Como's life was summed up in these few words: "50 years of music and a life well lived. An example to all."
Como received five Emmys from 1955 to 1959, and a Christopher Award in 1956. He also shared a Peabody Award with good friend Jackie Gleason in 1956. Como received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1987 and was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame three years later. Posthumously, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002 and was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006. Como has the distinction of having three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, for his work in radio, television, and music.
Early years
Como was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, about southwest of Pittsburgh. He was the seventh of 13 children and the first American-born child of Pietro Como and Lucia Travaglini, who both emigrated to the US in 1910 from the Abruzzese town of Palena, Italy. Como did not begin speaking English until entering school since the Comos spoke Italian at home. The family had a second-hand organ his father had bought for $3; as soon as Como was able to toddle, he would head to the instrument, pump the bellows, and play music he had heard.Pietro, a mill hand and an amateur baritone, had all his children take music lessons even if he could barely afford them. In a rare 1957 interview, Como's mother, Lucia, described how her young son also took on other jobs to pay for more music lessons; Como learned to play many different instruments, but never had a voice lesson. He showed more musical talent in his teenaged years as a trombone player in the town's brass band, playing guitar, singing at weddings, and as an organist at church. Como was a member of the Canonsburg Italian Band along with bandleader Stan Vinton, father of singer Bobby Vinton and often a customer at Como's barber shop.
Como started helping his family at age 10, working before and after school in Steve Fragapane's barber shop for 50¢ a week. By age 13, Como had graduated to having his own chair in the Fragapane barber shop, although he stood on a box to tend to his customers. Also around this time, Como lost his week's wages in a dice game. Filled with shame, Como locked himself in his room and did not come out until hunger got the better of him. Como managed to tell his father what had happened to the money his family depended on. His father told Como that he was entitled to make a mistake and that he hoped his son would never do anything worse than this.
When Como was 14, his father became unable to work because of a severe heart condition, resulting in Como and his brothers becoming the support of the household.
Despite his musical ability, Como's primary ambition was to become the best barber in Canonsburg. Practicing on his father, Como mastered the skills well enough to have his own shop at age 14. One of Como's regular customers at the barber shop owned a Greek coffeehouse that included a barber shop area, and asked Como whether he would like to take over that portion of his shop. Como had so much work after moving to the coffeehouse, he had to hire two barbers to help. His customers worked mainly at the nearby steel mills. They were well-paid, did not mind spending money on themselves, and enjoyed Como's song renditions. He did especially well when one of his customers would marry. The groom and his men would avail themselves of every treatment Como and his assistants had to offer. Como sang romantic songs while busying himself with the groom as the other two barbers worked with the rest of the groom's party. During the wedding preparation, the groom's friends and relatives would come into the shop with gifts of money for Como. He became so popular as a "wedding barber" in the Greek community that he was asked to provide his services in Pittsburgh and throughout Ohio.
Singing career
Freddy Carlone and Ted Weems
In 1932, Como left Canonsburg, moving about 100 miles away to Meadville, Pennsylvania, where his uncle had a barber shop in the Hotel Conneaut. About 80 miles from Cleveland, it was a popular stop on the itinerary for dance bands who worked up and down the Ohio Valley. Como, his girlfriend Roselle, and their friends had gone to nearby Cleveland; their good times took them to the Silver Slipper Ballroom, where Freddy Carlone and his orchestra were playing. Carlone invited anyone who thought he might have talent to come up and sing with his band. Como was terrified, but his friends urged him and pushed him onto the stage. Carlone was so impressed with Como's performance that he immediately offered him a job.Como was not certain if he should accept Carlone's offer, so he returned to Canonsburg to talk the matter over with his father. Como expected his father would tell him to stay in the barber business, but to Como's surprise, his father said if he did not take the opportunity, he might never know whether or not Como could be a professional singer. The decision was also made with an eye on finances; at this time, Como was earning around $125 per week from his barber shop, while the job with Carlone paid $28 per week. Roselle was willing to travel with her fiancé and the band, but the salary was not enough to support two people on the road. Perry and Roselle were married in Meadville on July 31, 1933; four days later, Como joined Carlone's band and began working with them. Roselle returned home to Canonsburg; Como would be on the road for the next 18 months.
Three years after joining Carlone, Como moved to Ted Weems's Orchestra and his first recording dates. Como and Weems met in 1936 while the Carlone orchestra was playing in Warren, Ohio. Como initially did not take the offer to join Weems's orchestra. Apparently realizing it was the best move for Como, Carlone selflessly urged him to sign with Weems. Art Jarrett had just left the Weems organization to start his own band. Weems was in need of a vocalist; Como got a raise. Weems paid him $50 per week, his first chance for nationwide exposure. Weems and his orchestra were based in Chicago and were regulars on The Jack Benny Program and Fibber McGee and Molly. The Weems band also had its own weekly radio program on the Mutual Broadcasting System during 1936–1937.
From the show, Como acquired polish and his own style with Weems's help. Mutual's Chicago affiliate, WGN radio, threatened to stop carrying the Weems broadcasts from Chicago's Palmer House if his new singer did not improve. Weems had recordings of some of his previous radio programs; one evening he and Como listened to them, and Como was shocked to realize no one could understand the lyrics when he sang. Weems told Como there was no need for him to resort to vocal tricks; what was necessary was to sing from the heart.
Como's first recording with the Weems band was a novelty tune called "You Can't Pull the Wool Over My Eyes", recorded for the Decca Records label in May 1936. During one of Como's early Decca recording sessions with the Weems orchestra, Weems was told to get rid of "that kid" because he sounded too much like Bing Crosby, who also recorded for Decca. Before Como could reply, Weems spoke up, saying Como was part of the session or it was over. By the time Como had been with Weems about a year, he was mentioned in a 1937 Life magazine NBC Radio ad for Fibber McGee and Molly as "causing cardiac flutters with his crooning". The weekly radio show Beat the Band, which ran on NBC from 1940 to 1944, was a "stump the band"-type musical quiz show on which Weems and his orchestra were featured from 1940 to 1941.
RCA Victor and radio
The Comos' first child, Ronnie, was born in 1940, while the Weems band was working in Chicago. Como left to be at his wife's side, though he was threatened with dismissal if he did so. Though Como was now making $250 a week and travel expenses for the family were no problem, Ronnie could not become used to a normal routine when they were unable to stay in one place for a period of time. The radio program Beat the Band did not always originate from Chicago, but was often broadcast from other cities such as Milwaukee, Denver, and St. Louis. The band continued to play road engagements while part of the program was broadcast. Como decided life on the road was no place to raise a child, and Roselle and the baby went back to Canonsburg.In late 1942, Como decided to quit the Weems band, even if it meant giving up singing. Weary of life on the road and missing his wife and son, he returned to Canonsburg, his family, and his trade. Como received an offer to become a Frank Sinatra imitator, but chose to keep his own style. While Como was negotiating for a store lease to reopen a barber shop, he received a call from Tommy Rockwell at General Artists Corporation, who also represented Weems. Como fielded many other calls that also brought offers, but he liked and trusted Rockwell, who was offering him his own sustaining Columbia Broadcasting System radio show and promising to get him a recording contract. The offers were also appealing because it meant staying put in New York with no more road tours. As Como pondered the job offer, Roselle told him, "You can always get another barber shop if it doesn't work out!" Until the radio show and recording contract offers, he did not view singing as his true career, believing the years with Carlone and Weems had been enjoyable but now it was time to get back to work. Como said in a 1983 interview, "I thought I'd have my fun and I'd go home to work."
Perry made his debut radio broadcast for CBS on March 12, 1943. Rockwell's next move was to book Como into the Copacabana nightclub for two weeks beginning on June 10, 1943. At this same time, RCA Victor was looking for a crooner to compete with Sinatra and Crosby; Como signed his first recording contract with RCA Victor and three days after that, cut his first record for the company, "Goodbye, Sue". It was the beginning of a professional relationship that lasted for 44 years. He became a very successful performer in theater and nightclub engagements; Como's initial two weeks at the Copacabana in June stretched into August. Sinatra would sometimes call Como and ask him to fill in for him at his Paramount Theater performances.
The crooning craze was at its height during this time, and the "bobby soxer" and "swooner" teenaged girls who were wild about Sinatra added Como to their list. A "swooners" club voted Perry "Crooner of the Year" in 1943. The line for a Perry Como Paramount performance was three deep and wound around the city block. Como's popularity also extended to a more mature audience when he played the Versailles and returned to the Copacabana, where the management placed "SRO-Swooning Ruled Out" cards on their tables.
Doug Storer, who was an advertising manager with the Blackman Company at the time, became convinced of Como's abilities after hearing him on his unsponsored CBS Radio show. Storer produced a demonstration radio program recording with Como and the Mitchell Ayres Orchestra, which he brought to the advertising agency that handled the Chesterfield Cigarettes account. Initially, the agency liked the format of the show, but wanted someone else as the star, asking Storer to obtain the release of the singer they preferred, so he would be free for their new program. Storer decided to do nothing about getting the singer released from his contract. When he was contacted by the agency some weeks later, saying they were ready to put the program on the air on NBC, Storer bluntly told them the man for their show was the man they had heard on the demo recording. The program was scheduled to make its debut in a week; the only option was to hire Como for the show. Storer then arranged for Como's release from his CBS contract. On December 11, 1944, he moved from CBS to NBC for a new radio program, Chesterfield Supper Club.
The April 5, 1946, broadcasts of the Chesterfield Supper Club took place 20,000 feet in the air; these were the first known instances of a complete radio show being presented from an airplane. Como, Jo Stafford, the Lloyd Shaffer Orchestra, and the entire "Supper Club" crew made the flights for the shows. Two "Supper Club" broadcast flights were made that evening: at 6 pm and again at 10 pm for the West Coast broadcast of the show. Three flights were made; an earlier rehearsal flight was made for reception purposes. In addition to the band instruments, the plane also carried a small piano. Because the stand-held microphones were not very useful on the plane, hand-held mikes were used, but they became extremely heavy to hold after a few minutes. This mid-air performance caused the American Federation of Musicians to consider this a new type of engagement and issue a special set of rates for it.
From 1989 until his death in 2001, Como co-hosted a weekly syndicated radio show with John Knox called Weekend With Perry.