Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Perry Como, born Pierino Ronald Como (May 18
1912–May 12 2001) was an Italian American
crooner during the latter half of the 20th
century. His exclusive recording contract with RCA
Victor in 1943 began an association that would
last for almost fifty years. He sold around sixty
million records in his long career.

Como was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.
Although he always liked to sing, his first great
ambition was to be the best barber in Canonsburg.
After graduation from high school, he opened his
own barber's shop.  In 1933, he married his
teenage sweetheart, Roselle Belline.  

==Professional singer==
In 1933 he joined Freddy Carlone's band in Ohio,
and three years later moved up to Ted Weems'
Orchestra and his first recording dates. Their
first recording was a novelty tune called "You
Can't Pull the Wool over My Eyes", recorded for
the Decca Records label.

In 1942 Weems dissolved his band, and Como went on
to CBS, where he sang for a couple of years
without any conspicuous success. By this time the
erstwhile barber had definitely decided to return
to Canonsburg, his family, and his barbering. Just
as he was about to abandon his singing career once
and for all, two NBC producers stepped in,
returning him to show business for the NBC Supper
Club. Later he became a very successful performer
in theatre and night club engagements.

In 1945, Como recorded the pop ballad "'Til the
End of Time" (based on Chopin's "Polonaise"),
which marked the beginning a highly successful
career. Como was the first artist to have ten
records sell more than one million copies.
Similarly,  his television show achieved a much
higher rating than that of any other vocalist to
date.

On March 14, 1958, the RIAA certified Como's hit
single, "Catch A Falling Star" as its first ever
"Gold Record." 

By the 1980s, the atmosphere of recording had
changed dramatically from his early days at RCA
Victor. Como's recording sessions, previously
filled with laughter and joy, had deteriorated
into much more sombre occasions. For this reason,
he walked away from his final studio-produced
recordings in the early 1980s. He returned to
record a final album with his trusted friend and
associate Nick Perito in 1987. His recording of
"The Wind Beneath My Wings'" was almost
autobiographical, a fitting end to a long and
successful recording career. Como would record
only once more, in 1994, privately, for his
well-known Christmas Concert in Ireland.

==Television==
He had numerous Christmas television specials,
beginning on Christmas Eve, 1948, and continuing
to 1994, when his final Christmas Special was
recorded in Ireland. Following his weekly series,
ending in 1963, Como's television specials became
bi-monthly, then monthly, and were finally limited
to seasonal specials celebrating Easter, Spring,
Thanksgiving, and Christmas, ending in 1987. They
were recorded from many parts of the world,
including England, Rome, Austria, France, and many
locations throughout North America.  Como's
Christmas Concert in Ireland was his final
special, and the last of his commercial
recordings. 

His regular television program|television show, at
first a spin-off from the Chesterfield Supper
Club, continued through the early 1950s, becoming
The Perry Como Show, and then for five years The
Perry Como Kraft Music Hall. He became the highest
paid performer in the history of television to
that date, earning mention in the Guinness Book of
World Records. Prior to this, Como battled against
Jackie Gleason in what was billed the "Battle of
the Giants", and won. This is rarely mentioned,
because Como commonly played down his own
achievements.  He recorded many albums of songs
for the RCA Victor label between 1952 and 1987,
and is credited with numerous gold records. Como
had so many recordings achieve gold-record status
that he refused to have many of them certified. It
was this characteristic which made him so
different from his peers, and which endeared him
to legions of fans throughout the world. Over the
decades, Como is reported to have sold millions of
records, but he commonly suppressed these figures.

==A farewell concert from Ireland==
In January 1994, Como travelled to Dublin,
Ireland, for what would be an auspicious moment in
his long career of more than sixty years.  1993
would have marked his fiftieth anniversary with
the RCA Victor label, now owned and controlled by
Bertelsmann and operated under the BMG logo, as
well as his forty-fifth year of television
specials celebrating Christmas and its importance
throughout the world to people of all faiths.
Como's Irish Christmas was produced for the
American PBS public television system and has been
re-broadcast annually since 1994.

Como died on May 12 2001 at his home in Jupiter,
Florida, six days before his eighty-ninth
birthday.

==See also==
*List of popular music performers
*List of songs recorded by Perry Como
*Best selling music artists

==External links==
*http://www.kokomo.ca/ A Perry Como Discography
& CD Companion
*http://www.perrycomo.net/ The Perry Como Home on
the Internet
*http://www.contactmusic.com/new/artist.nsf/artist
names/perry%20como Perry Come Home Page on
Contactmusic.com
*imdb name|id=0173908|name=Perry Como
*http://kokomo.ca/album_22.htm Look to Your Heart
*http://kokomo.ca/cd_review/press/christmas_concer
t_1993.htm Perry Como's Irish Christmas Concert
*http://www.kokomo.ca/cd_review/press/index.htm
BILLBOARD Memorial
*http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1327726
.stm BBC Obituary
*http://www.post-gazette.com/obituaries/20010513co
mo4.asp Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Obituary
*http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/12/
como.obit/ CNN Obituary

lived|b=1912|d=2001|key=Como, Perry

	Web Quotableonline.com Frasescelebres.org Greatbookscollection.org

Perry Como, born Pierino Ronald Como (May 18
1912–May 12 2001) was an Italian American
crooner during the latter half of the 20th
century. His exclusive recording contract with RCA
Victor in 1943 began an association that would
last for almost fifty years. He sold around sixty
million records in his long career.

Como was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.
Although he always liked to sing, his first great
ambition was to be the best barber in Canonsburg.
After graduation from high school, he opened his
own barber's shop.  In 1933, he married his
teenage sweetheart, Roselle Belline.  

==Professional singer==
In 1933 he joined Freddy Carlone's band in Ohio,
and three years later moved up to Ted Weems'
Orchestra and his first recording dates. Their
first recording was a novelty tune called "You
Can't Pull the Wool over My Eyes", recorded for
the Decca Records label.

In 1942 Weems dissolved his band, and Como went on
to CBS, where he sang for a couple of years
without any conspicuous success. By this time the
erstwhile barber had definitely decided to return
to Canonsburg, his family, and his barbering. Just
as he was about to abandon his singing career once
and for all, two NBC producers stepped in,
returning him to show business for the NBC Supper
Club. Later he became a very successful performer
in theatre and night club engagements.

In 1945, Como recorded the pop ballad "'Til the
End of Time" (based on Chopin's "Polonaise"),
which marked the beginning a highly successful
career. Como was the first artist to have ten
records sell more than one million copies.
Similarly,  his television show achieved a much
higher rating than that of any other vocalist to
date.

On March 14, 1958, the RIAA certified Como's hit
single, "Catch A Falling Star" as its first ever
"Gold Record." 

By the 1980s, the atmosphere of recording had
changed dramatically from his early days at RCA
Victor. Como's recording sessions, previously
filled with laughter and joy, had deteriorated
into much more sombre occasions. For this reason,
he walked away from his final studio-produced
recordings in the early 1980s. He returned to
record a final album with his trusted friend and
associate Nick Perito in 1987. His recording of
"The Wind Beneath My Wings'" was almost
autobiographical, a fitting end to a long and
successful recording career. Como would record
only once more, in 1994, privately, for his
well-known Christmas Concert in Ireland.

==Television==
He had numerous Christmas television specials,
beginning on Christmas Eve, 1948, and continuing
to 1994, when his final Christmas Special was
recorded in Ireland. Following his weekly series,
ending in 1963, Como's television specials became
bi-monthly, then monthly, and were finally limited
to seasonal specials celebrating Easter, Spring,
Thanksgiving, and Christmas, ending in 1987. They
were recorded from many parts of the world,
including England, Rome, Austria, France, and many
locations throughout North America.  Como's
Christmas Concert in Ireland was his final
special, and the last of his commercial
recordings. 

His regular television program|television show, at
first a spin-off from the Chesterfield Supper
Club, continued through the early 1950s, becoming
The Perry Como Show, and then for five years The
Perry Como Kraft Music Hall. He became the highest
paid performer in the history of television to
that date, earning mention in the Guinness Book of
World Records. Prior to this, Como battled against
Jackie Gleason in what was billed the "Battle of
the Giants", and won. This is rarely mentioned,
because Como commonly played down his own
achievements.  He recorded many albums of songs
for the RCA Victor label between 1952 and 1987,
and is credited with numerous gold records. Como
had so many recordings achieve gold-record status
that he refused to have many of them certified. It
was this characteristic which made him so
different from his peers, and which endeared him
to legions of fans throughout the world. Over the
decades, Como is reported to have sold millions of
records, but he commonly suppressed these figures.

==A farewell concert from Ireland==
In January 1994, Como travelled to Dublin,
Ireland, for what would be an auspicious moment in
his long career of more than sixty years.  1993
would have marked his fiftieth anniversary with
the RCA Victor label, now owned and controlled by
Bertelsmann and operated under the BMG logo, as
well as his forty-fifth year of television
specials celebrating Christmas and its importance
throughout the world to people of all faiths.
Como's Irish Christmas was produced for the
American PBS public television system and has been
re-broadcast annually since 1994.

Como died on May 12 2001 at his home in Jupiter,
Florida, six days before his eighty-ninth
birthday.

==See also==
*List of popular music performers
*List of songs recorded by Perry Como
*Best selling music artists

==External links==
*http://www.kokomo.ca/ A Perry Como Discography
& CD Companion
*http://www.perrycomo.net/ The Perry Como Home on
the Internet
*http://www.contactmusic.com/new/artist.nsf/artist
names/perry%20como Perry Come Home Page on
Contactmusic.com
*imdb name|id=0173908|name=Perry Como
*http://kokomo.ca/album_22.htm Look to Your Heart
*http://kokomo.ca/cd_review/press/christmas_concer
t_1993.htm Perry Como's Irish Christmas Concert
*http://www.kokomo.ca/cd_review/press/index.htm
BILLBOARD Memorial
*http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1327726
.stm BBC Obituary
*http://www.post-gazette.com/obituaries/20010513co
mo4.asp Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Obituary
*http://archives.cnn.com/2001/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/12/
como.obit/ CNN Obituary

lived|b=1912|d=2001|key=Como, Perry