Vic Damone

 Vic Damone (June 12, 1928 – February 11, 2018)

Damone was best known for his performances of songs such as "You're Breaking My Heart" (a number one hit), the number four hit "On the Street Where You Live" (from My Fair Lady), and "My Heart Cries for You" (also No. 4). Damone entered the talent search on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and won in April 1947. This led to his becoming a regular on Godfrey's show. He met Milton Berle at the studio and Berle got him work at two night clubs. By mid-1947, Damone had signed a contract with Mercury Records. His first release, "I Have But One Heart", reached number seven on the Billboard chart. "You Do" reached the same peak. These were followed by a number of other hits. In 1948, he got his own weekly radio show, Saturday Night Serenade. In 1951, Damone appeared in two movies: The Strip and Rich, Young and Pretty. From 1951 to 1953, he served in the United States Army, but before going into the service, he recorded a number of songs which were released during that time. After leaving the service, he married the Italian actress Pier Angeli (Anna Maria Pierangeli), and in 1954, made two more movies: Deep in My Heart and Athena. He also made some guest appearances on Milton Berle's television show in 1954. In 1955, Damone had one song on the charts, "Por Favor", which did not make it above number 73. However, he did have major roles in two movie musicals, Hit the Deck and Kismet. Damone did limited acting on television in the early 1960s. He played Stan Skylar in the 1960 episode "Piano Man" of CBS's The DuPont Show with June Allyson. He was cast as Jess Wilkerson in the 1961 episode "The Proxy" of the ABC Western series The Rebel, starring Nick Adams. In the summers of 1962 and 1963, Damone hosted a television variety series on NBC called The Lively Ones, which showcased current jazz, pop, and folk performers, as well as comedians.

In 1971, Damone started touring Las Vegas casinos as a performer, and although he had to declare bankruptcy in the early 1970s, he earned enough as a casino performer to clear up his financial difficulties. He extended his geographical range, touring through the United States and the United Kingdom, and as a result of his popularity, decided to record some albums again for RCA. In the UK, he appeared on Tommy Cooper's Christmas Special television show in 1974. Damone appeared in a Diet Pepsi commercial first aired during Super Bowl XXV in January 1991. Damone and other stars, including Jerry Lewis, Tiny Tim, Charo and Bo Jackson, attempt to sing Diet Pepsi's theme song, "You've Got the Right One Baby (Uh-Huh)", which was performed by Ray Charles. His final album was issued in 2002, with other albums being repackaged and re-released. Damone died on February 11, 2018 at the age of 89. He is interred at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery in Palm Beach, Florida.