"The best revenge is massive success." - Frank Sinatra
Originally from the American state of New Jersey, he was born in 1915, to Italian parents.
Under the influence of Bing Crosby, he started at parties and cafes, later singing on local radio stations. In 1939 he accepted an engagement in the Harry James band. In the years 1940-42 he sang with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, he became very popular and a female idol. He sang a number of successful songs with Dorsey, such as I'll Be Seeing You, East Of The Sun, I'll Never Smile Again, Night And Day, etc. He also appears in the film musicals Las Vegas Nights (1941) and Ship Ahoy (1942).
He has been recording as a soloist since 1943 and one of his first solo hits is, the song All Or Nothing At All. In 1944, he performed in musicals Higher And Higher (including the hit I Couldn't Sleep A Wink Last Night) and Step Lively. He also appeared in the musical On The Town and in the musical comedy Anchor Awerligh (1945), from which another hit comes - I Fall In Love Too Easily.
He received an Honorary Oscar for his role in the short film The House I Live In. After a number of other hits, such as It Happened In Brooklyn (1947), The Kissing Bandit (1948), and Double Dynamite (1951), there was a retreat from the highest positions in the early 1950s, although other recordings are generally highly valued.
In 1953, he celebrated a successful return as an actor in the film From Here To Eternity (for which he won an Oscar) and other recordings were gradually promoted (orchestras by Gordon Jenkins, Billy Maye, Nelson Riddle, and Quincy Jones). The albums "Come Fly With Me" and "Sings For Only The Lonely" reach the top of the US charts, for the album "Come Dance With Me!" he received a Grammy Award.
In the 1950s, he also performed in a number of other musicals, such as Young At Heart (1954, with the famous title song), Guys And Dolls (1955), High Society (1956), Pal Joey (1957), Can Can (1960). He also won roles in a number of films, such as The Man With The Golden Arm (1955), Johnny Concho (1956), King Go Forth (1958), A Hole In The Head (1959). In 1960, he became the head of Reprise's own record company.
He maintains his circle of listeners even in the 1960s. Among the most successful songs of this period were: Pocketful Of Miracles (1961), Call Me Irresponsible (1963), Strangers In The Night (1966, Grammy Award, number one in Billboard Hot 100), Something Stupid (1967, a duet with his daughter Nancy, also reaching number one in Billboard Hot 100). Among the albums, "Nice´n´ Easy", "Strangers In The Night" - both 1st in the US hits, "September Of My Years", "A Man And His Music" - Grammy Award in both cases.
He completed successful film roles in The Manchurian Candidate (1962), Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964), Von Ryan's Express (1965), Assault On A Queen (1966), Tony Rome (1967), Lady In Cement (1968), The Detective (1968). He also starts working as a film producer and director (in 1965 the film None But Brave).
After a short pause in recording in the early 1970s, he returns but is increasingly retreating from stellar positions. He appeared in the television film Contract On Cherry Street in 1977 and in the television film First Deadly Sin in 1980. After the album „L. A. Is My Lady "new recordings do not appear. He died in May 1998.