Vic Damone "ALL I NEED IS A GIRL LIKE YOU"...CD.....NEW

Vic Damone

Vito Rocco Farinola was born on June 12th 1928 in Brooklyn, New York. His education was cut short when he was 14, his father was injured in a workplace accident and the teenager left school so he could help support his family.

As he had a keen interest in singing he got himself a job at the Paramount Theatre as an usher so he could listen to the top vocalists of the day. One day he plucked up the courage to ask Perry Como to listen to him sing. Como obliged and told the youngster that he had a good voice and he should have a go at a singing career.

Although unable to afford the $1 for a weekly singing lesson Vito practised alone modelling himself on the great Frank Sinatra, His uncle Lou Capone signed the youngster to a seven year contract and got him a spot on radio WHN, the show was called The Gloom Dodgers. It was at this stage he decided to use his mother's maiden name and became Vic Damone. Always looking for opportunities Vic decided to try his luck with Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, he was heard by Milton Berle who promised to help him if he won. He did win and Berle was true to his word getting Vic a job at La Martinique Club. By 1947 he was recording for Mercury records and appearing at New Yorks top venues but he was still getting $150 per week as that was the amount the contract with his uncle stipulated. After three years and a couple of hits Vic borrowed money to pay his uncle to release him from the contract.

Success came with a Saturday night radio show "Saturday Night Serenade" the hits continued in 1949 he had two million sellers, "Again" and "You're Breaking My Heart". Damone appeared in his first movie in 1951and went on to make several more throughout the 50's. Like many successful male singers of the era he also had his own television show in the late 50's.

Sadly the 60's brought rock and roll, ballad singers were no longer popular but Damone continued to record and his persistence paid off, he enjoyed a renewed interest in his work throughout the 80's especially in the U.K. This great balladeer has had a great career spanning five decades.