GREAT MALE SINGERS: Frankie Laine

Here is a selection of songs performed by the great Frankie Laine.

Frankie Laine (1913-2007), born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio, was an American singer, songwriter, and actor whose career spanned 75 years, from his first concerts in 1930 with a marathon dance company to his final performance of That's my desire in 2005. Often billed as "America's number one song stylist", his other nicknames include "Mr. Rhythm", "Old leather lungs", and "Mr. steel tonsils". His hits included That's my desire, That lucky old sun, Mule train, Cry of the wild goose, A woman in love, Jezebel, High noon, I believe, Hey Joe!, The kid's last fight, Cool water, Moonlight gambler, Love is a golden ring, Rawhide, and Lord, you gave me a mountain.

He sang well-known theme songs for many movie Western soundtracks, including 3:10 to Yuma, Gunfight at the O.K. corral, and Blazing saddles, although he was not a country & western singer. Laine sang an eclectic variety of song styles and genres, stretching from big band crooning to pop, western-themed songs, gospel, rock, folk, jazz, and blues. He did not sing the soundtrack song for High noon, which was sung by Tex Ritter, but his own version was the one that became a bigger hit, nor did he sing the theme to another show he is commonly associated with – Champion the wonder horse (sung by Mike Stewart) – but released his own, subsequently more popular, version.

Laine's enduring popularity was illustrated in June 2011, when a TV-advertised compilation called Hits reached No. 16 on the British chart. The accomplishment was achieved nearly 60 years after his debut on the UK chart, 64 years after his first major U.S. hit and four years after his death.

A clarion-voiced singer with lots of style, able to fill halls without a microphone, and one of the biggest hit-makers of late 1940s/early 1950s, Laine had more than 70 charted records, 21 gold records, and worldwide sales of over 100 million records. Originally a rhythm and blues influenced jazz singer, Laine excelled at virtually every music style, eventually expanding to such varied genres as popular standards, gospel, folk, country, western/Americana, rock 'n' roll, and the occasional novelty number. He was also known as "Mr. Rhythm" for his driving jazzy style.

On television, he hosted three variety shows: The Frankie Laine Hour in 1950, The Frankie Laine Show (with Connie Haines) 1954-55, and Frankie Laine Time in 1955-56. The latter was a summer replacement for The Arthur Godfrey Show that received a Primetime Emmy for Best Male Singer. Frankie Laine Time featured such guest stars as Ella Fitzgerald, Johnnie Ray, Georgia Gibbs, The Four Lads, Cab Calloway, Patti Page, Eddie Heywood, Duke Ellington, Boris Karloff, Patti Andrews, Joni James, Shirley MacLaine, Gene Krupa, Teresa Brewer, Jack Teagarden and Polly Bergen.

He was a frequent guest star on various other shows of the time, including Shower of stars, The Steve Allen Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, What's my line?, This is your life, Bachelor father, The Sinatra Show, The Walter Winchell Show, The Perry Como Show, The Garry Moore Show, Masquerade party, The Mike Douglas Show, and American bandstand. Along with opening the door for many R&B performers, Laine played a significant role in the civil rights movements of the 1950s and 1960s. When Nat King Cole's television show was unable to get a sponsor, Laine crossed the color line, becoming the first white artist to appear as a guest. Many other top white singers followed suit, including Tony Bennett and Rosemary Clooney.

In the following decade, Laine joined several African American artists who gave a free concert for Martin Luther King's supporters during their Selma to Montgomery marches on Washington, D.C.

Laine, who had a strong appreciation of African American music, went so far as to record at least two songs that have being black as their subject matter, Shine and Fats Waller's Black and blue. Both were recorded early in his career at Mercury, and helped to contribute to the initial confusion among fans about his race.

On June 12, 1996, he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 27th Annual Songwriters’ Hall of Fame awards ceremony at the New York Sheraton. On his 80th birthday, the United States Congress declared him to be a national treasure. Then, a decade later on March 30, 2003, Frankie celebrated his 90th birthday, and several of his old pals, Herb Jeffries, Patti Page and Kay Starr were welcomed to his birthday bash in San Diego, as each of them gave him a helping hand in blowing out the candles.

In 2006, he appeared on the PBS My Music special despite a recent stroke, performing That's my desire, and received a standing ovation. It proved to be his swan song to the world of popular music.

Laine died of heart failure on February 6, 2007, at Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego. In a prepared statement, Laine's family said, "He will be forever remembered for the beautiful music he brought into this world, his wit and sense of humor, along with the love he shared with so many." A memorial mass was held February 12, at the Immaculata parish church on the campus of the University of San Diego. The following day, his ashes, along with those of his late wife, Nan Grey, were scattered over the Pacific Ocean.

While Laine's influence on popular music, rock and roll and soul is rarely acknowledged by rock historians, his early crossover success as a singer of "race music" not only helped pave the way for other white artists who sang in the black style, like Kay Starr, Johnnie Ray and Elvis Presley, but also helped to increase public acceptance for African-American artists as well. Artists inspired and/or influenced by Laine include Ray Charles, Bobby Darin, Lou Rawls, The Beatles, Tom Jones, James Brown, and many others.

He was inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame 2008.

In 2010, a Golden Palm Star on the Palm Springs, California, Walk of Stars was dedicated to him.

For his contributions to the music and television industry, Frankie Laine has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The music star is at the north side of the 1600 block on Hollywood Boulevard, the television star is at the west side of the 1600 block on Vine Street.

Enjoy Frankie Laine’s unique style!