Crooner Dean Martin – Reminiscing With the King of Cool – The Timeless Music of Dean Martin
everyone loves someone ever, and that someone is none other than legendary singer Dean Martin. With a cigarette in hand and a lady by his side, the King of Cool served his sultry love songs to the world for more than four decades.
Dino Paul Crocetti, the son of Italian immigrant parents, came to the top by rolling with the punches, literally. Ridiculed by his classmates for his poor English and for dropping out of Steubenville High School at age 15, young Dino made his way into show business by taking some pretty hard hits. Boxing as a welterweight with a self-styled “Kid Crochet” title, Dino acquired a little money, a broken nose, a split lip and broken knuckles during his boxing day. Among his many other early livelihoods, he bootlegged, dealt blackjack for an illegal casino, and was an underground dealer.
Musically influenced by Harry Mills of the Mills Brothers, Dino adopted the same singer’s smooth singing style. He teamed up with bandleader Sammy Watkins, who convinced the young singer to change his name to Dean Martin.
A pleasant voice and natural charm won Martin some pretty hot nightclub gigs. However, he did not enjoy the fanatical magnetic pull that singers like Bing Crosby or Frank Sinatra experienced right off the set.
His first real break came in 1946 at the Glass Hat Club in New York City when he met a young comedian named jerry lewis. The two became good friends and began to combine forces. This pairing would catapult Martin to celebrity status almost overnight. The duo was a singing and comedy act with most of the top billing going to Lewis. Martin served as the serious man of the couple. Although the two embarked on a quick trip to stardom that included a nightclub booking program at top clubs across the country along with record and film contracts, Martin grew increasingly restless with second-billing reviews and eventually , the two had a fight. . Martin and Lewis separated and dissolved their relationship both personally and professionally in 1956. The duo reconciled in a surprise public appearance in 1976 during the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon.
A solo career for Martin was not easy. His crooner style of singing was not being as well received with the new genre of rock & roll that was sweeping across the country. Struggling to find his unique niche, he concentrated more on his acting than his singing. In 1957, Martin made a smart decision. Although he took a big drop in pay, he signed on to star in the film. the young lions alongside headliners Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift. This was the catalyst that brought Martin back from him, only this time, alone. The movie was a box office hit and Dean Martin was on his way. With the recognition of the big screen, he now had the luxury of cultivating his career as a singer. Perfecting his style and his vocal technique, the King of Cool now felt more comfortable singing duets with mentors like Frank Sinatra and Perry Como.
The young Italian-speaking rebel from Steubenville, Ohio was now in the big leagues. Dean Martin almost always secured a big box office draw with his name attached to a movie, and when his name appeared on a Las Vegas marquee, the house was sure to be packed.
Teaming up with fellow singers Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., Martin was one of the original members of the famed Rat Pack. However, they themselves did not refer to each other as the Rat Pack, instead labeling their group “The Summit” or “The Clan”.
During the 1960s and early 1970s, Martin enjoyed great success on television with The Dean Martin Show, a variety series that featured many of the top stars of the day. His tongue-in-cheek easygoing format was an audience favorite, but sometimes a point of contention with his producers. Martin did better with adlib and didn’t like following a rigid script, which would sometimes make team members a bit uncomfortable. Martin later hosted a celebrity barbecue show that featured big-name stars like Bob Hope, Jimmy Stewart, and Lucille Ball.
Dino had found his own voice and had legendary hits such as; memories are made of this, that’s loveand everyone loves someone. His songs are still heard in movies, TV shows, and commercials today. Martin’s songs are downloaded on iTunes by a whole new generation of song lovers.
Dean’s image as a lazy drunk with a rolling cigarette in hand became his trademark public persona. Although Martin never discussed it, there has been much speculation that drinking was partly an act and a media exaggeration. Unfortunately, heavy smoking was very real and in 1993 Martin was diagnosed with lung cancer.
His personal life included three marriages and seven children. Martin’s son, Dean Paul (Dino) died in a plane crash in 1987. The tragedy took its toll on the artist and subsequently began the decline of his career. His last public appearance was in December 1990 celebrating Frank Sinatra’s 75th birthday. Dean Martin died on Christmas Day 1995 in Beverly Hills, California from acute respiratory failure. He was 78 years old.