Perry Como facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Perry Como
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Publicity still, c. 1962
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| Born |
Pierino Ronald Como
May 18, 1912 Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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| Died | May 12, 2001 (aged 88) |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1932–1997 |
| Spouse(s) |
Roselle Belline
(m. 1933; died 1998) |
| Children | 3 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels | Decca, RCA Victor |
| Associated acts |
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| Signature | |
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Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (born May 18, 1912 – died May 12, 2001) was a famous American singer, actor, and TV star. He had a career that lasted over 50 years! For 44 of those years, he recorded music only for RCA Victor.
Perry Como was known for his calm and relaxing "easy-listening" songs. People often called him "Mr. C." He sold millions of records. He also helped create weekly musical variety TV shows. His shows and holiday specials were watched all over the world. RCA Records once said about him: "50 years of music and a life well lived. An example to all."
Como won many awards. He received five Emmys between 1955 and 1959. He also got a Christopher Award in 1956. He shared a Peabody Award with his friend Jackie Gleason in 1956. In 1987, he received a Kennedy Center Honor. He was added to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1990. After he passed away, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. He also has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. These stars honor his work in radio, TV, and music.
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Perry Como's Early Life
Perry Como was born in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. This town is about 20 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. He was the seventh of 13 children. His parents, Pietro and Lucia Como, came to the U.S. in 1910 from Palena, Italy. Perry only started speaking English when he went to school. At home, his family spoke Italian.
His father bought a used organ for $3. Young Perry loved to play it. He would pump the bellows and play songs he had heard. His father was a mill worker and also sang. He made sure all his children had music lessons. Perry learned many instruments but never had a voice lesson. As a teenager, he played the trombone in the town's brass band. He also played guitar and sang at weddings. He was an organist at church too.
Becoming a Barber
Perry started working at age 10. He helped in Steve Fragapane's barber shop. He earned 50 cents a week. By age 13, he had his own barber chair. He even stood on a box to reach his customers!
When Perry was 14, his father became sick. Perry and his brothers had to help support the family. Perry wanted to be the best barber in Canonsburg. He practiced on his father. Soon, he opened his own barber shop at age 14.
One of his customers owned a Greek coffee house. It had a barber shop area. He asked Perry if he wanted to take it over. Perry had so many customers there that he hired two other barbers. His customers were mostly steel mill workers. They liked spending money and enjoyed Perry's singing. He was very popular as a "wedding barber." People from Pittsburgh and Ohio even asked for his services.
Perry Como's Singing Career
Starting with Bands
In 1932, Perry left Canonsburg. He moved to Meadville, Pennsylvania. His uncle had a barber shop there. One day, Perry and his friends went to Cleveland. They visited the Silver Slipper Ballroom. Freddy Carlone and his orchestra were playing. Carlone invited anyone to sing with his band. Perry was scared, but his friends pushed him onto the stage. Carlone was so impressed that he offered Perry a job right away.
Perry wasn't sure if he should take the job. He earned about $125 a week as a barber. Carlone's job paid only $28 a week. Perry's father told him to take the chance. Perry married his girlfriend, Roselle, on July 31, 1933. Four days later, he joined Freddy Carlone's band. Roselle went back home to Canonsburg. Perry was on the road for the next 18 months.
Three years later, Perry joined Ted Weems's Orchestra. This was his first chance to record music. Weems paid him $50 a week. This gave Perry his first chance to be heard across the country. The Weems band was based in Chicago. They were often on radio shows like The Jack Benny Program. They also had their own radio show.
Weems helped Perry improve his singing style. At first, Perry's words were hard to understand. Weems told him to sing from the heart. Perry's first song with the Weems band was "You Can't Pull the Wool Over My Eyes." It was recorded in May 1936 for Decca Records.
Joining RCA Victor and Radio Fame
Perry and Roselle's first child, Ronnie, was born in 1940. Perry left the band to be with his wife. Life on the road was hard for a family. In late 1942, Perry decided to quit singing. He went back to Canonsburg to be a barber again.
But then, he got a call from Tommy Rockwell. Rockwell offered him his own radio show on Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS). He also promised a recording contract. This meant Perry could stay in New York. Roselle told him, "You can always get another barber shop if it doesn't work out!"
Perry's first radio show for CBS was on March 12, 1943. Soon after, he signed his first contract with RCA Victor. This partnership lasted for 44 years! He became very popular in theaters and nightclubs. Teenagers loved him, just like they loved Frank Sinatra. A "swooners" club even voted Perry "Crooner of the Year" in 1943.
On December 11, 1944, Perry moved to NBC. He started a new radio show called Chesterfield Supper Club. This show was very popular. In April 1946, some shows were even broadcast from an airplane! This was the first time a full radio show was done from a plane.
From 1989 until his death, Perry co-hosted a weekly radio show called Weekend With Perry.
Concerts and Live Shows
Perry Como had not performed in a nightclub for 26 years. Then, in June 1970, he performed in Las Vegas. This led to his first "live" album. He continued to perform in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe.
In May 1974, he performed his first concert outside the U.S. It was at the London Palladium. The audience cheered for ten minutes when he walked on stage! He returned to the UK in November for a special show. He was even invited to Buckingham Palace. He only accepted when his whole team was invited too.
In 1982, Perry and Frank Sinatra sang for the Italian President at the White House. The President enjoyed it so much he sang along! Perry also performed for Queen Elizabeth in California.
In 1984, Perry went on his 50th Anniversary tour across the U.S. He loved doing live shows. Even after his 80th birthday, he kept touring. He stopped wearing his famous cardigan sweaters. Instead, he wore a tuxedo. He said, "It shows respect for the audience."
Perry Como's Film Career
Perry's good looks helped him get a seven-year contract with 20th Century-Fox in 1943. He made four films for Fox. These included Something for the Boys (1944) and Doll Face (1945). He also made one film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Words and Music (1948). Perry never felt truly comfortable in movies. He felt the roles didn't fit him.
A Hollywood agent tried to change Perry's story. They wanted to say he was a coal miner instead of a barber. Perry proved them wrong by giving a reporter a shave and haircut at the studio.
Perry often waited a long time to be called to the set. When he finally appeared, the director didn't even know who he was! He asked to be released from his MGM contract in 1948. He said, "I was wasting their time and they were wasting mine."
Perry later said that TV was much better for him than movies. On TV, he could just be himself. In movies, he was always playing someone else.
Perry Como's Television Career
Early TV Years: 1948–1955
Perry Como first appeared on TV on December 24, 1948. It was a TV version of his Chesterfield Supper Club radio show. His eight-year-old son, Ronnie, even sang "Silent Night" with him. Perry admitted he was scared at first. But he learned to just be himself on TV. He said, "You can't act on TV. With me, what you see is what you get."
In 1949, his show became a weekly half-hour program on Sunday nights. In 1950, he moved to CBS. The show was renamed The Perry Como Chesterfield Show. It was a short, informal musical show. By 1952, TV was becoming the main way people watched entertainment. Perry was one of the few singers from his time who really understood TV.
The Perry Como Show: 1955–1959
Perry moved back to NBC in 1955. His new show was called The Perry Como Show. It was an hour-long variety show. It had music, comedy, and guest stars. This show was very popular. It was one of the top ten TV shows in 1956-1957.
The show's theme song was "Dream Along With Me." Perry started wearing his famous cardigan sweaters. In the "Sing to me, Mr. C." part, he would sit on a stool and sing songs requested by viewers. The show's closing song was "You Are Never Far Away From Me."
Perry's announcer, Frank Gallop, often joked with him. Perry loved working in live television. He said, "The spontaneity was the fun of it." One time, during a show with swimmer Esther Williams, Perry jumped into a swimming pool on stage!
On December 17, 1955, viewers saw Perry's old job. Actor Kirk Douglas was a guest. Kirk had grown a beard for a movie. Perry shaved Kirk's beard live on TV! In 1956, his show became one of the first weekly color TV shows.
Perry was very popular. A 1956 poll asked young women who their ideal husband was. The answer was Perry Como! In 1958, a poll of teenagers found Perry to be the most popular male singer. He even beat Elvis Presley! His TV show was shown in at least 12 other countries.
Kraft Music Hall: 1959–1967
In 1959, Perry signed a huge deal with Kraft Foods. He moved to Wednesday nights. He hosted Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall for the next four years. He became the highest-paid performer in TV history at that time. This was even mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records. Perry's own company, Roncom, handled all his business.
In 1962, Perry and his show visited the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. They were the first entertainers to visit after a big crisis. Perry even shaved a serviceman's beard on the show!
In 1964, Perry filmed his Christmas show at the Vatican. He got special permission from Pope Paul VI. He filmed in areas where cameras had never been allowed before. The show featured the first TV appearance of the Sistine Chapel Choir. Perry was also the first non-choir member to sing with them.
Holiday Specials
After 1967, Perry did fewer TV shows. He focused on seasonal and holiday specials, especially Christmas shows. His Christmas specials started in 1948 and continued until 1994. They were filmed in many countries, like Israel, Mexico, and Canada.
His final Christmas special was filmed in Dublin, Ireland, in 1994. He was not feeling well during the show. At the end, he apologized to the audience. While in Dublin, he visited a barber shop named "The Como." The owners were big fans and named their shop after him.
Perry Como's Personal Life
Family Life
Perry met Roselle Belline in 1929 when he was 17. They married on July 31, 1933. They had three children: Ronnie, David, and Terri. Perry believed his work life and home life should be separate. He always refused interviews about his personal life.
In 1946, the Comos moved to Flower Hill, New York. In 1958, they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary with a trip to Italy. They even met Pope Pius XII.
In 1971, Perry had a bad fall from a stage. He broke his knee and needed eight months to recover. In 1993, he was treated for bladder cancer. Roselle, his wife, passed away on August 12, 1998, after 65 years of marriage. Perry was very sad after her death.
Public Image and Hobbies
Perry was known for his good taste. If he thought something was in bad taste, it wasn't in his show. He was also very natural. The person you saw on TV was the same person you might see at the supermarket.
Even though he was laid-back, he could get upset like anyone else. His music director said Perry would get angry at normal things, like someone cutting him off while driving.
Bing Crosby once called Perry "the man who invented casual." Perry liked casual clothes. But he was still named one of the Best Dressed Men many times.
Perry loved golf. He even had "Perry Como Putters" sold by MacGregor. He also enjoyed fishing. He would often catch fish for his family's dinner. He even used his boat as a rehearsal space! He would listen to music tapes while waiting for fish to bite.
Perry Como's Death
Perry Como passed away peacefully in his sleep on May 12, 2001. He was at his home in Jupiter Inlet Colony, Florida. He died six days before his 89th birthday. He had been suffering from symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. His funeral was held at St. Edward's Catholic Church in Palm Beach, Florida. Perry and his wife, Roselle, are buried together in Tequesta, Florida.
Honors and Tributes to Perry Como
Awards and Recognition
Perry Como received many awards. He won a Grammy Award in 1959 for Best Vocal Performance, Male. He also won five Emmys between 1955 and 1959. He received a Christopher Award in 1956. He shared a Peabody Award with Jackie Gleason in 1956.
He was honored at the Kennedy Center in 1987. He was also added to the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1990. After his death, he received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. In 2006, he was added to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. Perry Como has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. These stars celebrate his work in radio, TV, and music.
Hometown Pride
Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, was always very proud of Perry Como. The local newspaper first wrote about him in 1934. They said he might "snatch the crown from Bing Crosby's head."
The town honored him many times. On September 14, 1946, Third Street was renamed "Perry Como Avenue." This was where he worked in the barber shop.
In 1997, a project began to build a statue of Perry. His wife, Roselle, approved it before she passed away. The statue was unveiled on May 15, 1999. Perry's stool and music stand from his TV show were given to the town. The statue's base has his favorite saying: "To This Place God Has Brought Me."
In 2002, the celebration crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Palena, Italy, where Perry's parents were born, has a festival for him. A smaller version of his statue was taken to Palena. The town even renamed a street for Perry Como.
Perry never forgot Canonsburg. He helped convince RCA to open a record-pressing plant there. He also helped raise money for local groups like Boys' and Girls' Clubs.
In 2007, the local McDonald's was rebuilt. It has items remembering Perry Como and another local singer, Bobby Vinton. A playground in Canonsburg is also named after Perry Como. In downtown Canonsburg, the town clock plays one of his hit songs every hour.
Images for kids
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Perry Como (center) with Bing Crosby (left) and Arthur Godfrey (right) in 1950.
See also
In Spanish: Perry Como para niños
