Perry Como Biography, Photos and Posters

Perry Como

Biography

Born: May 18, 1912
City and Country of Origin: Canonsburg, PA
Music Training:
Awards: 1956, '57 Emmy Award Outstanding Television Personality; Recording Industry Association of America's first ever Gold Disc Award, "Catch a Falling Star."
Top Recordings: "They Say It's Wonderful," "Surrender," "Some Enchanted Evening," "Till the End of Time," "Papa Loves Mambo," "Catch a Falling Star," "It's Impossible"
Perry Como Biography: If in the music business where a career that spans five years is considered a success, how would you define Perry Como's career? Best known for his warm easy going relaxed manner and soft seemingly effortless delivery, Como's career spanned six decades. He was one of thirteen children and pursued a career as a barber before becoming a singer. He started his hair cutting career working after school at the age of eleven and had his sights set on opening his own shop before the singing bug bit him. After high school he married his high school sweetheart Roselle Beline and landed a spot singing with the Freddie Carlone Orchestra touring the midwest. He joined the Ted Weems band in 1937 and was featured on the band's "Beat the Band" radio program. When the band broke up he found himself back in Canonsburg cutting hair. However, the radio exposure didn't hurt and he was offered his own show by CBS radio which paid $100. a week, a handsome sum in those days. RCA signed him to a recording contract which yielded 42 top ten hits over the next 14 years. "Till the End of Time" a song based on Chopin's "Polonaise in A-Flat Minor" was probably his most notable effort from this period. It was during this period that he made his acting debut appearing in 3 Twentieth Century Fox pictures. In 1948 he made his television debut on the The Chesterfield Supper Club. In 1950 he starred in his own show on CBS called the Perry Como Show which ran for five years. In 1955 he started another variety show on NBC which ran for 8 years. By the late '50s with the advent of Rock 'n Roll, his popularity began to wane. His last number 1 hit song was "Catch a Falling Star" in 1958 and his last top ten song was "It's Impossible" in 1970.
Died: May 12, 2001

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