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Frankie Laine

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
24

Gender
Male

Birthday
March 30, 1913 (113 years old)

Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois

Frankie Laine

Biography

Frankie Laine (born Francesco Paolo LoVecchio; March 30, 1913 – February 6, 2007) was an American singer and songwriter whose career spanned nearly 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", Laine's 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", "Jezebel", "High Noon", "I Believe", "Hey Joe!", "The Kid's Last Fight", "Cool Water", "Rawhide", and "You Gave Me a Mountain".

Laine sang well known theme songs for many Western film soundtracks, including 3:10 To Yuma, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and Blazing Saddles, although his recordings were not charted as country and western. 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 (with somewhat altered lyrics, omitting the name of the antagonist, Frank Miller) was the one that became a bigger hit. Laine also did not 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 UK Albums Chart. The accomplishment was achieved nearly 60 years after his debut on the U.K. chart, 64 years after his first major U.S. hit and four years after his death.

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Known For

Acting

2006Frankie Laine: An American Dreameras Self
1989Slim Gaillard's Civilisationas Self
1979The Cannon & Ball Showas Self
1963Burke's Lawas Kelly Rogers
1962The Merv Griffin Showas Self
1962The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carsonas Self
1961The Mike Douglas Showas Self
1959Rawhideas Ralph Bartlet
1958The All-Star Christmas Showas Self
1958The Dick Clark Showas Self
1957Perry Masonas Danny Ross
1956He Laughed Lastas Gino Lupo
1956The Steve Allen Showas Self - Singer
1956Meet Me in Las Vegasas Frankie Laine
1955Music 55as
1955Bring Your Smile Alongas Jerry Dennis
1953The Oscarsas Self
1952This Is Your Lifeas Self
1952Rainbow 'Round My Shoulderas Frankie Laine
1951Sunny Side of the Streetas Singer Frankie Laine
1950When You're Smilingas Frankie Laine
1950What's My Line?as Self
1949Make Believe Ballroomas Self
1948The Ed Sullivan Showas Self

Production

1974Blazing Saddles...Theme Song Performance
1957Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...Other
1957Gunfight at the O.K. Corral...Theme Song Performance
1955Man Without a Star...Vocals