Michael John "Jimmy" Roselli (December 26, 1925 –
June 30, 2011) was one of the most significant Italian-American pop singers of
his time, during an era of formidable competition from such performers as Frank
Sinatra, Dean Martin, Perry Como, Frankie Laine, Vic Damone and Jerry Vale.
Roselli was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. He had success with
the song "Mala Femmena", which sold over three million records in
1963. It never was a hit song for him, but is considered his signature song.
His only pop hit was a remake of "There Must Be A Way", a song
previously recorded by Joni James. It reached number 93 in the Billboard′s pop
charts. "There Must Be A Way" was an easy-listening hit, reaching #13
in Billboard and #2 in Record World. The song was recorded in 1967. It became
a hit in Britain and he performed at the London Palladium and Royal Albert
Hall.
He also had success
with the song "All The Time" that same year. The song reached number
19 in the Billboard's easy listening charts. His third and last hit song was
"Please Believe Me" in 1968. That song reached number 31 in the
Billboard's easy listening charts. Those were his only U.S. hit singles,
although his version of "When Your Old Wedding Ring Was New" twice
appeared in the UK Singles Chart. It peaked at number 51 in 1983, and number 52
in 1987.
At the beginning of his career, with appearances on the Ed
Sullivan Show, with Jimmy Durante, and on the famous Copacabana, critics were
calling him a 'miracle'". As the New Yorker Magazine states, "guys
were trying to put a stranglehold on him. He pushed them all away. Although he
was in good terms with a number of mob chieftains, he claimed that he had
"never done business with organized criminals". Roselli at times was
relegated to selling his music out of the trunk of his car parked in Little
Italy in Manhattan (he was the founder and owner of M&R Records).
Jimmy Roselli is a favorite among Italian-Americans and his
signature tune "Mala Femmina" is featured twice in Martin Scorsese's
early classic Mean Streets. Roselli sang in perfect Neapolitan dialect. Other
Neapolitan songs recorded by Roselli include "Core 'ngrato",
"Anema e core" and "Scapricciatiello". Jerry Lewis said of
him that "Roselli sings as an Italian should sing". He sang the title
song "Who Can Say?" for the 1966 Italian documentary film Africa
Addio. Under United Artists, he delivered roughly 35 albums and he often
appeared to packed crowds at the legendary 500 Club in Atlantic City.
From 1969, however, Roselli all but disappeared. Bookings
dried up. Radio stations stopped playing his songs and his records vanished
from the stores. According to Roselli, the sudden reversal came about when
Sinatra’s mother Dolly (the Sinatras were neighbours in Hoboken, New Jersey)
sent round two sidekicks to ask him whether he would sing at a charity concert
she was organising. Insulted that she did not come herself, Roselli replied:
”Tell her I’ve got to get $25,000, and she’s got to pay for the orchestra.”
Roselli’s claim that a furious Sinatra then arranged for his
Mafia pals to torpedo his career was subsequently backed up by New York
investigators. As a result, it was Sinatra who became the most famous
Italian-American crooner from Hoboken.
In his authorised biography of the singer, Making the
Wiseguys Weep, David Evanier suggested that it was Roselli’s self-destructive
streak as much the Mob that held back his career. He turned down a role in The
Godfather Part II, as well as appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny
Carson, because they would not pay what he thought he was worth. He walked out
of a seven-show stint on The Ed Sullivan Show after only three appearances .
In the 1990s it appears that Roselli settled his differences
with the Mob. He returned to the performing circuit, earning up to $100,000 a
time.
He retired in 2004 and died from heart complications in 2011
at his home in Clearwater, Florida. (Info edited from the Telegraph.co.uk and Wikipedia)
2 comments:
For Saloon Songs 2 go here:
http://www5.zippyshare.com/v/57746176/file.html
1. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
2. When Your Old Wedding Ring Was New
3. Baby Face
4. (The Lager Saga of) Al K. Hall
5. Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue
6. When Irish Eyes Are Smiling
7. My Gal Sal
8. Somebody Stole My Gal
9. My Melancholy Baby
10. Nobody's Sweetheart
11. Maybe
12. Yes Sir, That's My Baby
13. Medley: Dear Old Girl
14. I Don't Wanna Go Home
Also more mp3’s here:
https://archive.org/details/JimmyRoselliCollection
A great tribute to a great singer, ending with that interview. Thanks!
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