Ruggiero Eugenio di Rodolpho Colombo (January 14, 1908 – September 2, 1934), better known as Russ Columbo, was an American singer, violinist and actor, most famous for his signature tune, "You Call It Madness, But I Call It Love," his compositions "Prisoner of Love" and "Too Beautiful For Words", and the legend surrounding his early death. He was dubbed as the “Vocal Valentine” and “The Romeo of Song.”
Columbo was born in Camden, New Jersey, the twelfth child of
Italian immigrant parents, Nicola and Giulia (Julia) Colombo. He started
playing the violin while still very young, and debuted professionally at the
age of 13. He left high school at 17 to travel with various bands around the
country. He sang and played violin in numerous nightclubs.
By 1928, at the age of 20, Columbo began to participate in
motion pictures, including a Vitaphone short in which Columbo appeared with Gus
Arnheim and His Orchestra. Eventually, he did obtain some feature work in front
of the camera, but he slowed down his activities in cinema to pursue other
interests.
Columbo tried to run a nightclub for a while, but the
venture was unsuccessful. In 1931, he traveled to New York with his manager,
songwriter Con Conrad. Conrad secured a late-night radio slot with NBC.
This
led to numerous engagements, a recording contract with RCA Victor records, and
tremendous popularity with legions of mostly female fans.
The type of singing
that was popularized by the likes of Columbo, Rudy Vallee, and Bing Crosby is
called crooning. Columbo disliked the label, but it caught on with the general
public. It gained popular credence, despite its initial use as a term of
derision for the singers employing their low, soothing voices in romantic
songs.
Public interest in Columbo was further hyped by his romance
with actress Carole Lombard. In the fall of 1933, a short time after her
divorce from actor William Powell,
Lombard fell in love with the singer. For his part, Columbo responded favorably to her zany behavior as well as accepting her salty language, something which had offended a number of her male friends in the past. Although marriage seemed a distinct possibility, Lombard’s close associates doubted that the affair would come to that.
Lombard fell in love with the singer. For his part, Columbo responded favorably to her zany behavior as well as accepting her salty language, something which had offended a number of her male friends in the past. Although marriage seemed a distinct possibility, Lombard’s close associates doubted that the affair would come to that.
Columbo and Lombard continued to date up to his death; they
could be seen dining and dancing at the Cocoanut Grove most Wednesday nights.
His last recording session took place on August 31, 1934; he concluded with the
Allie Wrubel and Mort Dixon composition, "I See Two Lovers."
On September 2, 1934, Columbo was shot under peculiar circumstances by his longtime friend, photographer Lansing Brown. Columbo was visiting him at the studio one day. In lighting a cigarette, Brown lit the match by striking it against the wooden stock of an antique French dueling pistol. The flame set off a long-forgotten charge in the pistol chamber containing a lead ball. The ball ricocheted off a nearby table and hit Columbo in the left eye, killing him almost instantly. Columbo's death was ruled an accident, and Brown exonerated from blame.
On September 2, 1934, Columbo was shot under peculiar circumstances by his longtime friend, photographer Lansing Brown. Columbo was visiting him at the studio one day. In lighting a cigarette, Brown lit the match by striking it against the wooden stock of an antique French dueling pistol. The flame set off a long-forgotten charge in the pistol chamber containing a lead ball. The ball ricocheted off a nearby table and hit Columbo in the left eye, killing him almost instantly. Columbo's death was ruled an accident, and Brown exonerated from blame.
Three-thousand people attended Columbo’s funeral at
Hollywood’s Blessed Sacrament Church. Pallbearers included Columbo’s friendly
rival Bing Crosby, director Walter Lang, actors Gilbert Roland and Zeppo Marx.
Lansing Brown was seen in the back of the church, kneeling and crying.
However, the news was withheld from his mother by his
brothers and sisters for ten years due to her previous heart condition that may
be fatal if informed (She died in 1944). They used all manner of subterfuges of
him still alive, including faked letters from him and records used to simulate
his radio program.
In 1958, singer Jerry Vale recorded a tribute album, I
Remember Russ. In 1995, 61 years after Columbo's death, singer Tiny Tim
released an entire album in tribute to Columbo, titled Prisoner Of Love (A
Tribute to Russ Columbo), which he recorded with the group Clang.
Columbo is interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Cemetery in Glendale, California. (Info mainly edited from Wikipedia)
Here’s a clip from the 1934 film “Moulin Rouge.” Russ Columbo, Constance Bennett and the
Boswell Sisters sing “Coffee in the Morning (Kisses at Night).”
1 comment:
Go here for the Russ Columbo collection:
https://archive.org/details/RussColumboCollection1928-1934Complete
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