Tony Dallara born 30 June 1936

Antonio Lardera (born 30 June 1936), better known by his stage name Tony Dallara, is an Italian former singer, actor and television personality who was one of Italy's top vocalists of the late '50s and early '60s.

Dallara was born the last of five children in Campobassoto to a family devoted to music. His father Battista in the past was a Chorister at La Scala.  Raised in Milan, after the compulsory schooling, he held various jobs including a bartender, clerk,  blacksmith, machine washer and a gas station attendant, but with his burning passion for music he joined the Rocky Mountains band where his singing style was inspired by American singers such as Frankie Laine and Tony Williams.

                               

In 1957, whilst working as a delivery man he was signed to the Italian record label Music. His first single "Come prima", although refused for admission to the Sanremo Festival, was published in 

December 1957 and sold 300,000 copies, becoming the biggest selling single in Italy up to that point. The title became a worldwide hit and is still an evergreen today. Further successes followed with "Ti dirò", "Brivido blu" and "Julia".

The highlight of his career was the victory at the San Remo Festival 1960 with the song "Romantica." With "La novia" he succeeded in 1961 again a bigger success. With the title "Bambina, bambina" he won the song competition "Canzonissima" in 1961

Dallara with Jane Russell

He performed all over the world, also holding concerts at Carnegie Hall in New York, at the Olympia in Paris and at the imperial court of Japan, which was watched by Emperor Hiroito. Friends with Louis Armstrong, he accompanied him to Sanremo and Mine where Armstrong performed what would prove to be his final concerts. Despite his friendship with Armstrong, and Dallara's efforts, he never broke through to international audiences. While Domenico Modugno had the world singing Italian with his hit, "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu," Dallara’s success decreased.

As well as singing, Dallara appeared in six films between 1958 and 1963. From the mid-sixties, Tony Dallara reduced his public appearances, dedicating himself to a more melodic song genre and some forays into the Neapolitan song. Among the participations of these years: Un Disco per L'estate (1964), Cantagiro (1966),  Festival della Canzone Napoletana (1967). By now the musical tastes of the public had shifted and, while still continuing to record new songs throughout the sixties, Dallara is no longer able to enter the charts: even television and radio, slowly, forget about him.

In the seventies, after a last participation in " A record for summer 1972 " with Mister Love (which was excluded from the final phase of the competition), he retired from the world of music and devoted himself to painting, exhibiting his paintings in various galleries and winning Renato Guttuso's friendship and esteem. .

During the early 80’s Dallara started singing his old hits at concerts again due to a revival of the music from the sixties. He mainly performed in the summer months performing his songs  

with new arrangements. The 1990s also passed, with various television appearances in programs dedicated to the legendary 1960s. In 1991 he issued an album of twelve new songs entitled "Pensieri in Musica" which he co-authored on several tracks. In 1995 he sang in the Zecchino d'Oro. In April 2001 the President of the Republic, Carlo Azeglio Ciampi, appointed him Knight of Merit of the Italian Republic.

In the first months of 2008, Dallara played the role of television commentator on L'Italia sul 2 on Rai 2  and later  participated in the theatrical tour of Teo Teocoli with the show Dal derby al Nuovo . He also appeared at the selections of the Sanremo Festival 2008 with Teo Teocoli, but their song Cartà d'identita was not admitted.

Throughout his career he has sung in many languages including Japanese, Spanish, German, Greek, French and Turkish, winning prizes in many foreign countries. In his later years he could still be seen on Italian television from time to time. (Painstakingly edited from Wikipedia and various blog translations)