Eddie Fontaine
Encyclopedia
Eddie Fontaine was an American
actor
and singer, best known for television
roles in the 1960s and 1970s.
, Massachusetts
, Fontaine signed as a vocalist with RCA
in 1954 after serving in the US Navy
. In 1955 he appeared at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in disc jockey Alan Freed's
first rock and roll
show. He also sang in the Jayne Mansfield
movie The Girl Can't Help It
(1956). Musically he is best remembered for his 1958 single "Nothin' Shakin' (But the Leaves on the Trees)
", which was later covered by The Beatles
. He is listed as a "legend" but not an inductee at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
site.
Fontaine moved to Van Nuys, California, in the 1960s after singing in night clubs in pre-Castro
Cuba
. He landed a role in the World War II
series The Gallant Men
, where he played ladies' man PFC Pete D'Angelo and occasionally sang. Although he never won another regular role in a television series Fontaine made many guest appearances on shows such as 77 Sunset Strip
, Baretta
, Happy Days
, The Rockford Files
and Quincy
.
In 1984 Fontaine was tried and convicted in a murder-for-hire case. According to police documents, in 1983 Fontaine approached a country singer with the promise of a recording contract
with RCA, along with a large sum of money, if the man were to kill his estranged wife, with whom he was having a custody battle at the time. Fontaine served four years in a California prison. He had previously been convicted of child molestation and grand larceny. Fontaine appealed his murder-for-hire conviction based on the trial judge's rulings concerning these earlier offenses.
He made his last TV appearance in the series Sisters in 1991 and died of throat cancer the following year at age 65. His son Brian Reardon is a session guitarist in Los Angeles
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and singer, best known for television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
roles in the 1960s and 1970s.
Biography
Born Edward Reardon in SpringfieldSpringfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Fontaine signed as a vocalist with RCA
RCA Records
RCA Records is one of the flagship labels of Sony Music Entertainment. The RCA initials stand for Radio Corporation of America , which was the parent corporation from 1929 to 1985 and a partner from 1985 to 1986.RCA's Canadian unit is Sony's oldest label...
in 1954 after serving in the US Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
. In 1955 he appeared at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in disc jockey Alan Freed's
Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed , also known as Moondog, was an American disc-jockey. He became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country and rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll...
first rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
show. He also sang in the Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was an American actress working both in Hollywood and on the Broadway theatre...
movie The Girl Can't Help It
The Girl Can't Help It
The Girl Can't Help It is a 1956 comedy musical film starring Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell, and Edmond O'Brien. It was produced and directed by Frank Tashlin, with a screenplay adapted by Tashlin and Herbert Baker from an uncredited novel Do Re Me by Garson Kanin...
(1956). Musically he is best remembered for his 1958 single "Nothin' Shakin' (But the Leaves on the Trees)
Nothin' Shakin' (But the Leaves on the Trees)
"Nothin' Shakin' " is a song written by Eddie Fontaine, Cirino Colacrai, Diane Lampert and John Gluck, Jr., and first released by Eddie Fontaine in 1958.It has been covered by The Beatles, Billy "Crash" Craddock, Dr...
", which was later covered by The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
. He is listed as a "legend" but not an inductee at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame
Rockabilly Hall of Fame
The Rockabilly Hall of Fame was established on the internet on March 21, 1997, to present early rock and roll history and information relative to the artists and personalities involved in this pioneering American music genre....
site.
Fontaine moved to Van Nuys, California, in the 1960s after singing in night clubs in pre-Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. He landed a role in the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
series The Gallant Men
The Gallant Men
The Gallant Men is a 1962-1963 ABC television series which depicted an infantry company of American soldiers fighting their way through Italy in World War II.-Description:...
, where he played ladies' man PFC Pete D'Angelo and occasionally sang. Although he never won another regular role in a television series Fontaine made many guest appearances on shows such as 77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
, Baretta
Baretta
Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma...
, Happy Days
Happy Days
Happy Days is an American television sitcom that originally aired from January 15, 1974, to September 24, 1984, on ABC. Created by Garry Marshall, the series presents an idealized vision of life in mid-1950s to mid-1960s America....
, The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files
The Rockford Files is an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show stars James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and features Noah...
and Quincy
Quincy, M.E.
Quincy, M.E., also called Quincy, is a United States television series from Universal Studios that aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC...
.
In 1984 Fontaine was tried and convicted in a murder-for-hire case. According to police documents, in 1983 Fontaine approached a country singer with the promise of a recording contract
Recording contract
A recording contract is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist , where the artist makes a record for the label to sell and promote...
with RCA, along with a large sum of money, if the man were to kill his estranged wife, with whom he was having a custody battle at the time. Fontaine served four years in a California prison. He had previously been convicted of child molestation and grand larceny. Fontaine appealed his murder-for-hire conviction based on the trial judge's rulings concerning these earlier offenses.
He made his last TV appearance in the series Sisters in 1991 and died of throat cancer the following year at age 65. His son Brian Reardon is a session guitarist in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.