Jerry Vale
Encyclopedia
Jerry Vale is an American
singer.
, in order to make some money, he took a job shining shoes in a barber
shop in New York City. He sang while he shined shoes, and his boss liked the sound so well that he paid for music lessons for the boy. Enjoying the lessons, Vale started singing in high school musicals and at a local club
. This led to additional club dates, including one that lasted for three years at a club in the suburb of Yonkers, New York
, just north of the city. When Paul Insetta, (who was a road manager for Guy Mitchell
and a hit songwriter) heard him there, he signed him to a management contract, changed his name, and further coached him. He then arranged for Vale to record some demonstration records
of song
s he'd written, and brought the demos to Columbia Records
. Vale then signed a recording contract
with Columbia Records, and Insetta managed him for many years.
His version of the National Anthem, recorded in the late 1960s, was a fixture at sporting events for many years.
Vale and Rita, his wife of over forty years, reside in Palm Desert
, California
. His autobiography
, A Singer's Life, was published in 2000 by Celebrity Profiles, Long Island, New York. He made cameo appearances as himself in the 1990 film Goodfellas
and the 1995 film Casino
, both directed by Martin Scorsese
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer.
Career
In high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, in order to make some money, he took a job shining shoes in a barber
Barber
A barber is someone whose occupation is to cut any type of hair, and to shave or trim the beards of men. The place of work of a barber is generally called a barbershop....
shop in New York City. He sang while he shined shoes, and his boss liked the sound so well that he paid for music lessons for the boy. Enjoying the lessons, Vale started singing in high school musicals and at a local club
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
. This led to additional club dates, including one that lasted for three years at a club in the suburb of Yonkers, New York
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
, just north of the city. When Paul Insetta, (who was a road manager for Guy Mitchell
Guy Mitchell
Guy Mitchell, born Albert George Cernik, was an American pop singer, successful in his homeland, the U.K. and Australia...
and a hit songwriter) heard him there, he signed him to a management contract, changed his name, and further coached him. He then arranged for Vale to record some demonstration records
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
of song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s he'd written, and brought the demos to Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
. Vale then signed 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 Columbia Records, and Insetta managed him for many years.
His version of the National Anthem, recorded in the late 1960s, was a fixture at sporting events for many years.
Vale and Rita, his wife of over forty years, reside in Palm Desert
Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. His autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, A Singer's Life, was published in 2000 by Celebrity Profiles, Long Island, New York. He made cameo appearances as himself in the 1990 film Goodfellas
Goodfellas
Goodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese...
and the 1995 film Casino
Casino (film)
Casino is a 1995 crime drama film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote the screenplay for the film with Scorsese...
, both directed by Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
.
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
AC | ||
| 1953 | "You Can Never Give Me Back My Heart" | 29 | - |
| 1954 | "Two Purple Shadows" | 20 | - |
| "I Live Each Day" | 29 | - | |
| 1956 | "Innamorata Innamorata "Innamorata" is a song written in 1955. The music was written by Harry Warren and the lyrics by Jack Brooks.It was written for the 1955 Martin and Lewis film, Artists and Models.In italian, the word innamorata means "my love"... (Sweetheart)" |
30 | - |
| "You Don't Know Me" | 14 | - | |
| 1957 | "Pretend You Don't See Her" | 45 | - |
| 1958 | "Go Chase a Moonbeam" | 60 | - |
| 1962 | "Al di là Al Di Là "Al di là" is a popular Italian song. "Al di là" was one of Betty Curtis' biggest hits in Italy. The song was the Italian entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1961, performed in Italian by Curtis at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, France, on March 18, 1961, after Curtis had won the 1961... " |
- | - |
| 1963 | "Old Cape Cod Old Cape Cod "Old Cape Cod" is a song, written by Claire Rothrock, Milton Yakus, and Allan Jeffrey, and published in 1957.The recording by Patti Page was released by Mercury Records as catalog number 71101; flip side "Wondering." It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on June 3, 1957... " |
- | - |
| 1964 | "Have You Looked into Your Heart Have You Looked into Your Heart "Have You Looked into Your Heart" is a 1964 single by Jerry Vale. The single went to number one on the Middle-Road Singles chart in February 1965 and number twenty-four on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was Vale's last Top 40 hit.... " |
24 | 1 |
| 1965 | "For Mama" | 50 | - |
| "Tears Keep On Falling" | 96 | - | |
| "Where Were You When I Needed You" | 99 | - | |
| 1966 | "Ashamed" | - | 23 |
| "Dommage, Dommage (Too Bad, Too Bad)" | 93 | - | |