Sonny King (singer)
Encyclopedia
Sonny King was an Italian American
lounge singer.
He was born as Luigi Antonio Schiavone on April 1, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York. He was the sidekick of Jimmy Durante
for 28 years until Durante's death in 1980. They appeared together on the Ed Sullivan Show five times in the 1960s. King shared a New York apartment with Dean Martin
when the two were struggling entertainers, and is credited with introducing Martin to a young comedian Jerry Lewis
.
Although not an official Rat Pack
member, he was close friends with many Rat Pack
entertainers and appeared in movies such as Robin and the Seven Hoods and Sergeants 3. King moved to Las Vegas
in the early 1950s and was a fixture on the strip and local clubs until his death on February 3, 2006 from cancer
. He was 83 years old.
King has five children; Craig Unger, Shannon Ward, Antoinette Schiavone, Louis Schiavone II and Christopher Schiavone
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
lounge singer.
He was born as Luigi Antonio Schiavone on April 1, 1922 in Brooklyn, New York. He was the sidekick of Jimmy Durante
Jimmy Durante
James Francis "Jimmy" Durante was an American singer, pianist, comedian and actor. His distinctive clipped gravelly speech, comic language butchery, jazz-influenced songs, and large nose helped make him one of America's most familiar and popular personalities of the 1920s through the 1970s...
for 28 years until Durante's death in 1980. They appeared together on the Ed Sullivan Show five times in the 1960s. King shared a New York apartment with Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
when the two were struggling entertainers, and is credited with introducing Martin to a young comedian Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis is an American comedian, actor, singer, film producer, screenwriter and film director. He is best known for his slapstick humor in film, television, stage and radio. He was originally paired up with Dean Martin in 1946, forming the famed comedy team of Martin and Lewis...
.
Although not an official Rat Pack
Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean...
member, he was close friends with many Rat Pack
Rat Pack
The Rat Pack was a group of actors originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a later variation of the group, after Bogart's death, that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean...
entertainers and appeared in movies such as Robin and the Seven Hoods and Sergeants 3. King moved to Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
in the early 1950s and was a fixture on the strip and local clubs until his death on February 3, 2006 from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. He was 83 years old.
King has five children; Craig Unger, Shannon Ward, Antoinette Schiavone, Louis Schiavone II and Christopher Schiavone